Introduce durable_rename() and durable_link_or_rename().

Renaming a file using rename(2) is not guaranteed to be durable in face
of crashes; especially on filesystems like xfs and ext4 when mounted
with data=writeback. To be certain that a rename() atomically replaces
the previous file contents in the face of crashes and different
filesystems, one has to fsync the old filename, rename the file, fsync
the new filename, fsync the containing directory.  This sequence is not
generally adhered to currently; which exposes us to data loss risks. To
avoid having to repeat this arduous sequence, introduce
durable_rename(), which wraps all that.

Also add durable_link_or_rename(). Several places use link() (with a
fallback to rename()) to rename a file, trying to avoid replacing the
target file out of paranoia. Some of those rename sequences need to be
durable as well. There seems little reason extend several copies of the
same logic, so centralize the link() callers.

This commit does not yet make use of the new functions; they're used in
a followup commit.

Author: Michael Paquier, Andres Freund
Discussion: 56583BDD.9060302@2ndquadrant.com
Backpatch: All supported branches

src/backend/replication/logical/origin.c

@@ -625,7 +625,7 @@ CheckPointReplicationOrigin(void)
 						tmppath, path)));
 	}
 
-	fsync_fname((char *) path, false);
+	fsync_fname(path, false);
 	fsync_fname("pg_logical", true);
 }
 

src/backend/replication/slot.c

@@ -1095,7 +1095,7 @@ SaveSlotToPath(ReplicationSlot *slot, const char *dir, int elevel)
 	START_CRIT_SECTION();
 
 	fsync_fname(path, false);
-	fsync_fname((char *) dir, true);
+	fsync_fname(dir, true);
 	fsync_fname("pg_replslot", true);
 
 	END_CRIT_SECTION();

src/backend/storage/file/fd.c

@@ -306,7 +306,10 @@ static void walkdir(const char *path,
 #ifdef PG_FLUSH_DATA_WORKS
 static void pre_sync_fname(const char *fname, bool isdir, int elevel);
 #endif
-static void fsync_fname_ext(const char *fname, bool isdir, int elevel);
+static void datadir_fsync_fname(const char *fname, bool isdir, int elevel);
+
+static int	fsync_fname_ext(const char *fname, bool isdir, bool ignore_perm, int elevel);
+static int	fsync_parent_path(const char *fname, int elevel);
 
 
 /*
@@ -413,54 +416,158 @@ pg_flush_data(int fd, off_t offset, off_t amount)
  * indicate the OS just doesn't allow/require fsyncing directories.
  */
 void
-fsync_fname(char *fname, bool isdir)
+fsync_fname(const char *fname, bool isdir)
+{
+	fsync_fname_ext(fname, isdir, false, ERROR);
+}
+
+/*
+ * durable_rename -- rename(2) wrapper, issuing fsyncs required for durability
+ *
+ * This routine ensures that, after returning, the effect of renaming file
+ * persists in case of a crash. A crash while this routine is running will
+ * leave you with either the pre-existing or the moved file in place of the
+ * new file; no mixed state or truncated files are possible.
+ *
+ * It does so by using fsync on the old filename and the possibly existing
+ * target filename before the rename, and the target file and directory after.
+ *
+ * Note that rename() cannot be used across arbitrary directories, as they
+ * might not be on the same filesystem. Therefore this routine does not
+ * support renaming across directories.
+ *
+ * Log errors with the caller specified severity.
+ *
+ * Returns 0 if the operation succeeded, -1 otherwise. Note that errno is not
+ * valid upon return.
+ */
+int
+durable_rename(const char *oldfile, const char *newfile, int elevel)
 {
 	int			fd;
-	int			returncode;
 
 	/*
-	 * Some OSs require directories to be opened read-only whereas other
+	 * First fsync the old and target path (if it exists), to ensure that they
-	 * systems don't allow us to fsync files opened read-only; so we need both
+	 * are properly persistent on disk. Syncing the target file is not
-	 * cases here
+	 * strictly necessary, but it makes it easier to reason about crashes;
+	 * because it's then guaranteed that either source or target file exists
+	 * after a crash.
 	 */
-	if (!isdir)
+	if (fsync_fname_ext(oldfile, false, false, elevel) != 0)
-		fd = OpenTransientFile(fname,
+		return -1;
-							   O_RDWR | PG_BINARY,
+
-							   S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR);
+	fd = OpenTransientFile((char *) newfile, PG_BINARY | O_RDWR, 0);
+	if (fd < 0)
+	{
+		if (errno != ENOENT)
+		{
+			ereport(elevel,
+					(errcode_for_file_access(),
+					 errmsg("could not open file \"%s\": %m", newfile)));
+			return -1;
+		}
+	}
 	else
-		fd = OpenTransientFile(fname,
+	{
-							   O_RDONLY | PG_BINARY,
+		if (pg_fsync(fd) != 0)
-							   S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR);
+		{
+			int			save_errno;
+
+			/* close file upon error, might not be in transaction context */
+			save_errno = errno;
+			CloseTransientFile(fd);
+			errno = save_errno;
+
+			ereport(elevel,
+					(errcode_for_file_access(),
+					 errmsg("could not fsync file \"%s\": %m", newfile)));
+			return -1;
+		}
+		CloseTransientFile(fd);
+	}
+
+	/* Time to do the real deal... */
+	if (rename(oldfile, newfile) < 0)
+	{
+		ereport(elevel,
+				(errcode_for_file_access(),
+				 errmsg("could not rename file \"%s\" to \"%s\": %m",
+						oldfile, newfile)));
+		return -1;
+	}
 
