Patent ID: 7792977

Claim:
A method for managing access to a resource that is shared by a cluster of nodes that supports multiple types of access rights to the resource, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: receiving from a node that belongs to a quorum group of nodes within the cluster of nodes, a command that (a) identifies one or more specific nodes, and (b) expressly indicates which type of the multiple types of access rights to the resource is to be granted to the one or more specific nodes, wherein the quorum group includes nodes that participated in a quorum at which the nodes agreed to collectively manage access to one or more resources; and in response to receiving the command, and prior to enforcing the access rights that are specified in the command, performing the steps of: determining whether to require verification that the quorum group is a valid quorum group that is currently authorized within the cluster to specify access rights to the resource; and if verification is required, then (a) sending, to a verifying node in the cluster of nodes, a request to confirm that the quorum group is a valid quorum group, and (b) receiving, from the verifying node, a response that indicates whether the quorum group is valid; wherein the steps of the method are performed by one or more computing devices.