PHP Multi-threading

[George Maicovschi]

As multi-threading is not built in PHP I've been using a hack letting
the Apache server handle the multi-threading issues, but I'm really
curious of other approaches to this issue.

If anyone has any ideas I'd be more than glad to hear them up and
discuss them.

[Erwin Moller]

George Maicovschi schreef:

As multi-threading is not built in PHP I've been using a hack letting
the Apache server handle the multi-threading issues, but I'm really
curious of other approaches to this issue.

If anyone has any ideas I'd be more than glad to hear them up and
discuss them.

Hi George,

I take it you are working on Apache2?
Well, as far as I understood PHP isn't threadsafe (yet).
Not to mention all the additional packages (for DB access eg).

I wouldn't go for such an approach in any productionenvironment.

The following articles might shed some light on the issues:

http://certcities.com/editorial/colu...itorialsID=102
http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/dont-b...read-safe-yet/

Unless you have some compelling reason to use a threaded webserver, I
think, for now, the best option is fastcgi, if performance is an issue.

If you are just experimenting, consider this message not sent. ;-)

Regards,
Erwin Moller

[George Maicovschi]

Hey Erwin,

It's just an experiment of mine, nothing production-related... YET :-)

The thing goes like this. I have a script that's supposed to do an
action on lets say 100 different hosts in the same time. So I need
multi-threading ar a way to emulate it. My approach was this:

$threads=array();
$responses=array();
foreach ($hosts as $host)
$threads=fopen('http://domain.with.the.script/path/to/script/
script.php?op=action&host={$host}','r');

foreach ($threads as $thread_id=>$thread)
if ($thread)
{
$responses[$thread_id]=''
while (!feof($thread))
$response[$thread_id].=fgets($thread);
fclose($thread);
}

So now the threading part is emulated through Apache, making
concurrent requests to the script.php that contains the actions to be
undertaken and specifying the host that I want to be the target of the
actions.

Basically that's my approach to multi-threading emulation in PHP.

So...any suggestions/ideas/anything? :-)

I am really curious about other approaches because this multi-
threading thing in PHP seems rather disturbing because of it's
absence. :-)

Cheers,
George Maicovschi.

[Jerry Stuckle]

George Maicovschi wrote:

Hey Erwin,

It's just an experiment of mine, nothing production-related... YET :-)

The thing goes like this. I have a script that's supposed to do an
action on lets say 100 different hosts in the same time. So I need
multi-threading ar a way to emulate it. My approach was this:

$threads=array();
$responses=array();
foreach ($hosts as $host)
$threads=fopen('http://domain.with.the.script/path/to/script/
script.php?op=action&host={$host}','r');

foreach ($threads as $thread_id=>$thread)
if ($thread)
{
$responses[$thread_id]=''
while (!feof($thread))
$response[$thread_id].=fgets($thread);
fclose($thread);
}

So now the threading part is emulated through Apache, making
concurrent requests to the script.php that contains the actions to be
undertaken and specifying the host that I want to be the target of the
actions.

Basically that's my approach to multi-threading emulation in PHP.

So...any suggestions/ideas/anything? :-)

I am really curious about other approaches because this multi-
threading thing in PHP seems rather disturbing because of it's
absence. :-)

Cheers,
George Maicovschi.

Where are you creating new threads?

I agree with Erwin - if you need to use threads, PHP isn't a good way to
go. If you really need this and it's has to be in PHP, I'd look at
spawning multiple processes off and do the work in batch mode, perhaps
saving the results in a database.

But personally I'd be looking at another language such as Java or C/C++
which has good thread support.

--
==================
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry Stuckle
JDS Computer Training Corp.
js*******@attglobal.net
==================

[George Maicovschi]

On Mar 31, 5:45 pm, Jerry Stuckle <[e-mail]:

George Maicovschi wrote:

Hey Erwin,

It's just an experiment of mine, nothing production-related... YET :-)

The thing goes like this. I have a script that's supposed to do an
action on lets say 100 different hosts in the same time. So I need
multi-threading ar a way to emulate it. My approach was this:

$threads=array();
$responses=array();
foreach ($hosts as $host)
$threads=fopen('http://domain.with.the.script/path/to/script/
script.php?op=action&host={$host}','r');

foreach ($threads as $thread_id=>$thread)
if ($thread)
{
$responses[$thread_id]=''
while (!feof($thread))
$response[$thread_id].=fgets($thread);
fclose($thread);
}

So now the threading part is emulated through Apache, making
concurrent requests to the script.php that contains the actions to be
undertaken and specifying the host that I want to be the target of the
actions.

Basically that's my approach to multi-threading emulation in PHP.

So...any suggestions/ideas/anything? :-)

I am really curious about other approaches because this multi-
threading thing in PHP seems rather disturbing because of it's
absence. :-)

Cheers,
George Maicovschi.

Where are you creating new threads?

I agree with Erwin - if you need to use threads, PHP isn't a good way to
go. If you really need this and it's has to be in PHP, I'd look at
spawning multiple processes off and do the work in batch mode, perhaps
saving the results in a database.

But personally I'd be looking at another language such as Java or C/C++
which has good thread support.

--
==================
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry Stuckle
JDS Computer Training Corp.
[e-mail]
==================

Yeah, I would go the C way myself, but it has to be PHP...

[Jerry Stuckle]

George Maicovschi wrote:

On Mar 31, 5:45 pm, Jerry Stuckle <[e-mail]:

>George Maicovschi wrote:

>>Hey Erwin,
It's just an experiment of mine, nothing production-related... YET :-)
The thing goes like this. I have a script that's supposed to do an
action on lets say 100 different hosts in the same time. So I need
multi-threading ar a way to emulate it. My approach was this:
$threads=array();
$responses=array();
foreach ($hosts as $host)
$threads=fopen('http://domain.with.the.script/path/to/script/
script.php?op=action&host={$host}','r');
foreach ($threads as $thread_id=>$thread)
if ($thread)
{
$responses[$thread_id]=''
while (!feof($thread))
$response[$thread_id].=fgets($thread);
fclose($thread);
}
So now the threading part is emulated through Apache, making
concurrent requests to the script.php that contains the actions to be
undertaken and specifying the host that I want to be the target of the
actions.
Basically that's my approach to multi-threading emulation in PHP.
So...any suggestions/ideas/anything? :-)
I am really curious about other approaches because this multi-
threading thing in PHP seems rather disturbing because of it's
absence. :-)
Cheers,
George Maicovschi.

Where are you creating new threads?

I agree with Erwin - if you need to use threads, PHP isn't a good way to
go. If you really need this and it's has to be in PHP, I'd look at
spawning multiple processes off and do the work in batch mode, perhaps
saving the results in a database.

But personally I'd be looking at another language such as Java or C/C++
which has good thread support.

--
==================
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry Stuckle
JDS Computer Training Corp.
[e-mail]
==================

Yeah, I would go the C way myself, but it has to be PHP...

That's a shame because you're trying to use a hammer when you need a
screwdriver.

There really is no *good* way to do it in PHP. About the only way
you're going to be able to do it is like I suggested above - spawn off
multiple processes to do the work and collect the results in a database
or similar.

--
==================
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry Stuckle
JDS Computer Training Corp.
js*******@attglobal.net
==================