diff --git a/src/aiori-MMAP.c b/src/aiori-MMAP.c
index f812bdd..dd6c649 100644
--- a/src/aiori-MMAP.c
+++ b/src/aiori-MMAP.c
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ static IOR_offset_t MMAP_Xfer(int, void *, IOR_size_t *,
                                IOR_offset_t, IOR_param_t *);
 static void MMAP_Close(void *, IOR_param_t *);
 static void MMAP_Fsync(void *, IOR_param_t *);
+static option_help * MMAP_options(void ** init_backend_options, void * init_values);
 
 /************************** D E C L A R A T I O N S ***************************/
 
@@ -45,9 +46,38 @@ ior_aiori_t mmap_aiori = {
         .get_version = aiori_get_version,
         .fsync = MMAP_Fsync,
         .get_file_size = POSIX_GetFileSize,
+        .get_options = MMAP_options,
 };
 
 /***************************** F U N C T I O N S ******************************/
+typedef struct{
+  int direct_io_ignored; /* this option is ignored */
+  void* mmap_ptr; /* for internal usage */
+
+  int madv_dont_need;
+  int madv_pattern;
+} mmap_options_t;
+
+static option_help * MMAP_options(void ** init_backend_options, void * init_values){
+  mmap_options_t * o = malloc(sizeof(mmap_options_t));
+
+  if (init_values != NULL){
+    memcpy(o, init_values, sizeof(mmap_options_t));
+  }else{
+    o->direct_io_ignored = 0;
+  }
+
+  *init_backend_options = o;
+
+  option_help h [] = {
+    {0, "mmap.madv_dont_need", "Use advise don't need", OPTION_FLAG, 'd', & o->madv_dont_need},
+    {0, "mmap.madv_pattern", "Use advise to indicate the pattern random/sequential", OPTION_FLAG, 'd', & o->madv_pattern},
+    LAST_OPTION
+  };
+  option_help * help = malloc(sizeof(h));
+  memcpy(help, h, sizeof(h));
+  return help;
+}
 
 static void ior_mmap_file(int *file, IOR_param_t *param)
 {
@@ -56,21 +86,27 @@ static void ior_mmap_file(int *file, IOR_param_t *param)
 
         if (param->open == WRITE)
                 flags |= PROT_WRITE;
+        mmap_options_t *o = (mmap_options_t*) param->backend_options;
 
-        param->mmap_ptr = mmap(NULL, size, flags, MAP_SHARED,
+        o->mmap_ptr = mmap(NULL, size, flags, MAP_SHARED,
                                *file, 0);
-        if (param->mmap_ptr == MAP_FAILED)
+        if (o->mmap_ptr == MAP_FAILED)
                 ERR("mmap() failed");
 
         if (param->randomOffset)
                 flags = POSIX_MADV_RANDOM;
         else
                 flags = POSIX_MADV_SEQUENTIAL;
-        if (posix_madvise(param->mmap_ptr, size, flags) != 0)
-                ERR("madvise() failed");
+        
+        if(o->madv_pattern){
+          if (posix_madvise(o->mmap_ptr, size, flags) != 0)
+          ERR("madvise() failed");
+        }
 
-        if (posix_madvise(param->mmap_ptr, size, POSIX_MADV_DONTNEED) != 0)
-                ERR("madvise() failed");
+        if (o->madv_dont_need){
+          if (posix_madvise(o->mmap_ptr, size, POSIX_MADV_DONTNEED) != 0)
+          ERR("madvise() failed");
+        }
 
         return;
 }
@@ -107,16 +143,17 @@ static void *MMAP_Open(char *testFileName, IOR_param_t * param)
 static IOR_offset_t MMAP_Xfer(int access, void *file, IOR_size_t * buffer,
                                IOR_offset_t length, IOR_param_t * param)
 {
+        mmap_options_t *o = (mmap_options_t*) param->backend_options;
         if (access == WRITE) {
-                memcpy(param->mmap_ptr + param->offset, buffer, length);
+                memcpy(o->mmap_ptr + param->offset, buffer, length);
         } else {
-                memcpy(buffer, param->mmap_ptr + param->offset, length);
+                memcpy(buffer, o->mmap_ptr + param->offset, length);
         }
 
