[OpenAFS] MS Word crashing when opening files, 1.5.27 client

[Jeffrey Altman]

Hans Melgers wrote:
> Thanks Jeffrey,
> 
> <snip>
> 
> Therefore, if you are providing files to be used simply as read only
> templates, they should be stored in AFS in a manner that indicates to
> the AFS client that they are in fact readonly so that the cache manager
> knows it is safe to fake the locks locally.
> 
> Would this also be achieved when we vos release this volume to a ro
> clone ? (not necessarily on another fileserver?)

yes.  that is a .readonly volume.

> I wonder what common practice is for this kind of shared volumes;  This
> one is a "projects" folder where everybody stores his or her additions
> to several projects, so, alot of files are opened as templates to make
> new ones that are also stored in the same folder or subfolders.
> If a readonly copy could solve this locking problems (or at least will
> bring the number of occurences down) we'll have to do alot of vos
> release commands throughout the day to avoid the locking problems as
> much as possible. How do you handle this ?

I can very easily imagine a "publish as template" button that gets
implemented in Office applications as a button on a custom toolbar.  The
button uses the macro language to save the file locally.  Copy the file
to a drop box location in AFS.  Then post a message to a web form with
the name of the file that instructs a privileged service to move the
copy into a templates directory that normal users only have 'rl' on.

There is nothing wrong with users saving files in the same directory.
Its just that only one of them at a time can open them.

This is just one of the limitations that the gatekeepers would like to
address but for which we have no resources.  Contributions are welcome.

Jeffrey Altman