Documentation

blkdiscard

Securely erase SSDs and NVMe drives using the blkdiscard command.

This module discards (TRIMs) blocks on a device, which is essential for SSDs and NVMe drives to maintain performance and longevity. Unlike traditional hard drives, SSDs need TRIM/DISCARD commands for proper reset.

Attributes

check_mode:
  support: full

Parameters

Parameter	Required	Type	Description
device	true	string	Block device path (e.g., /dev/nvme0n1).
force		boolean	Force discard even if device is mounted (dangerous). [default: `false`]
length		integer	Length in bytes to discard.
offset		integer	Starting offset in bytes.
secure		boolean	Perform secure erase. [default: `false`]
step		integer	Step size for incremental discard.
zeroout		boolean	Zero out instead of discard. [default: `false`]

Example

- name: Secure erase SSD
  blkdiscard:
    device: /dev/nvme0n1

- name: Secure erase with zeroout
  blkdiscard:
    device: /dev/nvme0n1
    zeroout: true

- name: Discard specific range
  blkdiscard:
    device: /dev/nvme0n1
    offset: 0
    length: 1073741824

- name: Force discard (dangerous)
  blkdiscard:
    device: /dev/nvme0n1
    force: true

- name: Secure erase multiple disks
  blkdiscard:
    device: "{{ item }}"
  loop:
    - /dev/nvme0n1
    - /dev/nvme1n1