The Lock function is provided as a mechanism to protect an item from being worked on until it is manually unlocked using the Unlock function. If proper processes are implemented within your installation, the Lock and Unlock functions can act as a control mechanism to protect your data.
The Lock function is used to lock one or more items selected in a list window. Items become locked automatically when they are being worked on in Data Interchange Services client. This function provides a mechanism to ensure that two people are not trying to alter or work with the same item simultaneously. Items become locked when they are opened, renamed, copied, or compiled. If Data Interchange Services client terminates abnormally, an item may be left in a "locked" state.
Viewing the item in a list window can show you who currently has a lock on an item. You can check with them to determine why an item is locked. It may be inadvertent and might need to be manually unlocked using the Unlock function.
The following steps describe how to lock one or more items.
The lock function begins and the Execution Status window appears. A message is added to the window for each item that is locked. When Data Interchange Services client is finished locking the selected items, a message is displayed on the Execution Status window indicating the lock function has been completed. You can press the Cancel button on the Execution Status window to terminate the lock function in process.