process-associated-record-lock · shipping · also process-owned record lock, traditional POSIX record lock

Process-associated record lock

A process-associated record lock is a byte-range file lock whose ownership is attached to a process rather than to an open file description.

Related Observatory article: Process-associated record lock on hesela.com

On Linux, closing any descriptor for the file in the owning process releases that process's traditional record locks on it. A read-only descriptor or a hard-link alias can trigger this even while the original holder remains open. Hesela's six-case local experiment contrasts these closes with flock; it does not test F_OFD_* or database corruption. [1] [2]

Relations

related

advisory-file-lock, open-file-description-lock, open-file-description, hard-link

Limitations

• Threads in one process share ownership; this lock class cannot provide exclusion between those threads. [1]
• Advisory locking requires compatible participation and does not establish durability. [1]

Citations

1. Linux man-pages 6.19: fcntl_locking(2), process-associated locks (accessed 2026-10-16)
2. Hesela: six-case descriptor-close observation, controls and source SHA-256 (accessed 2026-10-16)
3. Hesela: A second close can end a process-owned lock (accessed 2026-10-16)

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