Using a real harddisk

[w_schmidt at ...181...]

Hi,

I have a few stupid questions regarding the use of real hardware.

I want to access files from a harddisk using a block cache. The partition 
would be /sda7/test in ext2 format. (and for example file1.txt) I tried to 
start nova directly form disc - works with mouse & keyboard now.

With the example file in /dde_rump/run/rump2_ext2.run I do not see how I 
could use an existing harddrive.

I understand the script as following:
First a bin/ext2.raw file is created and then a file system is created with 
mke2fs.
The ram_blk points to the file. How can it be pointed to a drive like /sda7 
instead?
Is it even possible now to use a real harddsic file system? Or would i need 
to create a file like in the example (only permanent) and put the file 
together with the rest of the program in grub so that nova boots with 
providing the file?

The second part of the question is according to things needed to execute the 
rump_ext2.run script.
As i tried to create prepare PKG=libs i needded to install:  subversion, 
flex, bison
Are they missing in the build tools or is no specific version needed?

The next questions are regarding the block cache. If I try to execute the 
script, i get a Tests finished succesful, but a lot of messages like
[init] Cannot respond to resource request - out of memory
[init ->blk_cache] could not expand dataspace pool

To be honest I do not see in the configuration at all how it should work.
If i understand it correctly a qemu with 64 MB RAM is started, and 
test-blk-cli is given a quantum of 2GB?
The test-blk-cli gets a route for Block to the Cache and the Cache to 
Blksrv. What I don't understand with the sizes is: Why has the client the 
largest size and not the smallest? If it has the largest it could just read 
complete files and keep it in memory?

I tried the following: I copied the rump_ext2.run script and created an 
entry with start name blk_cache and put a route from rump_fs to Block child 
blk_cache, from blk_Cache as child ram_blk.
I started it and then see that the script said that blk_cache was not found, 
but it run succesful.

My question is therefore: if a service name is in multiple clients and one 
client in a route is not available, is automatically another client with 
same service name used? Or have i forgot something?
Afterwards i included in the set build_components section server/blk_cache 
(after drivers/timer) and entered as boot module blk_cache.  Is this the 
correct way of including the cache?

The result of this was that I got an output with: [init -> blk_cache] 
updating quota for SIGNAL session, an init rump_fs upgrade quota output and 
afterwards and a long stop after init->rump_fs Backend::Backend() Backend 
blk_size 512 Afterwards the script stopped with   Test execution timeout. 
with error 254) What could I have done wrong with the configuration of this 
scenario?

Best regards
Wolfgang Schmidt