METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR UNMOUNTING AN INACCESSIBLE NETWORK FILE SYSTEM

The invention provides a technique for managing hard-mounted network file systems (NFSs). First, a network file system (NFS) interface detects that a hard-mounted NFS is inaccessible. In response, the NFS interface obtains a list of virtual nodes (vNodes) associated with the hard-mounted NFS. If the NFS interface determines that each vNode in the list of vNodes is only associated with a read IN/OUT (I/O) operation, then the NFS interface automatically unmounts the hard-mounted NFS since doing so does not compromise the coherency of the hard-mounted NFS. Alternatively, if the NFS interface determines that at least one vNode in the list of vNodes is associated with data that is open for a write I/O operation, is mapped into a memory, or is associated with at least one dirty page, then the NFS interface does not unmount the hard-mounted NFS since doing so will compromise the coherency of the hard-mounted NFS.