During client library implementation, few things to keep in mind. Threads and locking in client library The client library is multithreaded in so that the actual SilcClient runs in one main thread (may be application main thread or its created thread for the client), and each connection to a remote host runs in an own thread. There are no other threads in client library. If there is only one connection in the client, then most likely there is only one thread in addition of main thread. The SilcClient context must be protected with lock (client->internal->lock), because it may be accessed from connection threads and by application. It is guaranteed that the client main thread never access the connection thread, and it is guaranteed that no other connection thread access another connection thread. Even still, the SilcClientConnection has a lock (conn->internal->lock) because it may be accessed by application. Practically everything in the client is executed in the connection thread. Receiving packets, commands, notifys, etc all happen in connection thread. It is not possible to receive packets in two different threads that would be destined to one specific connection thread. But, because packets and commands may be sent from application thread the connection lock is used to protect shared data in the SilcClientConnection. It is, however, guaranteed that the main client thread, or other connection thread will not send any packets or commands to another connection. When remembered this makes programming easier. Everything happens in one thread that has something to do with the connection. When packet is received and it is processed asynchronously, it is always guaranteed that it is processed in that same thread, even if it is processed asynchronously. No other thread will process it. If it is processed synchronously, no other packet may arrive at the same time, not for that connection. But it is possible that while we are processing incoming command reply, application sends another command from application thread. Because of this, the lock exist in the connection context. Using locks Use locking only if necessary. For performance reasons SILC Atomic Operations API should be preferred if it can be used to achieve what needs to be achieved. All reference counters must be atomic integers and locking must not be used with them. Using FSM The client library internals are to be rewritten with SILC FSM and all major operations should be implemented as FSM. Always return SILC_FSM_CONTINUE if you need to move to next state synchronously. Use SILC_FSM_YIELD if you are in FSM thread and peformance is not an issue, but only if there really are other FSM threads that need execution time also. When to use FSM event signalling? FSM event signalling should be used only when multiple threads (FSM threads) may be waiting for something to happen. If only one thread is waiting for something it should merely return SILC_FSM_WAIT and when that something happens it should use silc_fsm_continue or silc_fsm_continue_sync to continue in the waiting thread. OTOH, if multiple threads are waiting SILC_FSM_EVENT_SIGNAL is the only way to deliver the signal. Always remember that posting is signal is not donbe synchronously (it won't be delivered immediately). OTOH, if there is only one thread waiting for somtehing to happen but there can be multiple threads signalling that something has happened only way to do this is to use event signalling. Event signals should be pre-allocated SilcFSMEventStruct structures and for signalling use they are always initialized as: silc_fsm_event_init(&event, fsm); The call cannot fail. Events need not be uninitialized and the same context may be reused. Finishing threads when closing connection When closing SilcClientConnection all threads must first be finished before the connection machine is finished. This is done by finishing all running command threads. That will also finish all waiting packet and notify threads as they are always waiting for a command. If any thread is waiting for something else than a command (such as event threads) they must be explicitly finished. The threads are finished by continuing them synchronously. The threads will detect that we are disconnected (see below). SILC_FSM_YIELD must be returned in st_close() as that gives the FSM scheduler time to finish the threads first. After that the machine can be finished. Also, any thread that runs in SilcClientConnection machine must always after returning from wait state to check if we are disconnected by doing if (conn->internal->disconnected) { xxx; return SILC_FSM_FINISH; } If disconnected the thread must finish immediately by returning SILC_FSM_FINISH. Entry locking All entires have a read/write lock. It is used to protect the entries when library updates them at the same time application is reading data from the entries. An API for application to read-lock the entires exist. Library only needs to use write-lock. Using read-lock is not necessary inside library because all connection related stuff, including updating connection related entries are done in one thread. When library is reading data from the entries it cannot be updating them at the same time. Hence, using read-lock inside library is not necessary.