Re: Lock timeouts revisited -Reply

Wayne C. Gramlich wrote:
> 
> > From srcarter@novell.com Wed Oct  2 07:52:30 1996
> >
> > A DMS must have a lock that is persistent over time. The concept of a
> > non-persistent lock is only valid during an on-line editing session (as
> > opposed to a checked-out document). If we do specify lock time-out as a
> > property of locking we must also define what the behavior of the lock
> > will be if the document repository does not support a lock time-out
> > feature.
> 
> Steve:
> 
> While some DMS systems out there are designed around file locking,
> it is possible to have a fully functional remote DMS that does not
> use remote file locking.  The Sun Teamware product is one such DMS.
> While Teamware is layered on top of SCCS (which has local file locking),
> the distributed authoring component of Teamware does not use remote
> file locks.  Thus, the statement that "A DMS must have a lock that
> is persitent over time." should probably be restated to say  "Some
> DMS's need persistent locks."  Given the difficulty of managing remote
> locks, it may be appropriate to investigate a dist. authoring
> architecture that avoids the remote locking issue entirely.
> 
> -Wayne
File locking assumes that the DMS is using the file system as the
underlying document storage system. Upscale DMSs will use some kind of
database facility that will provide lock services is a different way,
not via a file locking mechanism. The DMS sported by GroupWise 5 does
not use any native file system
but does provide for a persistent lock (plus much, much more).

Anyway, I don't dispute that my statement could be better stated that
"Some . . ." but I don't agree with your suggestion not to privide for
remote locking. If the DMS (or better stated, the document repository)
supports a lock then it will provide the appropriate functionality, if
not then an error message will be returned. As we were fond of hearing
during the meeting at MIT, "You always have the option to say NO!"
-- 
-src
Steve Carter
Novell
srcarter@novell.com

At night, God leaves the lights on --
so that we know he is home.

Received on Thursday, 3 October 1996 13:56:15 UTC