Abstract: A locking apparatus for a multicomputer system. The lock apparatus is a two level system wherein local lock managers grant locks on a resource only after they have acquired an appropriate token from a rock control server which is the owner of the resource. The lock control server is passive and has all the control information for a resource it owns. When a local lock manager needs a token in a specified mode for a particular resource, it acquires the token from the lock control server. If there are no conflicting tokens, then the rock control server grants the token. However, if there are conflicting tokens, then the lock control server responds with a list of the local lock managers with conflicting tokens. The requesting lock manager then requests each of the local lock managers with conflicting tokens to give it up and to acknowledge when it has done so. When the acknowledgements have been received, the local lock manager requests the lock control server to update its table and grant the requested token.