DELPHI: Multithreaded client/server datasnap error - multithreading

Question

This is my first post here - so be gentle :-)
I want to build a client/server application that uses datasnap for data transport.
This is a fairly simple task - and there are lots of examples to learn from.
BUT - Having a Datasnap server (build from Delphi XE wizard) I find myself running into a problem, and I hope someone can guide me into the right direction.
Server and Client run on same PC (that is the design for now).
Server is running Session lifecycle.
Server and Client shares a class (posted below)..
The Server provides a simple method - GetServerObject which uses the GetNewObject method.
The Server itself is a VCL application - main form is fmServer.
OnCreate instatiates the Servers FormObject property (FormObject := TMyDataObject.Create);
function TServerMethods2.GetNewObject: TMyDataObject;
begin
Result := TMyDataObject.Create;
end;
function TServerMethods2.GetServerObject: TMyDataObject;
begin
Result := GetNewObject;
if not Result.Assign(fmServer.FormObject) then
raise Exception.Create('Server error : Assign failed!');
end;
All this is pretty trivial - and my problem only appears if I twist my Client application into a multithreaded monster :-) (read - more than 1 thread).
So here is the Thread code for the client.
TDataThread = class(TThread)
private
DSConn: TSQLConnection;
protected
procedure Execute; override;
public
constructor Create(aConn: TSQLConnection); overload;
end;
constructor TDataThread.Create(aConn: TSQLConnection);
begin
inherited Create(False);
DSConn := aConn.CloneConnection;
FreeOnTerminate := true;
end;
procedure TDataThread.Execute;
var
DSMethod: TServerMethods2Client;
aDataObject : TMyDataObject;
begin
NameThreadForDebugging('Data');
{ Place thread code here }
DSMethod := nil;
try
while not terminated do
begin
sleep(10);
if DSConn.Connected then
begin
try
if DSMethod = nil then
DSMethod := TServerMethods2Client.Create(DSConn.DBXConnection,false);
if DSMethod <> nil then
try
aDataObject := DSMethod.GetserverObject;
finally
freeandnil(aDataObject);
end;
except
freeandnil(DSMethod);
DSConn.Connected := False;
end
end
else
begin
// connect
try
sleep(100);
DSConn.Open;
except
;
end;
end;
end;
finally
freeandnil(DSMethod);
DSConn.Close;
freeandnil(DSConn);
end;
When I create more than 1 of these threads - eventually I will get an error (being "cannot instatiate ... " or some "remote dbx error ..." .. and so on.
I simply cannot get this to work - so that I can spawn hundreds of threads/connections to a datasnap server.
I know this question is tricky - but my hope is that someone is smarter than me :-)
If I try the same client thread code - but accessing a more simple server method (lets say echostring from sample) then I can run it with hundreds of threads.
Perhaps Im answering myself here - but Im too blind to realize it :-)
unit uDataObject;
interface
uses
SysUtils;
Type
TMyDataObject = class(TObject)
private
fString: String;
fInteger: Integer;
public
constructor Create; virtual;
destructor Destroy; override;
function Assign(aSource: TMyDataObject): boolean;
property aString: String read fString write fString;
property aInteger: Integer read fInteger write fInteger;
end;
implementation
{ TMyDataObject }
function TMyDataObject.Assign(aSource: TMyDataObject): boolean;
begin
if aSource <> nil then
begin
try
fString := aSource.aString;
fInteger := aSource.aInteger;
Result := True;
except
Result := false;
end;
end
else
Result := false;
end;
constructor TMyDataObject.Create;
begin
inherited;
Randomize;
fString := 'The time of creation is : ' + FormatDateTime('ddmmyyyy hh:nn:ss:zzz', Now);
fInteger := Random(100);
end;
destructor TMyDataObject.Destroy;
begin
inherited;
end;
end.
All help is appreciated

Answer 1

This has mostly been answered in the comments and the bug report, but... The problem you are seeing is caused by a multithreading issue in XE's marshaller code. If two threads (or two clients) call a server server method which takes in or return user defined types (any type which will use the marshaller/unmarshaller) at the same time, then an exception could happen.
I am unaware of a perfect workaround for XE, but if it is possible to not use user-defined types, then you shouldn't see multithreading issues.
Mat

Answer 2

When the simple server method is working, i think your problem has to be found i somethin the "real" code is doing or using.
It could be in the connection (try changing your simpler code to use the connection)
Your problem can also be then CloneConnection. The Cloned connection is freed, when the connection it is cloned from is freed. See
http://docwiki.embarcadero.com/VCL/en/SqlExpr.TSQLConnection.CloneConnection