         if (param->fsyncPerWrite == TRUE) {
-                if (msync(param->mmap_ptr + param->offset, length, MS_SYNC) != 0)
+                if (msync(o->mmap_ptr + param->offset, length, MS_SYNC) != 0)
                         ERR("msync() failed");
-                if (posix_madvise(param->mmap_ptr + param->offset, length,
+                if (posix_madvise(o->mmap_ptr + param->offset, length,
                                   POSIX_MADV_DONTNEED) != 0)
                         ERR("madvise() failed");
         }
@@ -128,7 +165,8 @@ static IOR_offset_t MMAP_Xfer(int access, void *file, IOR_size_t * buffer,
  */
 static void MMAP_Fsync(void *fd, IOR_param_t * param)
 {
-        if (msync(param->mmap_ptr, param->expectedAggFileSize, MS_SYNC) != 0)
+        mmap_options_t *o = (mmap_options_t*) param->backend_options;
+        if (msync(o->mmap_ptr, param->expectedAggFileSize, MS_SYNC) != 0)
                 EWARN("msync() failed");
 }
 
@@ -137,8 +175,9 @@ static void MMAP_Fsync(void *fd, IOR_param_t * param)
  */
 static void MMAP_Close(void *fd, IOR_param_t * param)
 {
-        if (munmap(param->mmap_ptr, param->expectedAggFileSize) != 0)
+        mmap_options_t *o = (mmap_options_t*) param->backend_options;
+        if (munmap(o->mmap_ptr, param->expectedAggFileSize) != 0)
                 ERR("munmap failed");
-        param->mmap_ptr = NULL;
+        o->mmap_ptr = NULL;
         POSIX_Close(fd, param);
 }
diff --git a/src/aiori-POSIX.c b/src/aiori-POSIX.c
index a446459..9e85fa7 100755
--- a/src/aiori-POSIX.c
+++ b/src/aiori-POSIX.c
@@ -74,11 +74,12 @@ static void POSIX_Fsync(void *, IOR_param_t *);
 
 /************************** O P T I O N S *****************************/
 typedef struct{
+  /* in case of a change, please update depending MMAP module too */
   int direct_io;
 } posix_options_t;
 
 
-static option_help * posix_options(void ** init_backend_options, void * init_values){
+option_help * POSIX_options(void ** init_backend_options, void * init_values){
   posix_options_t * o = malloc(sizeof(posix_options_t));
 
   if (init_values != NULL){
@@ -118,7 +119,7 @@ ior_aiori_t posix_aiori = {
         .rmdir = aiori_posix_rmdir,
         .access = aiori_posix_access,
         .stat = aiori_posix_stat,
-        .get_options = posix_options,
+        .get_options = POSIX_options,
         .enable_mdtest = true,
 };
 
diff --git a/src/aiori.h b/src/aiori.h
index 782d1ac..d8cabb5 100755
--- a/src/aiori.h
+++ b/src/aiori.h
@@ -129,6 +129,8 @@ void *POSIX_Open(char *testFileName, IOR_param_t * param);
 IOR_offset_t POSIX_GetFileSize(IOR_param_t * test, MPI_Comm testComm, char *testFileName);
 void POSIX_Delete(char *testFileName, IOR_param_t * param);
 void POSIX_Close(void *fd, IOR_param_t * param);
+option_help * POSIX_options(void ** init_backend_options, void * init_values);
+
 
 /* NOTE: these 3 MPI-IO functions are exported for reuse by HDF5/PNetCDF */
 void MPIIO_Delete(char *testFileName, IOR_param_t * param);
diff --git a/src/ior.c b/src/ior.c
index a1dc321..3ef411c 100755
--- a/src/ior.c
+++ b/src/ior.c
@@ -218,8 +218,6 @@ void init_IOR_Param_t(IOR_param_t * p)
 
         p->beegfs_numTargets = -1;
         p->beegfs_chunkSize = -1;
-
-        p->mmap_ptr = NULL;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/src/ior.h b/src/ior.h
index acf3a7d..da4e5c1 100755
--- a/src/ior.h
+++ b/src/ior.h
@@ -162,8 +162,6 @@ typedef struct
     int fsyncPerWrite;               /* fsync() after each write */
     int fsync;                       /* fsync() after write */
 
-    void* mmap_ptr;
-
     /* MPI variables */
     MPI_Comm     testComm;           /* MPI communicator */
     MPI_Datatype transferType;       /* datatype for transfer */