Streamlined file system memory input/output operations

Abstract

The techniques disclosed herein enable file systems to streamline operations on cached file data. This is accomplished by utilizing a direct access path and an optimization flag that indicates the status of an external lock for a given file data. External locks can be utilized to lock some or all of a file to prevent unexpected changes during an operation and ensure consistency in file data. A direct access path is a file system method that enables a thread to directly access the storage locations defined by a cache map structure which reduces latency by omitting determinations of external lock conflicts. However, this omission must be performed safely, that is, when the external lock is inactive. By checking the optimization flag prior to executing an operation, the file system can determine whether it is safe to omit the determination of external lock conflicts thereby minimizing latency.