Networked system for assuring synchronous access to critical facilities

Maintenance of a network resource is regulated by providing a lock data area that indicates an ownership status of the network resource, and a lock server process to maintain the lock data area. A client that is to perform maintenance on the network resource sends a command to the lock server process to modify the lock data area to indicate ownership of the network resource by the particular client. In response, the lock server process sends a response indicating whether or not ownership of the network resource by the client has been established. If ownership is indicated, the client performs the maintenance on the network resource. If ownership is not indicated, the maintenance is not performed. Provision is made for retries, and also for forcing the lock if a current owner becomes moribund.