readahead Linux Service, readahead Manual, Services Command Description, Tutorial

Tutorials

Linux-services

Topic

What is readahead?
readahead Linux service

Explanation

readahead service:
The readahead process preloads the buffer cache with files that might be paged in one 'page demand triggered' read at a time.

Required(ON/OFF):      View complete List of Services
Home PC : NO
Server  : NO

Now lets see the manual of readahead service.

Manual readahead:
NAME
readahead - Read in advance one or more pages of a file within a page cache

SYNOPSIS
#include <unistd.h>

ssize_t sys_readahead (int fd, loff_t offset, size_t count);

DESCRIPTION
readahead reads count pages in the page cache. If a page is not in the page cache, it is added to the page cache.

fd is the file descriptor of the file being read. offset is the location within the file to start reading. A page in the page cache is identified by a file's inode and by the offset within the file. fd and offset are used to identify the page in the page cache.

The offset is incremented by one to read the next page until count pages are read. If count pages is larger than the size of the file, then only up to the size of the file is read.

RETURN VALUE
readahead returns 0 on success; otherwise, it returns the error listed in the "Errors" section. If the offset specified is greater than the size of the file, then nothing is read and 0 is returned.

ERRORS
EBADF readahead was not able to get the file.

AUTHOR
Joy Latten.