create a queue of process in classic asp - asp-classic

here is the problem :
there is classic asp app which is calling lame.exe for encoding mp3s for lots of time per day
and there is no control of the way of calling lame.exe from several users in another word there is no queue for that purpose.
so here is what I am thinking about :
//below code all are pseudo-code
//process_flag and mp3 and processId all are reside in a database
function addQ(string mp3)
add a record to database
and set process_flag to undone
then goto checkQ
end function
function checkQ()
if there is a process in queue list and process_flag is undone
sort in by processID asc
for each processID
processQ(processID)
end for
end function
function ProcessQ(int processID)
run lame.exe with the help of wscript.exe
after doing the job set the process_flag to done
end function
so I just want to know is there any better solution?
or any other approaches out there?
regards.

Looks like a reasonable approach for classic asp.
Just make sure that in your checkQ function, you are only retrieving queue items that have the process_flag set to undone, or you might be trying to re-process the same items over and over.
Read this article for another approach using MSMQ - it starts by creating a new Public Queue, then sending messages to it from your asp page. It also required an additional executable to process queued items.

This is a perfect application for MSMQ. Let proven code handle the reliable messaging, concurrency control etc. so you can just focus on the application logic.

Related

MDriven ECO_ID duplicates

We appear to have a problem with MDriven generating the same ECO_ID for multiple objects. For the most part it seems to happen in conjunction with unexpected process shutdowns and/or server shutdowns, but it does also happen during normal activity.
Our system consists of one ASP.NET application and one WinForms application. The ASP.NET app is setup in IIS to use a single worker process. We have a mixture of WebForms and MVC, including ApiControllers. We're using a rather old version of the ECO packages: 7.0.0.10021. We're on VS 2017, target framework is 4.7.1.
We have it configured to use 64 bit integers for object id:s. Database is Firebird. SQL configuration is set to use ReadCommitted transaction isolation.
As far as I can tell we have configured EcoSpaceStrategyHandler with EcoSpaceStrategyHandler.SessionStateMode.Never, which should mean that EcoSpaces are not reused at all, right? (Why would I even use EcoSpaceStrategyHandler in this case, instead of just creating EcoSpace normally with the new keyword?)
We have created MasterController : Controller and MasterApiController : ApiController classes that we use for all our controllers. These have a EcoSpace property that simply does this:
if (ecoSpace == null)
{
if (ecoSpaceStrategyHandler == null)
ecoSpaceStrategyHandler = new EcoSpaceStrategyHandler(
EcoSpaceStrategyHandler.SessionStateMode.Never,
typeof(DiamondsEcoSpace),
null,
false
);
ecoSpace = (DiamondsEcoSpace)ecoSpaceStrategyHandler.GetEcoSpace();
}
return ecoSpace;
I.e. if no strategy handler has been created, create one specifying no pooling and no session state persisting of eco spaces. Then, if no ecospace has been fetched, fetch one from the strategy handler. Return the ecospace. Is this an acceptable approach? Why would it be better than simply doing this:
if (ecoSpace = null)
ecoSpace = new DiamondsEcoSpace();
return ecoSpace;
In aspx we have a master page that has an EcoSpaceManager. It has been configured to use a pool but SessionStateMode is Never. It has EnableViewState set to true. Is this acceptable? Does it mean that EcoSpaces will be pooled but inactivated between round trips?
It is possible that we receive multiple incoming API calls in tight succession, so that one API call hasn't been completed before the next one comes in. I assume that this means that multiple instances of MasterApiController can execute simultaneously but in separate threads. There may of course also be MasterController instances executing MVC requests and also the WinForms app may be running some batch job or other.
But as far as I understand id reservation is made at the beginning of any UpdateDatabase call, in this way:
update "ECO_ID" set "BOLD_ID" = "BOLD_ID" + :N;
select "BOLD_ID" from "ECO_ID";
If the returned value is K, this will reserve N new id:s ranging from K - N to K - 1. Using ReadCommitted transactions everywhere should ensure that the update locks the id data row, forcing any concurrent save operations to wait, then fetches the update result without interference from other transactions, then commits. At that point any other pending save operation can proceed with its own id reservation. I fail to see how this could result in the same ID being used for multiple objects.
I should note that it does seem like it sometimes produces id duplicates within one single UpdateDatabase, i.e. when saving a set of new related objects, some of them end up with the same id. I haven't really confirmed this though.
Any ideas what might be going on here? What should I look for?
The issue is most likely that you use ReadCommitted isolation.
This allows for 2 systems to simultaneously start a transaction, read the current value, increase the batch, and then save after each other.
You must use Serializable isolation for key generation; ie only read things not currently in a write operation.
MDriven use 2 settings for isolation level UpdateIsolationLevel and FetchIsolationLevel.
Set your UpdateIsolationLevel to Serializable

