Re: Regression failure with PostgreSQL 8beta1 and Intel

Dear Hans,
>
> Robert,
>
> Are you planning to use Intel's C compiler in production?
> We tried that some time ago and corrupted our database cluster almost
> instantly (for some reason we have not investigated any further).
> I highly recommend to do some stress testing to see if everything works
> nicely.
> I'd be pleased to get some feedback.

We're using the Intel C compiler for all our code on the Altix. We
have encountered a few bugs with optimization, but on the whole, it
works pretty well, and it generates code that runs about 30% faster
than gcc (depending on the application of course). With regard to
PostgreSQL, we are not having massive problems with data
corruption. We have had problems with 7.4.3, and I'm currently testing
8.0.0beta1. I don't believe the problem with 7.4.3 is a compiler issue --
it only happens when we have multiple backends running at the same time.
Other people like Hubert Froehlich
(http://archives.postgresql.org/pgsql-general/2004-07/msg00670.php)
have run into the same problem using a completely different environment.
I'll report on 8.0.0beta1 when our testing is complete. --Bob

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| Robert E. Bruccoleri, Ph.D. | email: bruc(at)acm(dot)org |
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