Resource arbitration for shared-write access via persistent reservation

In a server cluster environment, a system comprising:

• a storage device;
• a plurality of nodes, each node including a mechanism configured to attempt to take ownership of the storage device and, if successful in taking ownership, to associate an owner key with the storage device and defend ownership against one or more attempts to take ownership made by any non-owning node;
• and
• one or more shared keys, wherein any node that is not successful in taking ownership of the storage device associates with a shared key to provide that non-owning node with read and write access to the storage device.

In a server cluster environment, a system comprising:

• a storage device;
• an owner node having an owner key, wherein the owner node is configured to associate the owner key with the storage device to maintain ownership of the storage device;
• and
• at least one non-owner node having a shared key, wherein the at least one non-owner node is configured to access the storage mechanism via the shared key.

One or more computer storage devices having computer-executable instructions, which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform steps comprising:

• attempting to take ownership of a storage device;
• if successful in taking ownership, associating an owner key with the storage device;
• and
• defending ownership against one or more attempts to take ownership of the storage device made by any other node.