[erlang-questions] Efficiently backing up a DETS files

T Ty tty.erlang@REDACTED
Fri Jun 27 14:58:03 CEST 2014


Any reason why you don't want to run Mnesia instead and use it's backup and
restore functions ?


On Fri, Jun 27, 2014 at 1:39 PM, Alexei Sholik <alcosholik@REDACTED> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I've been thinking about and googling for ways to back up a running dets
> database (i.e. with no interruption to the main service using it) and
> here's what I have come up with so far.
>
> 1. On the same node that currently has the dets file open, create an empty
> ETS table and another empty dets file. Call dets:to_ets and then
> ets:to_dets to write to the new dets file. After closing the latter file it
> will be safe to move it to the backup location.
>
> 2. Open a new dets file and use dets:bchunk on the production file in
> combination with dets:init_table. I wasn't sure if init_table would iterate
> over the original dets file automatically (iow, handling all the
> continuations before receiving '$end_of_table').
>
> 3. Use one of the traversal functions to copy elements from one dets file
> to another one.
>
> I first thought the 1st approach to be the most efficient one (provided
> there is enough free RAM for the temporary ETS table). However, if bchunk()
> works like this with init_table():
>
>      TableSize = dets:info(my_table, size),
>      dets:open_file(new_table, [{min_no_slots, TableSize}]),
>      InitFun = dets:bchunk(my_table, start),
>      dets:init_table(new_table, InitFun, [{min_no_slots, TableSize},
> {format, bchunk}]),
>      dets:close(new_table).
>
> then this 2nd approach looks like the best candidate. Here I could also
> use 'ram_file' option for new_table to speed up the subsequent init_table()
> call provided there is enough free RAM. Is this correct?
>
> I will appreciate anyone pointing out mistakes in my reasoning above.
>
> Thanks
>
> --
> Best regards
> Alexei Sholik
>
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