The document discusses optimistic record locking as an alternative to pessimistic record locking in FileMaker. It describes how optimistic locking only locks records during commits, reducing server workload compared to locking for the entire edit. The document also presents techniques for implementing optimistic locking, including storing calculations, using commit footprints to track changes, and converting solutions to use local file editing to reduce network traffic. It provides examples showing how these approaches can significantly improve performance.