Background Process

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October 29th, 2012, 05:37 PM

teeheiman

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Join Date: Mar 2006

Posts: 9

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Background Process

Hi, im writing a script that does a lot of image resizing and capturing a few photos from video.

I am using a background process to run the script.

My question is, the script at sometimes may run for 12-24 hours at a time.

Will the script time out if its ran to long? or do background process's run for ever?

Heres how I start it.

PHP Code:


		
			
function backgroundProcess($Command, $log)

{

    global $basepath;

    if(is_writable($basepath . '/admin/logs/'.$log)) {

        

        $PID = shell_exec("nohup $Command > logs/".$log." & echo $!");

        return($PID);

    } else {

        return("Log file not writable! Cannot start background process! Please chmod 777 or delete /scripts/$log");

    }

}



if($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == "POST")  {

        $query = mysql_query("select running from status");

        $row = mysql_fetch_array($query);

        if ($row['running'] == 0) {

            $pid = backgroundProcess("$php_path $basepath/admin/process-cron.php","process.txt");

            $msg = "<p>The process is now running $pid</p>"; 

            } else {

            $error = "<p>The processor is already running.</p>"; 

        }



}

Thanks
-Billy

October 30th, 2012, 10:28 PM

E-Oreo

Lost in code

Join Date: Dec 2004

Posts: 7,939

Folding Points: 945 Folding Title: Novice Folder

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It should run indefinitely.

__________________
PHP FAQ
How to program a basic, secure login system using PHP

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spad

Ah USB, the only rectangular connector where you have to make 3 attempts before you get it the right way around

October 31st, 2012, 12:33 PM

henryc07

Registered User

Join Date: Oct 2012

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You could setup a cron job? If not, and it must be called within PHP i have once emulated it in a cross platform way without having access to exec() etc by using curl (believe it or not).

Create the .php script and make it public, and add this to the top:

if (isset($_POST['key']) == false || $_POST['key'] != 'your secret key') {
die(); //request not allowed
}

then from the other PHP file, create a secure (https) curl connection and POST the secret key to it, set a timeout on curl of say 5 seconds (you can also send a http close connection header from the request page) so that the calling script wont freeze if the request takes to long to complete, in your case 30 seconds.

This will do the follow: 1. curl will access the page securely (stops just anyway accessing it in their browser) 2. curl will wait 5 seconds, then close the connection (but BOTH your php scripts will carry on)

It's also compatible regardless of OS internals, shells, etc. You can also tweak the timeouts etc as u see fit.

Not a brilliant solution but hope it works well enough for you.

November 1st, 2012, 01:47 PM

teeheiman

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Join Date: Mar 2006

Posts: 9

Time spent in forums: 1 h 22 m 2 sec
Reputation Power: 0

Awesome thanks for the help guys! I use to use the ASP forums here a lot, I was hoping all my rep would still be here. Oh well

Thanks again!

Background Process

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