Lock Server

Lock Server is a replacement for file-based locking. This is a crude list of facts about Lock Server extracted from the archives of the CVSNT discussion list:

• Lock Server is installed / service set to automatic with server components.

• Lock Server is not enabled automatically in cvsnt versions <2.0.15. Enable it in the CVSROOT/config file.

• Lock Server purpose is to ensure dangling locks are cleaned up.

• In theory it can also be used for live monitoring of the repository, but nobody's ever written an app to do that.

• Because of the difficulty of finding out the owner of a file in NT, you often get the 'waiting for unknown users lock' message with filesystem locks. With lockserver you always know who has set the lock and from which machine.

• Lock server enables file level locking and advisory locking. This reduces the number of conflicts on a busy repository.

• Lock server ensures checkout consistency. If another user commits a file while you are in the middle of a checkout, you get the one you originally asked for, rather than the new one.

Tips

>> How can I send a message to all CVS-Users who are
>> actually logged into CVSNT, e.g. when CVS needs
>> to stop for a backup?

 One quick hack that might work if you want to make sure nobody's
 using it (and you're using lockserver)
 
 telnet localhost 2402
 
 then
 
 Client admin|/my/cvsroot
 Lock Write Recursive Full Directory|/my/cvsroot
 
 Then kill the telnet session after you've finished..

The LockServer Protocol

See LockServerProtocol