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EEXIST
Why this can be a normal race outcome
EEXIST means that an API was asked to create an object only if the destination name was absent, but the name was already present. The classic file case is open() with both O_CREAT and O_EXCL; link creation and newer no-replace rename operations use the same idea. The error can be an expected result when several workers try to claim the same name.
It is often a sign that the program correctly used an atomic create-or-fail primitive instead of performing a separate “does it exist?” check. The latter check introduces a race: another process can create the object between the check and the create request.
How to handle it correctly
- Decide whether an existing object means success, a conflict, or a request to generate a new unique name.
- Inspect the object before treating it as equivalent; the same name may belong to another tenant, job, or version.
- Keep creation atomic. Do not replace
O_EXCLwith a check-then-create sequence. - For concurrent workers, record the creator identity and use an explicit claim/lease protocol when a name alone is not enough.
References
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