NVME_MI_ADMIN_ADMIN_PASSTHRU(2)

🎀 nvme_mi_admin_admin_passthru — the libnvme API manual, bestie edition 🎀

okay so this page lives in the libnvme API manual, and it's about nvme_mi_admin_admin_passthru(2). yeah the name is a whole mouthful, we don't talk about it 💀

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✨ NAME ✨

nvme_mi_admin_admin_passthru — submit an nvme admin passthrough command 💅

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

int nvme_mi_admin_admin_passthru (nvme_mi_ctrl_t ctrl , __u8 opcode ,
__u8 flags , __u16 rsvd , __u32 nsid , __u32 cdw2 , __u32 cdw3 , __u32
cdw10 , __u32 cdw11 , __u32 cdw12 , __u32 cdw13 , __u32 cdw14 , __u32
cdw15 , __u32 data_len , void *data , __u32 metadata_len , void
*metadata , __u32 timeout_ms , __u32 *result );

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🦋 ARGUMENTS 🦋

look at this list. it's giving "the whole alphabet walked in". but every single one matters, so let's go 🫶

• ctrl — the controller you're sending this command to
• opcode — the nvme admin command you're sending
• flags — NVMe command flags (not used, so like… she's here but she's not doing anything 🙈)
• rsvd — reserved for future use, aka do not perceive her
• nsid — namespace identifier
• cdw2 — command dword 2
• cdw3 — command dword 3
• cdw10 — command dword 10
• cdw11 — command dword 11
• cdw12 — command dword 12
• cdw13 — command dword 13
• cdw14 — command dword 14
• cdw15 — command dword 15
• data_len — length of the data transferred in this command, in bytes
• data — pointer to the user address of the data buffer
• metadata_len — length of metadata transferred in this command (not used)
• metadata — pointer to the user address of the metadata buffer (not used)
• timeout_ms — how long to wait for the command to complete
• result — optional field to return the result from the CQE dword 0

yes bestie, cdw4 through cdw9 did NOT get invited to this party. that's just how it is. 🍓

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

send a customized NVMe Admin command request message, then get the corresponding response message back. it's a whole conversation, and you're the one starting it ✨

this interface supports no data, host to controller, and controller to host — but it does NOT support bidirectional data transfer 😭 so don't try it, she will not be doing that.

also, this interface only supports a data transfer size range of [0, 4096] (bytes), which means the & data_len parameter must be less than 4097. no cap. that's the rule 📏

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🔥 RETURN 🔥

you get the nvme command status if a response was received (peep enum nvme_status_field for that) — or -1 with errno set otherwise. simple as that 💅

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and that's the whole page, bestie 🧚✨ this was the libnvme API manual, dated July 2026, and honestly? iconic. go submit your passthrough, main character. 💜👑