fdatasync - synchronize a file's in-core data with that on
       disk


SYNOPSIS

       #include <unistd.h>

       #ifdef _POSIX_SYNCHRONIZED_IO

       int fdatasync(int fd);

       #endif


DESCRIPTION

       fdatasync flushes all data  buffers  of  a  file  to  disk
       (before  the system call returns).  It resembles fsync but
       is not required to update  the  metadata  such  as  access
       time.

       Applications  that  access  databases  or  log files often
       write a tiny data fragment (e.g., one line in a log  file)
       and  then  call  fsync immediately in order to ensure that
       the written data is physically  stored  on  the  harddisk.
       Unfortunately, fsync will always initiate two write opera­
       tions: one for the newly written data and another  one  in
       order to update the modification time stored in the inode.
       If the modification time is not a part of the  transaction
       concept  fdatasync  can be used to avoid unnecessary inode
       disk write operations.


RETURN VALUE

       On success, zero is returned.  On error, -1  is  returned,
       and errno is set appropriately.


ERRORS

       EBADF  fd is not a valid file descriptor open for writing.

       EROFS, EINVAL
              fd is bound to a special file which does  not  sup­
              port synchronization.

       EIO    An error occurred during synchronization.


BUGS

       Currently (Linux 2.2) fdatasync is equivalent to fsync.


CONFORMING TO

       POSIX1b (formerly POSIX.4)


SEE ALSO

       fsync(2), B.O. Gallmeister, POSIX.4, O'Reilly, pp. 220-223
       and 343.


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