Re: [HACKERS] no universally correct setting for fsync

Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>

From: Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>
To: Josh Berkus <josh@agliodbs.com>
Cc: pgsql-docs@postgresql.org
Date: 2010-05-08T00:13:32Z
Lists: pgsql-hackers
Josh Berkus <josh@agliodbs.com> writes:
> This is what I have to replace the current fsync entry in config.sgml.

s/unexpected shutdown/system crash/, perhaps.  The wording you have
suggests that a forced Postgres stoppage produces a problem, which it
doesn't.  It takes a failure at the OS level or below to cause a
problem.

> I believe that the note about needing fsync for Warm Standby to work
> correctly is true, but could someone verify it?

AFAIK that's nonsense.  The filesystem state that pg_standby could see
will be updated in any case; pg_standby has no direct access to the bits
on the platters, any more than Postgres does.

			regards, tom lane