Re: [HACKERS] What I'm working on - Mailing list pgsql-hackers

From Bruce Momjian
Subject Re: [HACKERS] What I'm working on
Date
Msg-id 199808240207.WAA09725@candle.pha.pa.us
Whole thread Raw
In response to Re: [HACKERS] What I'm working on  (The Hermit Hacker <scrappy@hub.org>)
Responses Re: [HACKERS] What I'm working on  (The Hermit Hacker <scrappy@hub.org>)
List pgsql-hackers
> On Sun, 23 Aug 1998, Bruce Momjian wrote:
>
> > Most filesystem base block sizes are 8k.  Making anything larger is not
> > going to gain much.  I don't think we can support block sizes like 12k
> > because the filesystem is going to sync stuff in 8k chunks.
> >
> > Seems like we should do the most user-transparent thing and just allow
> > spanning rows.
>
>     The blocksize patch wasn't a "user-land" feature, its an admin
> level...no?  The admin sets it at the createdb level...no?

Yes, OK, admin, not user.


>
>     Again, I'm curious as to why either/or is mutual exclusive?
>
>     Let's put it this way, from a performance perspective, which one
> would provide more?  Again, I'm thinking of this from the admin angle, not
> user.  I create a database whose tuples, in general, exceed 8k.  vacuum
> kindly tells me this, so, to improve performance, I dump my databases, and
> because this is a specialized application, its on its own file system.
> So, I reformat that drive with a larger blocksize, to match the blocksize
> I'm about to set my database to (yes, I do do similar to this to optimize
> file systems for news, so it isn't too hypothetical)...
>
>     Bear in mind, I am not arguing for one of them, I'm arguing for
> both of them...unless there is some architectural reason why both can't be
> implemented at the same time...?

Yes, I guess you could have both.  I just think the normal user is going
to prefer the span stuff better, but you have a good point.  If we had
one, we could buy time getting the other.

--
Bruce Momjian                          |  830 Blythe Avenue
maillist@candle.pha.pa.us              |  Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania 19026
  +  If your life is a hard drive,     |  (610) 353-9879(w)
  +  Christ can be your backup.        |  (610) 853-3000(h)

pgsql-hackers by date:

Previous
From: "Stupor Genius"
Date:
Subject: Re: [HACKERS] What I'm working on
Next
From: Bruce Momjian
Date:
Subject: Open 6.4 items