Re: PostgreSQL win32 fragmentation issue

On Fri, Dec 01, 2006 at 10:58:44PM -0800, Joshua D. Drake wrote:
> I know this isn't *our* fault :) but I am curious if there is anything
> we can do about the way postgresql writes files to help limit fragmentation.
>
> Essentially, this makes win32 impossible in a 24x7 environment (jokes
> aside about Win32 in general) because we *have* to defrag on Windows and
> Windows won't defrag open files (thus anything PostgreSQL is using).

I thought fragmentation was something that disappeared with the FAT
filesystem. Isn't NTFS smart enought o avoid fragmentation in the first
place?

The way you avoid fragmentation is by preallocating larger blocks, but
most filesystems are smart enough to handle that somehwta
automatically.

BTW, do you know what 11% fragmentation means? Does that mean each file
is on average split in 9 pieces, because for a 1GB file, 9 pieces isn't
all that bad.

Have a nice day,
--
Martijn van Oosterhout   <kleptog@svana.org>   http://svana.org/kleptog/
> From each according to his ability. To each according to his ability to litigate.