Syntax:
GET_LOCK(str,timeout)

Tries to obtain a lock with a name given by the string str, using a
timeout of timeout seconds. Returns 1 if the lock was obtained
successfully, 0 if the attempt timed out (for example, because another
client has previously locked the name), or NULL if an error occurred
(such as running out of memory or the thread was killed with mysqladmin
kill). If you have a lock obtained with GET_LOCK(), it is released when
you execute RELEASE_LOCK(), execute a new GET_LOCK(), or your
connection terminates (either normally or abnormally). Locks obtained
with GET_LOCK() do not interact with transactions. That is, committing
a transaction does not release any such locks obtained during the
transaction.

This function can be used to implement application locks or to simulate
record locks. Names are locked on a server-wide basis. If a name has
been locked by one client, GET_LOCK() blocks any request by another
client for a lock with the same name. This enables clients that agree
on a given lock name to use the name to perform cooperative advisory
locking. But be aware that it also enables a client that is not among
the set of cooperating clients to lock a name, either inadvertently or
deliberately, and thus prevent any of the cooperating clients from
locking that name. One way to reduce the likelihood of this is to use
lock names that are database-specific or application-specific. For
example, use lock names of the form db_name.str or app_name.str.

URL: http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.1/en/miscellaneous-functions.html

