Patent ID: 8224977

Claim:
A method for managing locks granted by a multi-node system to access a set of shared resources that includes a first shared resource, the method comprising the steps of: while no global lock on said first shared resource is held, granting a first local lock on the first shared resource to a first node within the multi-node system; while said first node holds said first local lock: based on the first local lock, permitting the first node to access the first shared resource; and receiving a request from a second node in said multi-node system for a global lock on the first shared resource; in response to said request from a second node in said multi-node system for a global lock on the first shared resource: causing said first node to obtain a global lock on the first shared resource; and causing said second node to obtain a global lock on the first shared resource; and wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.