Hey, I have to update DataBase every 30 second with information I get from the API, what is the best way to run some code infinitely every 30 second?
First option is using crontab if you're on a unix system. The drawback is that a brand new script will be executed every 30 seconds, and if one takes longer than 30seconds, they can overlap.
The other option is using a periodic timer from event loops . That way you have more control over the repeating task.
Crontab is specifically built for this - so absolutely use it.
I have cron tasks that occasionally take longer than their period. To combat this I create a lock file when the task starts, and delete it when it ends. If the file already exists when the task starts, then a previous iteration is still running, and the task just ends.
Well, back in the day when I had to use shared hosts w/o access to crontab but with PHP CLI access, I'd built a program with infinitive loop which will tick on a given time period and execute something.
But of course - crontab is the way to go unless you have some crazy heavy operation to carry - in this case 30 secs might overlap and kill your DB eventually as others here already pointed out.
thanks guys, I test phalcon CLI too as you mention, for now I will use CronTab, but any better solotion I am looking for