System and method for accessing remote files in a distributed networking environment

A method, in a data processing system having at least one node, for accessing a file residing in a server processing system at a server node by at least one client processing system at least on client node, said method comprising the steps of:

• generating at least one synchronization mode for the file, said synchronization mode being dependent upon how many and which processes in the network have the file open, and whether the file is open for read only or write access;
• and
• caching the file at the at least one client node in at least one client cache as determined by said generated synchronization mode;
• and
• managing access to said at least one client cache as determined by said generated synchronization mode.

A system for accessing a file residing in a server processing system at a server node by at least one client processing system at least one client node, said system comprising:

• means for creating at least one client cache in the at least one client processing system for caching blocks of the file at the at least one client node;
• means for classifying said file dependent upon which of a plurality of nodes have the file open, and which of a plurality of processes at each of said nodes have the file open for writes, and which of the processes at each of said nodes have the file open for reads;
• means for accessing said file from said at least one client cache in response to a first classification of said classifying means;
• and
• means for accessing said file from said server processing system in response to a second classification of said classifying means.

A method for accessing a file residing in a server processing system at a server node by at least one client processing system at least one client node, said method comprising:

• creating at least one client cache in the at least one client processing system for caching blocks of the file at the at least one client node;
• classifying said file dependent upon which of a plurality of nodes have the file open, and which of a plurality of processes at each of said nodes have the file open for writes, and which of the processes at each of said nodes have the file open for reads;
• accessing said file from said at least one client cache in response to a first classification of said classifying means;
• and
• accessing said file from said server processing system in response to a second classification of said classifying means.

A computer program product having a computer readable medium having a computer program recorded thereon for accessing a file residing in a server processing system at a server node by at least one client processing system at least one client node, said computer program product comprising:

• means for creating at least one client cache in the at least one client processing system for caching blocks of the file at the at least one client node;
• means for classifying said file dependent upon which of a plurality of nodes have the file open, and which of a plurality of processes at each of said nodes have the file open for writes, and which of the processes at each of said nodes have the file open for reads;
• means for accessing said file from said at least one client cache in response to a first classification of said classifying means;
• and
• means for accessing said file from said server processing system in response to a second classification of said classifying means.