Question

How to limit a script or program execution time using bash or sh

Asked by: flob9

Hello,

I have some scripts running on a debian server, called by various cronjobs, wich call php scripts.

Sometimes the php scripts are stucked for some hours, and I need to avoid it.

I already use the trap mechanism to avoid overlapping of the scripts, but in the cases of previous cron beeing stucked, nothing is working anymore.

I attach the code of the bash script. Cannot give you the php scripts, wich is very huge and access mysql database, lucene/solr engine, and files.

The ideal solution could be to stop the execution of the php if the time exceed the delay param.
I know I could kill the previous cron if i find the lockfile, but this seems bad practice.

Any help appreciated.

#!/bin/bash
 
#param delay in minutes, can be 15,30,60,120,240 ... determines the duration and id of the script
# cron 15 can overlap cron 30, but not another cron 15
DELAY=$1
 
 
LOCKFILE=/tmp/cronfeed_${DELAY}.lock
 
[ -f $LOCKFILE ] && exit 0
 
trap "{ rm -f $LOCKFILE ; exit 255; }" EXIT SIGINT SIGTERM
 
touch $LOCKFILE
 
pushd /path/to/the/scripts > /dev/null
 
/usr/bin/php -f cron_feed.php $DELAY 2>&1 >> /var/log/cronf${DELAY}.log
 
popd > /dev/null
 
exit 0

                                  
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Asked On
2009-08-10 at 10:42:23ID24640708
Tags

linux

,

scripting

,

php

,

trap

Topics

Linux Programming

,

Bourne-Again Shell (bash)

,

PHP Scripting Language

Participating Experts
1
Points
500
Comments
9

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Answers

 

by: yodercmPosted on 2009-08-10 at 11:07:46ID: 25062374

set_time_limit(360);

 

by: yodercmPosted on 2009-08-10 at 11:08:13ID: 25062382

 

by: flob9Posted on 2009-08-10 at 13:34:09ID: 25063794

I already use php time limit, but it seems to be *execution* time, not the whole time is running ... like when it's stuck waiting on a socket ..

 

by: flob9Posted on 2009-08-10 at 13:35:55ID: 25063811

Like explained in the documentation :

"Note: The set_time_limit() function and the configuration directive max_execution_time only affect the execution time of the script itself. Any time spent on activity that happens outside the execution of the script such as system calls using system(), stream operations, database queries, etc. is not included when determining the maximum time that the script has been running."

 

by: yodercmPosted on 2009-08-10 at 14:07:46ID: 25064081

Sorry, didn't totally understand.

The easiest way I can think of is to set a variable with the start time at the beginning of the script, and then check it in a loop that includes the rest of the script.

Something like this (in pseudocode):


<?php
$timelimit = 360;  //number of seconds to run
$starttime = time();  //current time at start
do
{

//rest of script

}
while  ( (time() - $starttime)  < $timelimit );  //stop when current time is $timelimit beyond start time
exit();
?>



 

by: flob9Posted on 2009-08-10 at 14:32:15ID: 25064266

I already have this in the php script; but when it gets stucked, it is on a socket call or other stuff regarding third party libraries, and the loop isn't looping anymore.

I can't find out all the socket calls in libraries and set a timeout, or whatever. That's why I really want something over php to handle this (in the linux bash script).

BTW thx for your help.

 

by: yodercmPosted on 2009-08-10 at 15:27:23ID: 25064687

OK, well that's the best I can offer, because I know nothing about the linux bash script.  Sorry I couldn't be more help.

Since no one else has joined in, you might want to delete this question and post it again.  

 

by: flob9Posted on 2009-08-10 at 15:39:37ID: 25064771

Ok, sorry to made loose your time, I added php zone since it was someway related ...

Thx anyway.

 

by: flob9Posted on 2009-08-10 at 15:41:47ID: 31613824

Thx

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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