Locking across processes

We are porting a number AS/400 programs to Unix, using Informix as our database back end. When an exclusive table lock is placed on a table on the AS/400, the process that placed the lock as well as all of its subprocesses can still write that table. Much of the logic in the programs we are porting depend on this behavior, where a lock is placed by one process, then a new process is spawned, and the child process writes the table. However with Informix (V5 Online), it seems that locks placed by one user in one process will lock out the same user in any child process. Can anybody think of ways around this? Do other Unix DBs behave in a similar fashion? Would a transaction manager like Tuxedo or Encina help at all? Should I just slit my wrists and become a car salesman? Thanks heaps Gerry Tynen -- __________________________ Gerard Tynen gtynen@interaccess.com __________________________