linux-kernel - Re: document ext3 requirements

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Message-ID: <yq1r63i30bv.fsf@sermon.lab.mkp.net>
Date:	Sun, 04 Jan 2009 22:20:52 -0500
From:	"Martin K. Petersen" <martin.petersen@...cle.com>
To:	Pavel Machek <pavel@...e.cz>
Cc:	Rob Landley <rob@...dley.net>,
	kernel list <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	Andrew Morton <akpm@...l.org>, tytso@....edu,
	mtk.manpages@...il.com, rdunlap@...otime.net,
	linux-doc@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: document ext3 requirements

>>>>> "Pavel" == Pavel Machek <pavel@...e.cz> writes:

Pavel> Does this sound like a fair summary?

Pavel> Sector writes are atomic (ATOMIC-SECTORS)
Pavel> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'd just like to point out that the all-or-nothing hardware sector
atomity thing is -- to a large extent -- a myth.

It is mostly true on SCSI class devices because various UNIX, RAID array
and database vendors have spent many years leaning very hard on the
drive manufacturers to make it so.

But it's not a hard guarantee, you can't get it in writing, and it's not
in any of the standards.  Hybrid drives with flash had potential to
close that particular loophole but those appear to be dead in the water.

-- 
Martin K. Petersen	Oracle Linux Engineering

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