From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Wed, 9 May 2001 09:07:16 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Wed, 9 May 2001 09:07:09 -0400 Received: from midten.fast.no ([213.188.8.11]:1284 "EHLO midten.fast.no") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id ; Wed, 9 May 2001 09:06:10 -0400 Subject: O_DIRECT support important for high data volume applications From: Michael Susag To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 X-Mailer: Evolution/0.10 (Preview Release) Date: 09 May 2001 15:06:05 +0200 Message-Id: <989413566.20025.2.camel@mach> Mime-Version: 1.0 Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org When will we see O_DIRECT support included in the Linux kernel? We have now tested 2.4.4 with the o_direct-5 patch, and it still works perfectly. I sent an email about two weeks ago asking if the O_DIRECT patch by Andrea Archangeli would be included in 2.4.4. 2.4.4 has since been released, but only with the rawio patch, which Andrea considered as a bugfix patch. The O_DIRECT patch is in my view really important for high data volume applications that do caching internally. The performance graph I posted earlier should be enough evidence. If I remember correctly, Stephen Tweedie implemented O_DIRECT support already back in 1999. Why this implementation was not included, I do not know. Linux would be lacking behind other OSs if not O_DIRECT support is added. All major commercial OSs have this capability. -- Michael Susæg, M.Eng. Mail: Michael.Susag@fast.no Software Engineer Web: http://www.fast.no/ Fast Search & Transfer ASA Phone: +47 21 60 12 27 P.O. Box 1677 Vika Fax: +47 21 60 12 01 NO-0120 Oslo, NORWAY Mob: +47 90 06 38 70 Try FAST Search: http://www.alltheweb.com/