How do you get code to execute at the end of a procedure?

I'm working on a new piece of code at work to assist the rest of the programmers in making app server calls. Previously we just had a .i file and relied on the developer to make sure you made all the right calls and cleaned up the app server connection at the end of the program. Obviously some people have forgotten to do that in the past and it's caused problems for us.
I've been building a basic appserver.cls file, but I can't figure out how to get it to disconnect at the end of the program.
I've tried the following things so far.
ON CLOSE OF THIS-PROCEDURE
DO:
clAppServer:cleanupAppServer().
END.
This doesn't seem to fire at the end of the webspeed call.
DESTRUCTOR appserver():
cleanupAppServer().
END DESTRUCTOR.
This works when it does garbage collection, but Progress doesn't seem to do garbage collection at the end of a webspeed call and the objects are still in memory (which is an entirely different issue that I need to deal with).
ON CLOSE OF SESSION:LAST-PROCEDURE
DO:
clAppServer:cleanupAppServer().
END.
This doesn't even compile obviously.
I've tried a whole bunch of other things that are variants on these three to no avail.
Is there any way to do what I'm asking? Bonus points if it can be inside the appserver.cls file.
If I understand the question, you want to disconnect from another AppServer once the work is done. Would try something along the lines of the below work?
Create a AppServer-handle-wrapper class. This class is responsible for the A/S connection; it has a public "Handle" (or similarly-named) property that you can use to run stuff on the AppServer.
In this class' destructor you can add code that does your clean-up : disconnect and delete server handle .
Code that wants to run something on the AppServer does something like ...
def var asConn as AppServerConnection.
asConn = new AppServerConnection().
run foo.p on asConn:Handle (param1, out param2).
// cause GC
asConn = ?.
// manually destroy
delete object asConn.
The destructor will then do the right thing.
Note that if you have this code in an internal procedure or method, then the variable would go out of scope at the end of it, and the GC would kick in.
There's an example of this approach at https://github.com/consultingwerk/ADE-Sourcecode/blob/566ac0a6e085d6305a8f364f13a1d805d3597d2a/src/netlib/OpenEdge/Net/ServerConnection/ClientSocket.cls
Bear in mind that in the ClientSocket is that the handle is private - you may want to make it public for a general AppServer connection.

PL/SQL wait for update in Oracle

How do I create PL/SQL function which waits for update on some row for specified timeout and then returns.
What I want to accomplish is - I have long running process which will update it's status to ASYNC_PROCESS table by process_id. I need function which returns with true/false when this process has completed, but also I need this function to wait some time for this process complete, return on timeout or return imediately with true, when process has completed. I don't want to use sleep(1 sec), because in such case I will be having 1 sec lag. I don't want to use sleep(1 msec), because in such case I am spending cpu resources (and 1msec lag).
Is there a good way how experienced programmer would accomplish this?
That function will be called from .NET (So I need minimal lag between DB operation and .NET/UI)
THNX,
Beef
I think the most sensible thing to do in this case is to use update triggers on that ASYNC_PROCESS table.
You should also look into the DBMS_ALERT package. Here's an edited excerpt from that doc:
Create an alert:
DBMS_ALERT.REGISTER('emp_table_alert');
Create a trigger on your table to fire the alert:
CREATE TRIGGER emptrig AFTER INSERT ON emp
BEGIN
DBMS_ALERT.SIGNAL('emp_table_alert', 'message_text');
END;
From your .net code, you can the use something that calls this:
DBMS_ALERT.WAITONE('emp_table_alert', :message, :status, :timeout);
Make sure you read the docs for what :status and :timeout do.
You should look at Oracle Advanced Queuing. It offers the kind of functions your looking for.
You'll probably need a separate queue table where a trigger on ASYNC_PROCESS inserts messages. You then use the AQ functions to retrieve (or wait for) the next message in the queue table.
If you're doing this in C#.NET, why wouldn't you simply spawn a worker thread to do the update (via ODAC)? Why hand the responsibility over to Oracle when (it seems) you want a .NET process to make the update call (in background) and have the main process be notified of its completion.
See here and here for examples, although there are several approaches in .NET for this (delegates, events, async callbacks, thread pools, etc)

