Add file:datasync/1 for syncing file contents only

file:datasync/1 invokes the POSIX system call "int fdatasync(int fd)".
This system call is similar to "fsync" but, unlike fsync, it does not
update the metadata associated with the file (like the access time for
example). It's used by many DBMSs (MySQL and SQLite of example) to
increase disk IO performance, as it avoids disk seeks and disk write
operations compared to fsync.

More details on it at:

http://linux.die.net/man/2/fdatasync

An example, from the MySQL source:

http://bazaar.launchpad.net/~mysql/mysql-server/mysql-5.1-telco-6.1/annotate/head%3A/mysys/my_sync.c#L61

This new function just calls fsync on systems not implementing fdatasync.

3 files changed, 23 insertions, 2 deletions

diff --git a/lib/kernel/src/file.erl b/lib/kernel/src/file.erl
index 46ffa9d708..5da359fdf1 100644
--- a/lib/kernel/src/file.erl
+++ b/lib/kernel/src/file.erl
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 	 read/2, write/2, 
 	 pread/2, pread/3, pwrite/2, pwrite/3,
 	 read_line/1,
-	 position/2, truncate/1, sync/1,
+	 position/2, truncate/1, datasync/1, sync/1,
 	 copy/2, copy/3]).
 %% High level operations
 -export([consult/1, path_consult/2]).
@@ -472,6 +472,16 @@ pwrite(#file_descriptor{module = Module} = Handle, Offs, Bytes) ->
 pwrite(_, _, _) ->
     {error, badarg}.
 
+-spec datasync(File :: io_device()) -> 'ok' | {'error', posix()}.
+
+datasync(File) when is_pid(File) ->
+    R = file_request(File, datasync),
+    wait_file_reply(File, R);
+datasync(#file_descriptor{module = Module} = Handle) ->
+    Module:datasync(Handle);
+datasync(_) ->
+    {error, badarg}.
+
 -spec sync(File :: io_device()) -> 'ok' | {'error', posix()}.
 
 sync(File) when is_pid(File) ->
diff --git a/lib/kernel/src/file_io_server.erl b/lib/kernel/src/file_io_server.erl
index 3ac35a209d..d0b30192b3 100644
--- a/lib/kernel/src/file_io_server.erl
+++ b/lib/kernel/src/file_io_server.erl
@@ -219,6 +219,14 @@ file_request({pwrite,At,Data},
 	Reply ->
 	    std_reply(Reply, State)
     end;
+file_request(datasync,
+	     #state{handle=Handle}=State) ->
+    case ?PRIM_FILE:datasync(Handle) of
+	{error,_}=Reply ->
+	    {stop,normal,Reply,State};
+	Reply ->
+	    {reply,Reply,State}
+    end;
 file_request(sync, 
 	     #state{handle=Handle}=State) ->
     case ?PRIM_FILE:sync(Handle) of
diff --git a/lib/kernel/src/ram_file.erl b/lib/kernel/src/ram_file.erl
index d996650948..0230cb4e0a 100644
--- a/lib/kernel/src/ram_file.erl
+++ b/lib/kernel/src/ram_file.erl
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 -export([open/2, close/1]).
 -export([write/2, read/2, copy/3,
 	 pread/2, pread/3, pwrite/2, pwrite/3, 
-	 position/2, truncate/1, sync/1]).
+	 position/2, truncate/1, datasync/1, sync/1]).
 
 %% Specialized file operations
 -export([get_size/1, get_file/1, set_file/2, get_file_close/1]).
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
 -define(RAM_FILE_TRUNCATE,       14).
 -define(RAM_FILE_PREAD,          17).
 -define(RAM_FILE_PWRITE,         18).
+-define(RAM_FILE_FDATASYNC,      19).
 
 %% Other operations
 -define(RAM_FILE_GET,            30).
@@ -167,6 +168,8 @@ copy(#file_descriptor{module = ?MODULE} = Source,
     %% XXX Should be moved down to the driver for optimization.
     file:copy_opened(Source, Dest, Length).
 
+datasync(#file_descriptor{module = ?MODULE, data = Port}) ->
+    call_port(Port, <<?RAM_FILE_FDATASYNC>>).
 
 sync(#file_descriptor{module = ?MODULE, data = Port}) -> 
     call_port(Port, <<?RAM_FILE_FSYNC>>).