>>>It is obvious to me that I am able to write "through the cache" on the server (as MS puts it) from a client machine using FILE_FLAG_WRITE_THROUGH (just like SQL Server does).
>>
>>No, not quite. SQL Server completely by-passes the API and deals with the BIOS. While it does require Windows NT, the file I/O portion isn't used.
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>Yes, quite.
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>All versions of SQL Server open the log and data files using the Win32 CreateFile function. The dwFlagsAndAttributes member includes the FILE_FLAG_WRITE_THROUGH option when opened by SQL Server.
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>Q234656

I stand corrected. I confused the management of the various database files with the actual file I/O.

>And what's "Windows NT" got to do with it ? I think we've moved a bit beyond that OS as of late.

NT is the minimum OS platform for SQL Server, that's all. BTW, even Win2K is "built on Windows NT Technology".