Make a final call to the Database when user leaves website (ASPX)?

I have a system set up to lock certain content in a database table so only one user can edit that content at a time. Easy enough and that part is working fine. But now I'm at a road block of how to send a request to "unlock" the content. I have the stored procedure to unlock the content, but how/where would I call it when the user just closes their browser?
You also can't know when the user turns off his computer. You have to do it the other way around.
Require that the lock be renewed periodically. Only the web site would do the periodic renewal. If the user stops using the web site, then the lock expires.
Otherwise, require the user to explicitly unlock the content. Other users who want to edit the content can then go yell at the first user when they can't do their jobs. Not a technological solution, but still a good one. Shame works.
The best thing you can really do is add something to your Session_End in your global.asax. Unfortunately, this won't fire until the session times out.
When the user clicks the "X" in their browser, there isn't anyway to guarantee the browser will send you anything back.
A quick note on the Session_End approaches. If you use this method, then you have to ensure
That sessionstate is InProc, eg. add something like this to your Web.config
<sessionState mode="InProc" timeout="timeout_in_minutes"/>
Make sure that you've setup IIS as to not recycle worker processes during normal operation (see for instance this blog post).
Edit:
Not directly answering the question directly, but another approach would be to use Optimistic concurrency control on the data in question.
There is such event as "user closes browser".
Nevertheless, I can think of two workarounds:
Use Javascript/Ajax to permanently
(lets say every 10 seconds) call a
method in your page. The DateTime of
your last query needs to be stored
somewhere. Now you write a windows
service that checks every second
which session are timed out. Perform
your custom action there.
Use the global.asax Session_End()
-Event. (cannot be used with every SessionState, look up for which ones
it is usable)
Trying to leave a stackoverflow answer page pops up an "are you sure" dialog. Perhaps during the on-page-leave event that SO uses (or however SO does this), you can send a final request with an XmlHttpRequest object. This won't cover if the browser process closes unexpectedly (use session_onend for that), but it will at least send the "I'm closed" event earlier
I think your one stored procedure can do the locking and unlocking (used with "Select #strNewMax As NewMax")...
Here is an example from a system I have:
Declare #strNewMax Char
Select #strNewMax = 'N'
BEGIN TRANSACTION
/* Lock only the rows for this Item ID, and hold those locks throughout the transaction. */
If #BidAmount > (Select Max(AB_Bid_AMT) from AuctionBid With(updlock, holdlock) Where AB_AI_ID = #AuctionItemId)
Begin
Insert Into AuctionBid (AB_AI_ID, AB_Bid_AMT, AB_Emp_ID, AB_Entry_DTM)
Select #AuctionItemId, #BidAmount, #EmployeeId, GetDate()
Select #strNewMax = 'Y'
End
COMMIT TRANSACTION
Select #strNewMax As NewMax
This will insert a record as the next highest bid, all while locking the entire table, so no other bids are processed at the same time. It will return either a 'Y' or 'N' depending on if it worked or not.
Maybe you can take this and adjust it to fit your application.

