Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!hsi!mallon
From: mallon@hsi.UUCP (Dan Mallon)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Locking files in 3Com and Novell Environments
Keywords: system crashes
Message-ID: <920@hsi86.hsi.UUCP>
Date: 14 Dec 89 18:00:31 GMT
Organization: Health Systems Intl., New Haven, CT
Lines: 19

A project I am working on ports to many different environments.  Among these
are 3Com and Novell.  One of the newest features I am adding involves locking
files.  I've implemented this using the locking() function from the MSDOS
library.  I cannot fully test the additions out yet, as I don't have access
to 3Com and Novell environments on site.  Since I also lack information about
the systems, I was hoping someone could answer a question I have.

If two users are accessing the same file by locking, writing, locking, writing,
etc., what would happen if one user crashed for some reason before she/he
unlocked the file?   Would the system recognize a crash and free the lock or
would the second user be locked out permanently?  

Any help would be greatly appreciated.  

Please respond via email, as I don't subscribe to this newsgroup.  Thank you.

-- 
 Dan Mallon			     mallon@hsi.com
 Health Systems International	     {uunet,yale}!hsi!mallon