Distributed lock management chip

A lock management apparatus comprises a PCI socket for receiving from a processor associated with the lock management apparatus an indicator of a resource to be locked. The apparatus causes a corresponding indicator to be stored in a CAM and causes a stored indicator to be deleted when an associated resource is unlocked. The apparatus receives from a FC-AL interface, a frame indicative of a lock request for a resource. If the lock request frame originates from another processor, the apparatus checks any stored indicators for a matching locked resource. If the apparatus detects a match, it transmits a frame indicative of the locked resource to the originator of the lock request; and if it does not detect a match, it transmits the lock request frame to the originator of the lock request.