Apache::DBI connect

Hi,

I am using Apache+mod_perl and Apache::DBI with Oracle connection pooling feature. I noticed a problem with subroutine connect. Below code checks  database connection:

200:    if ($Connected{$Idx} and (!$needping or eval{$Connected{$Idx}->ping})) {
        debug(2, "$prefix already connected to '$Idx'");

        # Force clean up of handle in case previous transaction failed to
        # clean up the handle
        &reset_startup_state($Idx);

        return (bless $Connected{$Idx}, 'Apache::DBI::db');
    }

Due to the oracle connection pooling, some oracle server processes has terminated the connection, causing httpd process in CLOSE_WAIT state. I did get this message in error_log when eval{$Connected{$Idx}->ping  failed:

DBD::Oracle::db ping failed: ORA-03113: end-of-file on communication channel
Process ID: 28345
Session ID: 3220 Serial number: 504 (DBD ERROR: OCIStmtExecute/Describe) at /usr/local/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.3/Apache/DBI.pm line 200


Below is subsequent code:

    213     delete $Connected{$Idx};
    214     $Connected{$Idx} = $drh->connect(@args);
    215     return undef if !$Connected{$Idx};

After line 214 executes,  it doesn't establish a valid new connection. The httpd process is still in CLOSE_WAIT state.

I wonder this line of code should be changed to 'DBI->connect(@args) if ($@)'. If ping failed, that means the connection is already closed, $drh may be no longer valid, will $drh->connect always return a valid new connection? What's the difference between DBI->connect vs $drh->connect?

Thanks,
- xinhuan