Linux takes time to release file handles
 

Hello,
The app in linux server(CentOS 5.3) uses files from a mount directory(Shared windows directory in read only mode). At the same time, the same file might be edited by user in windows env. We were assuming that as the windows folders are mounted in read-only mode in linux so any change done by user in windows environment would be fail safe i.e. can be safely committed to the file. But when the file concurrently used both by Linux and as well by windows, at some point linux does not release the file handles and the files get corrupted(deleted too). Earlier we were using win2k server and this step was hardly reproducible and win2k was releasing file handles quickly. But with centos, we really had touch time managing files. ANy suggestion/input would be highly appreciated.

regards,

Sounds like you'll need some form of LDAP on top of your standard filesystem. Same thing as MS Windows has, although Linux's options are free (MS's is added onto the version price tag), and sometimes overlooked when Linux is installed. Another option (although a pain in the neck), is to have a database manage the directories, but I'd personally opt for an LDAP of one flavor or another.

http://www.openldap.org/doc/admin24/

Alternatively, your distribution probably has a somewhat easier package that preconfigures a lot of the items mentioned in the link above.

The system is already configured with LDAP(external ldap system). The app in linux uses files from windows shared directories( using mount command). I am not sure how you would like me to use LDAP in such circumstance.
The worst thing is that the file gets deleted when used concurrently i.e. the app in Linux uses it at the same time windows also uses it. As I am not an expert in Linux so any configuration, you like me to look at.