Patent ID: 8086581

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of managing file locks by a lock manager of a distributed storage system having a plurality of locking mechanisms, said method comprising: receiving a plurality of lock requests for files from a plurality of clients; maintaining at a metadata server information of at least metadata associated with said lock requests for the files and a lock resource object assigned for each locked file; providing a database containing locking information; managing lock requests of files belonging to a domain of the lock manager while other lock managers interface with said database and said plurality of clients manage lock requests of files belonging to respective files of domains of said other lock managers; managing locking of files using a plurality of lock resource objects and a plurality of registry lock files of said lock managers, each of said plurality of lock resource objects including a block queue, a convert queue, and a granted lock request list; responsive of receiving a lock request from a client of said plurality of clients: determining if said lock request is a convert lock request to change a mode of said lock request; searching in said plurality of registry lock files for a lock request associated with said convert lock request; and blocking said lock request if at least said convert queue is not empty and/or said requested mode is not compatible with a mode of a currently granted lock; otherwise granting said lock request by updating a lock request status in an associated registry lock file to a granted status, by adding said lock request to said granted lock request list, and by generating a message to said client notifying that said lock request was granted.