System for managing asset access in a distributed storage system

• Main Authors: BURNS RANDAL CHILTON, REES ROBERT MICHAEL, GOEL ATUL
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 27.05.2003
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; PHYSICS

A system and method for managing access to assets in a distributed data storage system includes requesting, from a client computer, a semi-preemptible access lock from a server computer. The semi-preemptible lock, if granted, is held by the client computer as long as the server does not demand it back, with the client computer granting open instances under non-preemptible file locks for the asset to which the locks pertain as long as the client computer holds the semi-preemptible lock. When another client computer requests the semi-preemptible lock, the server can demand the lock from the holding client, which relinquishes the lock if no open instances are protected by the lock. Otherwise, the holding client computer first attempts to downgrade its lock to meet the request, and if compatibility is not achieved thereby, the holding client refuses to relinquish the lock.