Using perl 5.8.8 on Cygwin with DBD::Oracle 1.2.3 and DBI 1.609 I have some code attempting to fork and then establish a new DB connection using the process as defined at DBI, Fork, and clone. It is currently behaving quite strangely though: 
sub some_method
{
    ...
    print "CALLING FORKER\n";
    my $pid = db_forkin($dbh, \@some_array_of_files);
    waitpid($pid, 0);
    print "KID'S DONE\n";
    ...
}

sub db_forkin
{
    my $dbh = $_[0];
    #dereference array ref
    my @scripts_to_execute = @{$_[1]};

    my $pid = fork();
    if($pid == 0) #i'm a child!
    {
        Print("*****************CHILD******************\n");

        #idiom via http://www.perlmonks.org/?node_id=594175
        my $child_dbh = $dbh->clone();
        $dbh->{InactiveDestroy} = 1;
        $dbh = undef;

        my $q = qq(INSERT INTO TEST_TABLE 
            (FIRST_NAME, LAST_NAME, AGE, GENDER) 
            VALUES ('ISTHIS', 'WORKING', 30, 'X'));
        
        print("*****************A******************\n\n");
        my $sth = $child_dbh->prepare($q);
        print("*****************B******************\n\n");
        $sth->execute();
        print("*****************C******************\n\n");

        foreach my $script_name (@scripts_to_execute)
        {
            print("Executing $script_name within a the fork\n");
        }

        #once the child process is done, kill it.
        print("\n************CHILD IS DYING*************\n\n");

      POSIX:_exit(0);
    }
    else
    {
        return $pid;
    }
}

[download]

The output of this is: 
CALLING FORKER
*****************CHILD******************
<long pause...>
KID'S DONE

[download]

It also appears that the insert statement doesn't occur. Now if I comment out the new steps to create the $child_dbh and just use $dbh, i am able to see ...*A*... Basically as soon as anything database related executes, the whole process seems to be lost.

Has anyone seen this behaviour before? Any suggestions?

In reply to Forking and DBD::Oracle by madorb

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