From the MPE 6 Communicator : Analyzing the above format 9 example: All of the format 8 data is seen. The PIN (Process ID Number) begins the next line, followed by the process filename. The next line shows the type of access which includes: "R" for read, "W" for write, "X" for execute, "A" for append, "L" for lock, "S" for save, "U" for update, "RD" for directory read access. The file-sharing mode is next. Values include: "sysexc" for system exclusive (rarely seen), "excl" for exclusive, "ear" for semi-exclusive (exclusive-allow-read), "shr" for shared, "multi" for shared job, or "gmulti" for system shared. Next the current record number is seen, and last is the file number. If the process does not have any locks then "NONE" is displayed. If the PIN owns or is waiting on one or more of the relevant semaphores, then the semaphore name is shown under either the "Owner" or "Waiter" column. There are three semaphores (locks) considered. The FLOCK semaphore is obtained when a processes calls the FLOCK intrinsic. This lock is exclusive; meaning that only one process at a time can own the FLOCK semaphore for a file. Occasionally the FLOCK semaphore is used by the file system to synchronize directory access. The OPEN semaphore is locked by the file system when a file is being formally opened. In this usage the OPEN semaphore is locked exclusively. It is also used by the operating system to protect certain file system data structures when they are being read. This usage allows the OPEN semaphore to be locked in a shared fashion. The OPEN semaphore can be locked shared by multiple processes, but once it is locked exclusively all other PINs trying to lock it will wait. The GUFD semaphore is locked by the file system when it does I/O on the target file. It is locked exclusively. Hope this helps Ted Ashton wrote in a message ... >What does the "-excl" mean below? The docs say it means "exclusive", but the >",Share" belies that, as does the fact that two different users have the file >open (and that item 13 in the HPFOpen is set to 3). > >/ADMIN/ADMDEV:listfile passf99s.admrec,9 >******************** >FILE: PASSF99S.ADMREC.ADMIN >4 Accessors(O:4,P:4,L:0,W:2,R:4),Share >#S4323 ASHTED,POULSON.ADMIN P:2,L:0,W:1,R:2 REM : 209.142.167.125 > #P225 (PASSPRTP.FINANCE.ADMIN) > ACCESS: R,W,U-excl REC#: 0 FNUM: 32 > LOCKS: none > #P225 (PASSPRTP.FINANCE.ADMIN) > ACCESS: R-excl REC#: 0 FNUM: 14 > LOCKS: none > >#S4316 ASHTED,ADMDEV.ADMIN P:2,L:0,W:1,R:2 REM : 209.142.167.125 > #P188 (PASSPRTP.FINANCE.ADMIN) > ACCESS: R,W,U-excl REC#: 0 FNUM: 32 > LOCKS: none > #P188 (PASSPRTP.FINANCE.ADMIN) > ACCESS: R-excl REC#: 0 FNUM: 14 > LOCKS: none > >TIA, >Ted >-- >Ted Ashton ([log in to unmask]), Info Serv, Southern Adventist University > ========================================================== >"Can you do addition?" the White Queen asked. "What's one and one and one >and one and one and one and one and one and one and one?" "I don't know," >said Alice. "I lost count." > -- Carroll, Lewis >