 	/*
-	 * Some OSs don't allow us to open directories at all (Windows returns
+	 * To guarantee renaming the file is persistent, fsync the file with its
-	 * EACCES)
+	 * new name, and its containing directory.
 	 */
-	if (fd < 0 && isdir && (errno == EISDIR || errno == EACCES))
+	if (fsync_fname_ext(newfile, false, false, elevel) != 0)
-		return;
+		return -1;
 
-	else if (fd < 0)
+	if (fsync_parent_path(newfile, elevel) != 0)
-		ereport(ERROR,
+		return -1;
-				(errcode_for_file_access(),
-				 errmsg("could not open file \"%s\": %m", fname)));
 
-	returncode = pg_fsync(fd);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/*
+ * durable_link_or_rename -- rename a file in a durable manner.
+ *
+ * Similar to durable_rename(), except that this routine tries (but does not
+ * guarantee) not to overwrite the target file.
+ *
+ * Note that a crash in an unfortunate moment can leave you with two links to
+ * the target file.
+ *
+ * Log errors with the caller specified severity.
+ *
+ * Returns 0 if the operation succeeded, -1 otherwise. Note that errno is not
+ * valid upon return.
+ */
+int
+durable_link_or_rename(const char *oldfile, const char *newfile, int elevel)
+{
+	/*
+	 * Ensure that, if we crash directly after the rename/link, a file with
+	 * valid contents is moved into place.
+	 */
+	if (fsync_fname_ext(oldfile, false, false, elevel) != 0)
+		return -1;
 
-	/* Some OSs don't allow us to fsync directories at all */
+#if HAVE_WORKING_LINK
-	if (returncode != 0 && isdir && errno == EBADF)
+	if (link(oldfile, newfile) < 0)
 	{
-		CloseTransientFile(fd);
+		ereport(elevel,
-		return;
+				(errcode_for_file_access(),
+				 errmsg("could not link file \"%s\" to \"%s\": %m",
+						oldfile, newfile)));
+		return -1;
 	}
-
+	unlink(oldfile);
-	if (returncode != 0)
+#else
-		ereport(ERROR,
+	/* XXX: Add racy file existence check? */
+	if (rename(oldfile, newfile) < 0)
+	{
+		ereport(elevel,
 				(errcode_for_file_access(),
-				 errmsg("could not fsync file \"%s\": %m", fname)));
+				 errmsg("could not rename file \"%s\" to \"%s\": %m",
+						oldfile, newfile)));
+		return -1;
+	}
+#endif
 
-	CloseTransientFile(fd);
+	/*
-}
+	 * Make change persistent in case of an OS crash, both the new entry and
+	 * its parent directory need to be flushed.
+	 */
+	if (fsync_fname_ext(newfile, false, false, elevel) != 0)
+		return -1;
+
+	/* Same for parent directory */
+	if (fsync_parent_path(newfile, elevel) != 0)
+		return -1;
 
+	return 0;
+}
 
 /*
  * InitFileAccess --- initialize this module during backend startup
@@ -2581,10 +2688,10 @@ SyncDataDirectory(void)
 	 * in pg_tblspc, they'll get fsync'd twice.  That's not an expected case
 	 * so we don't worry about optimizing it.
 	 */
-	walkdir(".", fsync_fname_ext, false, LOG);
+	walkdir(".", datadir_fsync_fname, false, LOG);
 	if (xlog_is_symlink)
-		walkdir("pg_xlog", fsync_fname_ext, false, LOG);
+		walkdir("pg_xlog", datadir_fsync_fname, false, LOG);
-	walkdir("pg_tblspc", fsync_fname_ext, true, LOG);
+	walkdir("pg_tblspc", datadir_fsync_fname, true, LOG);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -2698,15 +2805,26 @@ pre_sync_fname(const char *fname, bool isdir, int elevel)
 
