Techniques for implementing locking semantics for a storage system based on file types are described. An apparatus or system may include a database to store multiple data files, and a cache manager to manage the data files, the cache manager having a client lock manager to receive a request to modify a data file, determine a file type for the data file, access a set of locking semantics based on the file type, and determine whether the data file can be modified based on the locking semantics. Other embodiments are described and claimed.