Long-running background processes

[Ferron]

I’m using the Tumblr API PHP client and want to have it set up so that it grabs data from the API once every 24 hours and adds a record in a MySQL database. My question is, how would I go about doing a long-running process like that? I’ve looked into cron jobs but making it work through PHP seems kind of complicated. Is there any other alternative?

[__]

Cron jobs are way simple. There’s no need to start them through PHP (start them normally and have them call your php script).

Is this your own machine? a VPS? shared host? Do you have access to the terminal? Here’s the man page.

[Ferron]

Thanks for the link! I’m on a shared host right now and do have SSH access, but ideally I wouldn’t want manually set a cron job through the terminal. I’m trying to write a basic analytics script that would just display the number of followers so (at least I think) I should do that without touching the terminal but possibly not.

[__]

but ideally I wouldn’t want manually set a cron job through the terminal.

If it’s just because you’re worried about the terminal, you should know that it’s much easier. I’ve seen a few different examples of control panels that shared hosts provide for cron, and they were all horrible to use.* And that’s if your host even has one (check your host’s help pages).

* …but trying to set it up from inside a php script is even worse. use your host’s CP (if available) or the terminal.

[Ferron]

Yeah, I am getting comfortable working in the terminal but the reason I don’t want to do it manually is because I kind of want this to scale, with multiple users and everything, and have it add a process automatically on registration (if I can). Manually adding it is fine for me but with multiple users registering I don’t think it would be viable.

[__]

Sure. Talk to your host.

I kind of want this to scale, with multiple users and everything, and have it add a process automatically on registration (if I can)

If I’m understanding you correctly, this is probably the wrong approach. It wouldn’t be efficient, and I really don’t think a shared host would be happy with you adding dozens of cron jobs.

Start one job, and do {whatever you’re doing} for each user from that one script.

[Author]

Posts