Disadvantages of a Multithreaded/Multicontexted ATMI Application

10.2.3.2 Disadvantages of a Multithreaded/Multicontexted ATMI Application

Multithreaded and multicontexted ATMI applications present the following disadvantages:

Difficulty of writing code
Multithreaded and multicontexted applications are not easy to write. Only experienced programmers must undertake coding for these types of applications.
Difficulty of debugging
It is much harder to replicate an error in a multithreaded or multicontexted application than it is to do so in a single-threaded, single-contexted application. As a result, it is more difficult, in the former case, to identify and verify root causes when errors occur.
Difficulty of managing concurrency
The task of managing concurrency among threads is difficult and has the potential to introduce new problems into an application.
Difficulty of testing
Testing a multithreaded application is more difficult than testing a single-threaded application because defects are often timing-related and more difficult to reproduce.
Difficulty of porting existing code
Existing code often requires significant re-architecting to take advantage of multithreading and multicontexting. Programmers need to:
Remove static variables
Replace any function calls that are not thread-safe
Replace any other code that is not thread-safe
Because the completed port must be tested and retested, the work required to port a multithreaded and/or multicontexted application is substantial.