Protocols for locking sharable files and methods for carrying out the protocols
AssigneeRadiant Data Corporation
InventorMark W. Bradley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods for locking a file managed by a file system are provided. One example, a file consistency protocol is associated with an operating system (O/S). The file consistency protocol is configured to maintain file consistency between instances of the file associated with the file system using a set of file consistency protocol bits. The method includes determining whether any instance of the file is open, and if no instance of the file is open, the method further includes setting an exclusive bit of the file, the exclusive bit being one of the set of file consistency protocol bits. The setting of the exclusive bit is configured to lock the file from being accessed as another instance.
Claims14
A method for locking a file, the method comprising:
- checking for open instances of the file;
- determining whether open instances have a bit of a bitmap associated with the open instances set to true;
- if no open instance has the bit set to true, the method includes,
- setting an exclusive bit in a bitmap of the file to true to prevent another open of the file;
- setting the exclusive bit in each bitmap of the open instances to true to prevent another open of the file;
- whereby the setting of the exclusive bit in each bitmap of the open instances to true has the effect of locking the instances of the file while still enabling access to the file that initiated the setting of the exclusive bit;
- and
- if an open instance does have the bit set to true, the setting of the exclusive bit in a bitmap of the file to true will fail, thus preventing locking of the file.
A method for locking a file managed by a file system, the method comprising:
- associating a file consistency protocol with an operating system (O/S), the file consistency protocol maintaining file consistency between instances of the file associated with the file system using a set of file consistency protocol bits;
- determining whether any instance of the file is open;
- if no instance of the file is open, the method includes,
- setting an exclusive bit of the set of file consistency protocol bits, the setting of the exclusive bit being configured to lock the file from being accessed as another instance;
- and
- if an instance of the file is open, the setting of the exclusive bit of the set of file consistency protocol bits will fail, thus preventing locking of the file.
A method for locking a file managed by a file system, the method comprising:
- determining whether another instance of the file is open;
- if no other instance of the file is open, the method includes,
- setting an exclusive bit for the file, the setting of the exclusive bit being configured to lock the file from being accessed as another instance;
- and
- if an instance of the file is open, the setting of the exclusive bit will fail, thus preventing locking of the file.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.