 #endif   /* PG_FLUSH_DATA_WORKS */
 
+static void
+datadir_fsync_fname(const char *fname, bool isdir, int elevel)
+{
+	/*
+	 * We want to silently ignoring errors about unreadable files.  Pass that
+	 * desire on to fsync_fname_ext().
+	 */
+	fsync_fname_ext(fname, isdir, true, elevel);
+}
+
 /*
  * fsync_fname_ext -- Try to fsync a file or directory
  *
- * Ignores errors trying to open unreadable files, or trying to fsync
+ * If ignore_perm is true, ignore errors upon trying to open unreadable
- * directories on systems where that isn't allowed/required, and logs other
+ * files. Logs other errors at a caller-specified level.
- * errors at a caller-specified level.
+ *
+ * Returns 0 if the operation succeeded, -1 otherwise.
  */
-static void
+static int
-fsync_fname_ext(const char *fname, bool isdir, int elevel)
+fsync_fname_ext(const char *fname, bool isdir, bool ignore_perm, int elevel)
 {
 	int			fd;
 	int			flags;
@@ -2724,20 +2842,23 @@ fsync_fname_ext(const char *fname, bool isdir, int elevel)
 	else
 		flags |= O_RDONLY;
 
+	fd = OpenTransientFile((char *) fname, flags, 0);
+
 	/*
-	 * Open the file, silently ignoring errors about unreadable files (or
+	 * Some OSs don't allow us to open directories at all (Windows returns
-	 * unsupported operations, e.g. opening a directory under Windows), and
+	 * EACCES), just ignore the error in that case.  If desired also silently
-	 * logging others.
+	 * ignoring errors about unreadable files. Log others.
 	 */
-	fd = OpenTransientFile((char *) fname, flags, 0);
+	if (fd < 0 && isdir && (errno == EISDIR || errno == EACCES))
-	if (fd < 0)
+		return 0;
+	else if (fd < 0 && ignore_perm && errno == EACCES)
+		return 0;
+	else if (fd < 0)
 	{
-		if (errno == EACCES || (isdir && errno == EISDIR))
-			return;
 		ereport(elevel,
 				(errcode_for_file_access(),
 				 errmsg("could not open file \"%s\": %m", fname)));
-		return;
+		return -1;
 	}
 
 	returncode = pg_fsync(fd);
@@ -2747,9 +2868,49 @@ fsync_fname_ext(const char *fname, bool isdir, int elevel)
 	 * those errors. Anything else needs to be logged.
 	 */
 	if (returncode != 0 && !(isdir && errno == EBADF))
+	{
+		int			save_errno;
+
+		/* close file upon error, might not be in transaction context */
+		save_errno = errno;
+		(void) CloseTransientFile(fd);
+		errno = save_errno;
+
 		ereport(elevel,
 				(errcode_for_file_access(),
 				 errmsg("could not fsync file \"%s\": %m", fname)));
+		return -1;
+	}
 
 	(void) CloseTransientFile(fd);
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/*
+ * fsync_parent_path -- fsync the parent path of a file or directory
+ *
+ * This is aimed at making file operations persistent on disk in case of
+ * an OS crash or power failure.
+ */
+static int
+fsync_parent_path(const char *fname, int elevel)
+{
+	char		parentpath[MAXPGPATH];
+
+	strlcpy(parentpath, fname, MAXPGPATH);
+	get_parent_directory(parentpath);
+
+	/*
+	 * get_parent_directory() returns an empty string if the input argument is
+	 * just a file name (see comments in path.c), so handle that as being the
+	 * current directory.
+	 */
+	if (strlen(parentpath) == 0)
+		strlcpy(parentpath, ".", MAXPGPATH);
+
+	if (fsync_fname_ext(parentpath, true, false, elevel) != 0)
+		return -1;
+
+	return 0;
 }

src/backend/storage/file/reinit.c

@@ -385,7 +385,7 @@ ResetUnloggedRelationsInDbspaceDir(const char *dbspacedirname, int op)
 
 		FreeDir(dbspace_dir);
 
-		fsync_fname((char *) dbspacedirname, true);
+		fsync_fname(dbspacedirname, true);
 	}
 }
 

src/include/storage/fd.h

@@ -116,7 +116,9 @@ extern int	pg_fsync_no_writethrough(int fd);
 extern int	pg_fsync_writethrough(int fd);
 extern int	pg_fdatasync(int fd);
 extern int	pg_flush_data(int fd, off_t offset, off_t amount);
-extern void fsync_fname(char *fname, bool isdir);
+extern void fsync_fname(const char *fname, bool isdir);
+extern int	durable_rename(const char *oldfile, const char *newfile, int loglevel);
+extern int	durable_link_or_rename(const char *oldfile, const char *newfile, int loglevel);
 extern void SyncDataDirectory(void);
 
 /* Filename components for OpenTemporaryFile */