A metadata track stores metadata corresponding to both a first customer data track and a second customer data track. In response to receiving a first request to perform a write on the first customer data track from a two track write process, exclusive access to the first customer data track is provided to the first request, and shared access to the metadata track is provided to the first request. In response to receiving a second request to perform a write on the second customer data track from the two track write process, exclusive access to the second customer data track is provided to the second request, and shared access to the metadata track is provided to the second request prior to providing exclusive access to the metadata track to at least one process that is waiting for exclusive access to the metadata track.