1. At least one program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying at least one program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method of managing the locking of resources of a data repository, said method comprising: having a data repository comprising a hierarchical structure of a plurality of dependently sequenced resources, said hierarchical structure comprising one or more resources having a reference-based relationship and one or more resources having a containment-based relationship; determining whether a relationship between one resource and another resource of the data repository is a containment-based relationship or whether the relationship is a reference-based relationship, wherein the relationship between the one resource and the another resource is a containment-based relationship if the one resource is accessed through the another resource and if there is only one reference from instances of the one resource to the another resource, and the relationship between the one resource and the another resource is a reference-based relationship if the one resource is accessed through the another resource and if there are more than one reference from instances of the one resource to the another resource; locking at least one resource of the one resource and the another resource using a chained locking strategy, in response to the determining indicating the relationship is a containment-based relationship; and locking at least one resource of the one resource and the another resource using a reference-based locking strategy, in response to the determining indicating the relationship is a reference-based relationship, wherein a chained locking strategy is a different locking strategy than a reference-based locking strategy, and wherein said locking of said at least one resource is further based on an operation to be performed.