oplocks questions -need answers

win2k server sp4.

I have read several articles saying that opportunistic locking SHOULD be
disabled... mostly surrounding file share based database apps like Access,
dbase, etc... I have also read the background info on what oplocks is about.
But, here is what I need before I can leave this alone and make a decision:

1) Ok, disabling can fix some issues... BUT can disabling oplocks cause
problems with other services? in particular, Active Directory, DNS server,
SQL Server 2000, DHCP service, WINS service?

2) what happens with regular file sharing when oplocks is disabled? for
example, if userA opens a Word document and begins working with it and then
userB opens the same document to work with what happens when:
a) second (or subsequent) users open the document? can they? if so, are they
warned that it is open by another user?
b) are they prevented from writting changes?
c) if they are not prevented from writing changes does that just mean last
write wins? (last save overwrites anything else someone else had done)

I would GREATLY appreciate answers to these questions. I have looked and so
far found no reason NOT to disable oplocks but I want to be sure. And I need
to know what changes to expect after the change so I can inform my users.

thanks.

Once oplocks are disable applications will function the same way following
standard file system access critieria.

If op locks are disabled the standard file system access permissions would
apply, if an application opens a file for write and shares file denyRead
then another application can not read from the file but can write to the
file.

Why would you not want to disable oplocks?, for performance reasons, caching
that might be benifical can no longer occur. Mutiple opens can be batched
into one operation. Reads from the network might appear to be slower, since
no data is cached.

I would try it and see what difference if any it makes and then go from
there.

<MSDN>
Opportunistic locks are of very limited use for applications. The only
practical use is to test a network redirector or a server opportunistic lock
handler. Typically, file systems implement support for opportunistic locks.
Applications generally leave opportunistic lock management to the file
system drivers.
</MSDN>

In the older file systems such as NT there were some bugs in the file system
oplock mechanism and thus turning it off was a good idea, I'm not sure that
there are any problems in 2k and 2k3 like that.

--
Ryan Ackerman,

SofTulz.Net, Giving administrators more time with there families through
automated computer management.
http://www.SofTulz.Net


"djc" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> win2k server sp4.
>
> I have read several articles saying that opportunistic locking SHOULD be
> disabled... mostly surrounding file share based database apps like Access,
> dbase, etc... I have also read the background info on what oplocks is
about.
> But, here is what I need before I can leave this alone and make a
decision:
>
> 1) Ok, disabling can fix some issues... BUT can disabling oplocks cause
> problems with other services? in particular, Active Directory, DNS server,
> SQL Server 2000, DHCP service, WINS service?
>
> 2) what happens with regular file sharing when oplocks is disabled? for
> example, if userA opens a Word document and begins working with it and
then
> userB opens the same document to work with what happens when:
> a) second (or subsequent) users open the document? can they? if so, are
they
> warned that it is open by another user?
> b) are they prevented from writting changes?
> c) if they are not prevented from writing changes does that just mean last
> write wins? (last save overwrites anything else someone else had done)
>
> I would GREATLY appreciate answers to these questions. I have looked and
so
> far found no reason NOT to disable oplocks but I want to be sure. And I
need
> to know what changes to expect after the change so I can inform my users.
>
> thanks.
>
>
>
>

thanks for the input Ryan.

"Ryan Ackerman" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Once oplocks are disable applications will function the same way following
> standard file system access critieria.
>
> If op locks are disabled the standard file system access permissions would
> apply, if an application opens a file for write and shares file denyRead
> then another application can not read from the file but can write to the
> file.
>
> Why would you not want to disable oplocks?, for performance reasons,
caching
> that might be benifical can no longer occur. Mutiple opens can be batched
> into one operation. Reads from the network might appear to be slower,
since
> no data is cached.
>
> I would try it and see what difference if any it makes and then go from
> there.
>
> <MSDN>
> Opportunistic locks are of very limited use for applications. The only
> practical use is to test a network redirector or a server opportunistic
lock
> handler. Typically, file systems implement support for opportunistic
locks.
> Applications generally leave opportunistic lock management to the file
> system drivers.
> </MSDN>
>
> In the older file systems such as NT there were some bugs in the file
system
> oplock mechanism and thus turning it off was a good idea, I'm not sure
that
> there are any problems in 2k and 2k3 like that.
>
> --
> Ryan Ackerman,
>
> SofTulz.Net, Giving administrators more time with there families through
> automated computer management.
> http://www.SofTulz.Net
>
>
> "djc" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > win2k server sp4.
> >
> > I have read several articles saying that opportunistic locking SHOULD be
> > disabled... mostly surrounding file share based database apps like
Access,
> > dbase, etc... I have also read the background info on what oplocks is
> about.
> > But, here is what I need before I can leave this alone and make a
> decision:
> >
> > 1) Ok, disabling can fix some issues... BUT can disabling oplocks cause
> > problems with other services? in particular, Active Directory, DNS
server,
> > SQL Server 2000, DHCP service, WINS service?
> >
> > 2) what happens with regular file sharing when oplocks is disabled? for
> > example, if userA opens a Word document and begins working with it and
> then
> > userB opens the same document to work with what happens when:
> > a) second (or subsequent) users open the document? can they? if so, are
> they
> > warned that it is open by another user?
> > b) are they prevented from writting changes?
> > c) if they are not prevented from writing changes does that just mean
last
> > write wins? (last save overwrites anything else someone else had done)
> >
> > I would GREATLY appreciate answers to these questions. I have looked and
> so
> > far found no reason NOT to disable oplocks but I want to be sure. And I
> need
> > to know what changes to expect after the change so I can inform my
users.
> >
> > thanks.
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>