Re: [HACKERS] fsync -> fdatasync in backend/storage/file/fd.c

ocie@paracel.com

From: ocie@paracel.com
To: scrappy@hub.org (The Hermit Hacker)
Cc: mimo@interdata.com.pl, hackers@postgreSQL.org
Date: 1998-04-17T02:27:21Z
Lists: pgsql-hackers
The Hermit Hacker wrote:
> 
> On Fri, 17 Apr 1998, Michal Mosiewicz wrote:
> 
> > I don't remember if it has been mentioned.
> > 
> > Anyhow, I think that it would be nice to change fsync'es into
> > fdatasync'es (of course as an autoconf-igurable option). I don't think
> > it's necessary to update all file's metadata each time a file is
> > flushed.
> > 
> > I dunno where it's implemented. But it's for sure implemented in Linux.
> 
> 	We don't have it (FreeBSD)...what does it do? *raised eyebrow*
> And, how many ppl actually have fsync's enabled?

It's a POSIX thing.  fsync will sync the data and the metadata, but
fdatasync only syncs the data.  So in the case of a crash, the inode
might not have the right date, etc.  This can speed things up, but I
wouldn't venture a guess as to how much.

Ocie