Go for shared memory and message queues.
But threads are helpful to manage sessions. With IPC managing
sessions is tough and a separate module for session/connection
management must be written.

What can be a better book than Unix Network Programming by 
Stevens.



On Thu, 28 Aug 2003 Paul Gearon wrote :
>Kurt Mueller wrote:
>>On Wednesday, August 27, 2003, at 11:46 AM, mehul radheshyam 
>>choube wrote:
>>
>>>     i am going to develop a server program for linux platform. 
>>>the
>>>scenario is of One Server - Multiple Clients. which of the 
>>>following
>>>technology be used - pipes, FIFO, Message Queues or threads? 
>>>which one is
>>>the best/widely used?
>>
>>
>>I suppose you will run this on a UNIX/UNIX-like system.
><description removed>
>>We have no experience in threads.
>
>Just to add a note about threads... unless you have a very good 
>reason for doing so, I'd steer clear of them for several 
>reasons.
>
>1. Synchronization is not as simple between threads as it is with 
>the various forms of IPC.  IPC has well defined events which 
>occur (eg. data available on a pipe) and which don't necessarily 
>have to be actively listened for when they go off (eg. read() can 
>happen any time after the data is available).
>
>2. Since all memory is shared between threads it is possible to 
>have interactions betweens the clients and the server that you 
>weren't expecting.  You basically need to lock ALL memory 
>accesses which are not on the stack.
>
>3. Launching a new client requires a special interface into the 
>application... possibly with IPC which you were trying to avoid 
>in the first place.
>
>4. There is also a lack of robustness for when things go wrong in 
>a single thread.  A segfault can bring the entire app down.
>
>5. The most compelling reason is that you reduce the modularity 
>of your system.  The above points are all a part of this problem, 
>but there are other hassles as well, such as increased 
>complexity, and a greater likelihood of bugs.
>
>Threads are very useful and certainly have their place, but if 
>IPC is an option for you then it's highly unlikely that threads 
>will be useful to you.
>
>-- Regards,
>Paul Gearon
>
>Software Engineer                Telephone:   +61 7 3876 2188
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>
>Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum 
>saxum
>immane mittam.
>(Translation from latin: "I have a catapult. Give me all the 
>money,
>or I will fling an enormous rock at your head.")
>
>
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