Answer
While simultaneous access to the same file can be permitted in certain scenarios such as read-only access or when proper locking mechanisms are in place, it can lead to complications and data corruption if not managed carefully. The file manager should assess the nature of the access requests and enforce appropriate access control mechanisms to maintain data integrity in a multitasking environment.
Work Step by Step
In a timesharing/multitasking system, complications can arise when two processes require access to the same file simultaneously. One of the major issues is data inconsistency or corruption due to concurrent access. If both processes attempt to write to the file simultaneously, it may result in a race condition where the final state of the file is unpredictable. Similarly, if one process is reading from the file while another is writing to it, the reader may end up accessing incomplete or inconsistent data.
However, there are cases in which the file manager should grant such requests. For example, if both processes only require read access to the file and are not modifying its contents, simultaneous access can be allowed without risking data corruption. Additionally, if the file system supports concurrent access through locking mechanisms such as file locks, advisory locks, or byte-range locks, the file manager can grant access while ensuring data integrity by coordinating access between processes.
On the other hand, there are cases in which the file manager should deny such requests, particularly when both processes require write access to the file. Allowing simultaneous write access without proper synchronization can lead to data corruption. In such cases, the file manager should enforce exclusive access or employ locking mechanisms to ensure that only one process can modify the file at a time, while other processes wait for access.
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