Patent ID: 7627574

Claim:
A machine-implemented method, comprising the steps of: a database server receiving a request from a requestor to perform a file system operation defined by a file system protocol on a resource, wherein said request includes state identification data; said database server retrieving, using a lookup mechanism in said database server, state information associated with said request, wherein said state information specifies an operational state of the resource, wherein said operational state reflects one or more stateful operations previously performed on said resource by the requestor; wherein said lookup mechanism comprises certain data that associates said state identification data with said state information; wherein using said lookup mechanism comprises using said certain data and said state identification data to lookup said state information; said database server processing said request based, at least in part, on said state information; in response to processing said request, updating the state information in the lookup mechanism to specify an updated operational state of the resource after the file system operation has been performed on the resource and creating a second state identification data that identifies the updated state information and that is associated with the requestor, wherein the updated operational state also reflects said one or more stateful operations previously performed on said resource by the requestor; and transmitting said second state identification data to said requestor.