What are some real-world examples of locking mechanisms?

What are some real-world examples of locking mechanisms?

Locking mechanisms are used in various applications, such as door locks, file locks in software, and database locks. For instance, a traditional pin tumbler lock is commonly found in residential doors, while optimistic locking is used in databases to prevent conflicts.

Can you explain how a pin tumbler lock works?

Sure! A pin tumbler lock consists of a cylinder with pins of varying lengths. When the correct key is inserted, it aligns the pins at the shear line, allowing the cylinder to turn and unlock the door.

What about locking mechanisms in software?

In software, locking mechanisms like mutexes and semaphores are used to control access to shared resources, ensuring that only one process can access a resource at a time to prevent data corruption.

Are there any examples of locking in databases?

Yes, in databases, locking is used to manage concurrent access. For example, pessimistic locking prevents other transactions from accessing a record until the current transaction is complete.