The device-mapper uevent code adds the capability to device-mapper to create and send kobject uevents (uevents). Previously device-mapper events were only available through the ioctl interface. The advantage of the uevents interface is the event contains environment attributes providing increased context for the event avoiding the need to query the state of the device-mapper device after the event is received. There are two functions currently for device-mapper events. The first function listed creates the event and the second function sends the event(s). void dm_path_uevent(enum dm_uevent_type event_type, struct dm_target *ti, const char *path, unsigned nr_valid_paths) void dm_send_uevents(struct list_head *events, struct kobject *kobj) The variables added to the uevent environment are: Variable Name: DM_TARGET Uevent Action(s): KOBJ_CHANGE Type: string Description: Value: Name of device-mapper target that generated the event. Variable Name: DM_ACTION Uevent Action(s): KOBJ_CHANGE Type: string Description: Value: Device-mapper specific action that caused the uevent action. PATH_FAILED - A path has failed. PATH_REINSTATED - A path has been reinstated. Variable Name: DM_SEQNUM Uevent Action(s): KOBJ_CHANGE Type: unsigned integer Description: A sequence number for this specific device-mapper device. Value: Valid unsigned integer range. Variable Name: DM_PATH Uevent Action(s): KOBJ_CHANGE Type: string Description: Major and minor number of the path device pertaining to this event. Value: Path name in the form of "Major:Minor" Variable Name: DM_NR_VALID_PATHS Uevent Action(s): KOBJ_CHANGE Type: unsigned integer Description: Value: Valid unsigned integer range. Variable Name: DM_NAME Uevent Action(s): KOBJ_CHANGE Type: string Description: Name of the device-mapper device. Value: Name Variable Name: DM_UUID Uevent Action(s): KOBJ_CHANGE Type: string Description: UUID of the device-mapper device. Value: UUID. (Empty string if there isn't one.) An example of the uevents generated as captured by udevmonitor is shown below. 1.) Path failure. UEVENT[1192521009.711215] change@/block/dm-3 ACTION=change DEVPATH=/block/dm-3 SUBSYSTEM=block DM_TARGET=multipath DM_ACTION=PATH_FAILED DM_SEQNUM=1 DM_PATH=8:32 DM_NR_VALID_PATHS=0 DM_NAME=mpath2 DM_UUID=mpath-35333333000002328 MINOR=3 MAJOR=253 SEQNUM=1130 2.) Path reinstate. UEVENT[1192521132.989927] change@/block/dm-3 ACTION=change DEVPATH=/block/dm-3 SUBSYSTEM=block DM_TARGET=multipath DM_ACTION=PATH_REINSTATED DM_SEQNUM=2 DM_PATH=8:32 DM_NR_VALID_PATHS=1 DM_NAME=mpath2 DM_UUID=mpath-35333333000002328 MINOR=3 MAJOR=253 SEQNUM=1131