Purpose of a Lockfile Alongside a Results Table File in Analyst® Software

For research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Answer

In Analyst® Software, when opening a results table, an additional file - the lockfile - appears in the Quantitation Results folder for a particular project. The lockfile is a hidden file associated with the results table file (.rdb) and is automatically created when opening a results table.

The purpose of the lockfile is to prevent a second user from opening the same results table simultaneously and trying to modify it, which is particularly helpful if your root directory is on a network (i.e., more than one computer has access to the same file). If a second user tries to open the results table, they will receive an error message saying that the results table is already open and any subsequent modifications will not be recorded for that user.

When the file is closed, the lockfile should be deleted. Lockfiles are left on the project folder if the user doesn't have delete rights. If this is the case, it is safe to delete lockfiles manually from the Analyst Data folder.