Linux 5.9 To Support DM-CRYPT On Zoned Block Devices

Along with Linux 5.9 set to add NVMe ZNS support for the spec surrounding placement of data within zones, more broadly this next kernel is positioned to bring dm-crypt support for zoned block devices.

For zoned block devices / zoned storage where the address space is partitioned into zones for having more control over data placement, reducing latency, and other reasons with the standards from the likes of ZBC, ZAC, and now NVMe ZNS, the dm-crypt component is having to adapt. The Linux Device Manager's dm-crypt allows for transparent disk encryption and does so quite well, but until now hasn't properly supported zoned block devices.

Thankfully from Western Digital is now support that was queued on Monday for dm-crypt zoned block device support. This code is now within the Linux Device Mapper Git branch of material slated for Linux 5.9 which will see its merge window open in August and should release as stable in October.