Re: online vs. hot backup (was Re: Type of application

On Fri, 2003-10-03 at 14:37, Network Administrator wrote:
> Quoting Ron Johnson <ron(dot)l(dot)johnson(at)cox(dot)net>:
>
> > On Fri, 2003-10-03 at 13:32, Network Administrator wrote:
> > > Quoting Richard Huxton <dev(at)archonet(dot)com>:
> > >
> > > > On Thursday 02 October 2003 19:55, Network Administrator wrote:
> > > > > Quoting Richard Huxton <dev(at)archonet(dot)com>:
> > > > > > [stuff deleted]
> > [snip]
> > > The other thing is that I suspect there might be some confusion as to the
> > > difference between "hot backups" (dump of data does not require DB to be
> > "down")
> > > and "online backups" (dump of data is not needed because on the disk state
> > of
> > > the DB is current to some "recent" time). To be perfectly honest, I've
> > only had
> >
> > Huh? This is the 1st time that I've ever seen mention that there
> > is a distinction between "hot" and "on-line" backup.
[snip garbage]
>
> I might be splitting hairs but I have had this conversation elsewhere. It was
> quiet awhile ago and I might not be using the right term for "online". Using
> my terminalogy though, doing a "hot backup" gives you data current to the time
> of that backup. Doing an "online backup" would give you data current to the
> last time everthing was sync'd to disk.

What the heck kind of DBMS doesn't make sure that the on-disk data
is current? In PG, that's "fsync=on", and turning it off is always
strongly discouraged.

--
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ron Johnson, Jr. ron(dot)l(dot)johnson(at)cox(dot)net
Jefferson, LA USA

"Whatever may be the moral ambiguities of the so-called demoratic
nations and however serious may be their failure to conform
perfectly to their democratic ideals, it is sheer moral
perversity to equate the inconsistencies of a democratic
civilization with the brutalities which modern tyrannical states
practice."
Reinhold Nieburhr, ca. 1940