Re: When to use forks, when to use threads ...?

[zentara]

My rule of thumb is use threads if you need realtime communication between threads, as they are running. If you don't need that, its better to fork, only because memory cleanup is better, and it's easier on the system resources.

As far as your memory leak goes, there are ways to fix it, but you need to show some code. Usually it involves reusing threads.... don't detach them and expect them to go away.... threads must return or reach the end of their code block to be joined, or self-destruct if detached. Maybe your database connection isn't finishing completely, and the threads are not allowed to destruct.

[Krambambuli]

Usually it involves reusing threads.... don't detach them and expect them to go away.... threads must return or reach the end of their code block to be joined, or self-destruct if detached. Maybe your database connection isn't finishing completely

I'm not sure I correctly understand what you are saying.

My threads where intended to last practically forever, each thread handling one distinct and 'private' database connection.

The memory leak was showing up during normal operation of the threads - apparently with each thread-switch - and I checked of course that my code would not 'grow' with a simple equivalent nonthreaded counterpart.

[zentara]

If you are reusing the threads, each handling one connection, and you are gaining memory, it seems like something in the database connection is causing it. Have you looked at "perldoc -q clear" ? Somewhere at the end of each thread run, you need to clear out some old data or filehandles. You may have some hash or array that is retaining entries.