cero
asked on
socket programming: keep connection alive
Hi,
I have an application that maintains an open connection to a server.
I have no control over the server, and sometimes when no action occurs in the socket in a long time the server closes the connection, that's the problem
Well I have the following options to maintain the socket open everytime:
1. I could set the KEEP ALIVE option by means of setsockopt. But AFAIK it sends a NO OPERATION packet when two hours have passed without activity and if I want to manipulate this, I have to change that OPTION in the whole system not in one connection.
2. Before send the message, I could test if a socket is open, using getpeername or recv with MSG_PEEK. If the connection is closed, reopen it.
This option doesn't convince me enough. I will test this option after all.
3. I could have a way to test if no action has ocurred -in a specified time period- in the socket (it's a sender socket) by means of select for example and if this is the case, then send a NOP packet or doing some activity to avoid the server close mi connection. Its possible? do you have some sample code on this last idea???
4. The last: Use a thread to send packets each ten minutes for example on the open connection. I don't want this option.
Some comments???
thanks,
cero
P.D. sorry but english is not my first language
I have an application that maintains an open connection to a server.
I have no control over the server, and sometimes when no action occurs in the socket in a long time the server closes the connection, that's the problem
Well I have the following options to maintain the socket open everytime:
1. I could set the KEEP ALIVE option by means of setsockopt. But AFAIK it sends a NO OPERATION packet when two hours have passed without activity and if I want to manipulate this, I have to change that OPTION in the whole system not in one connection.
2. Before send the message, I could test if a socket is open, using getpeername or recv with MSG_PEEK. If the connection is closed, reopen it.
This option doesn't convince me enough. I will test this option after all.
3. I could have a way to test if no action has ocurred -in a specified time period- in the socket (it's a sender socket) by means of select for example and if this is the case, then send a NOP packet or doing some activity to avoid the server close mi connection. Its possible? do you have some sample code on this last idea???
4. The last: Use a thread to send packets each ten minutes for example on the open connection. I don't want this option.
Some comments???
thanks,
cero
P.D. sorry but english is not my first language
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MSG_NOSIGNAL will work, but is not entirely portable. Another, more portable way is to ignore the pipe signal for all file descriptors using 'signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_IGN)'.
ASKER
Well the problem was that I was receiving SIGPIPE instead of EPIPE, and the signal was terminating my program, and when I read your comment I will look at "send" another time and in the flags I found MSG_NOSIGNAL for avoiding the signal SIGPIPE.
Points for you.
cero.