From: James Rogers <jamesr@best.com>
To: pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org
Subject: Re: Database Kernels and O_DIRECT
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2003 01:26:08 -0700
Message-ID: <BBB252B0.5B3F%jamesr@best.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <BBB237C0.5B35%jamesr@best.com>
On 10/14/03 11:31 PM, "James Rogers" <jamesr@best.com> wrote:
>
> There is some abstraction in Postgres and the database is well-written, but
> it isn't written in a manner that makes it easy to swap out operating system
> or API models. It is written to be portable at all levels. A database
> kernel isn't necessarily required to be portable at the very lowest level,
> but it is vastly more optimizable because you aren't forced into a narrow
> set of choices for interfacing with the operating system.
Just to clarify, my post wasn't really to say that we should run out and
make Postgres use a database kernel type internal model tomorrow. The point
of all that was that Oracle does things that way for a very good reason and
that there can be benefits that may not be immediately obvious.
It is really one of those emergent "needs" when a database engine gets to a
certain level of sophistication. For smaller and simpler databases, you
don't really need it and the effort isn't justified. At some point, you
cross a threshold where not only does it become justified but it becomes a
wise idea or not having it will start to punish you in a number of different
ways. I personally think that Postgres is sitting on the cusp of "its a
wise idea", and that it is something worth thinking about in the future.
Cheers,
-James Rogers
jamesr@best.com
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To: pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org
Cc: jamesr@best.com
Subject: Re: Database Kernels and O_DIRECT
In-Reply-To: <BBB252B0.5B3F%jamesr@best.com>
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