Need suggestion for ASP.Net in-memory queue

I've a requirement of creating a HttpHandler that will serve an image file (simple static file) and also it'll insert a record in the SQL Server table. (e.g http://site/some.img, where some.img being a HttpHandler) I need an in-memory object (like Generic List object) that I can add items to on each request (I also have to consider a few hundreds or thousands requests per second) and I should be able unload this in-memory object to sql table using SqlBulkCopy.
List --> DataTable --> SqlBulkCopy
I thought of using the Cache object. Create a Generic List object and save it in the HttpContext.Cache and insert every time a new Item to it. This will NOT work as the CacheItemRemovedCallback would fire right away when the HttpHandler tries to add a new item. I can't use Cache object as in-memory queue.
Anybody can suggest anything? Would I be able to scale in the future if the load is more?
Why would CacheItemRemovedCalledback fire when you ADD something to the queue? That doesn't make sense to me... Even if that does fire, there's no requirement to do anything here. Perhaps I am misunderstanding your requirements?
I have quite successfully used the Cache object in precisely this manner. That is what it's designed for and it scales pretty well. I stored a Hashtable which was accessed on every app page request and updated/cleared as needed.
Option two... do you really need the queue? SQL Server will scale pretty well also if you just want to write directly into the DB. Use a shared connection object and/or connection pooling.
How about just using the Generic List to store requests and using different thread to do the SqlBulkCopy?
This way storing requests in the list won't block the response for too long, and background thread will be able to update the Sql on it's own time, each 5 min so.
you can even base the background thread on the Cache mechanism by performing the work on CacheItemRemovedCallback.
Just insert some object with remove time of 5 min and reinsert it at the end of the processing work.
Thanks Alex & Bryan for your suggestions.
Bryan: When I try to replace the List object in the Cache for the second request (now, count should be 2), the CacheItemRemovedCalledback gets fire as I'm replacing the current Cache object with the new one. Initially, I also thought this is weird behavior so I gotta look deeper into it.
Also, for the second suggestion, I will try to insert record (with the Cached SqlConnection object) and see what performance I get when I do the stress test. I doubt I'll be getting fantastic numbers as it's I/O operation.
I'll keep digging on my side for an optimal solution meanwhile with your suggestions.
You can create a conditional requirement within the callback to ensure you are working on a cache entry that has been hit from an expiration instead of a remove/replace (in VB since I had it handy):
Private Shared Sub CacheRemovalCallbackFunction(ByVal cacheKey As String, ByVal cacheObject As Object, ByVal removalReason As Web.Caching.CacheItemRemovedReason)
Select Case removalReason
Case Web.Caching.CacheItemRemovedReason.Expired, Web.Caching.CacheItemRemovedReason.DependencyChanged, Web.Caching.CacheItemRemovedReason.Underused
' By leaving off Web.Caching.CacheItemRemovedReason.Removed, this will exclude items that are replaced or removed explicitly (Cache.Remove) '
End Select
End Sub
Edit Here it is in C# if you need it:
private static void CacheRemovalCallbackFunction(string cacheKey, object cacheObject, System.Web.Caching.CacheItemRemovedReason removalReason)
{
switch(removalReason)
{
case System.Web.Caching.CacheItemRemovedReason.DependencyChanged:
case System.Web.Caching.CacheItemRemovedReason.Expired:
case System.Web.Caching.CacheItemRemovedReason.Underused:
// This excludes the option System.Web.Caching.CacheItemRemovedReason.Removed, which is triggered when you overwrite a cache item or remove it explicitly (e.g., HttpRuntime.Cache.Remove(key))
break;
}
}
To expand on my previous comment... I get the picture you are thinking about the cache incorrectly. If you have an object stored in the Cache, say a Hashtable, any update/storage into that Hashtable will be persisted without you explicitly modifying the contents of the Cache. You only need to add the Hashtable to the Cache once, either at application startup or on the first request.
If you are worried about the bulkcopy and page request updates happening simultaneously, then I suggest you simple have TWO cached lists. Have one be the list which is updated as page requests come in, and one list for the bulk copy operation. When one bulk copy is finished, swap the lists and repeat. This is similar to double-buffering video RAM for video games or video apps.

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