class Concurrent::TimerTask

A very common concurrency pattern is to run a thread that performs a task at regular intervals. The thread that performs the task sleeps for the given interval then wakes up and performs the task. Lather, rinse, repeat… This pattern causes two problems. First, it is difficult to test the business logic of the task because the task itself is tightly coupled with the concurrency logic. Second, an exception raised while performing the task can cause the entire thread to abend. In a long-running application where the task thread is intended to run for days/weeks/years a crashed task thread can pose a significant problem. `TimerTask` alleviates both problems.

When a `TimerTask` is launched it starts a thread for monitoring the execution interval. The `TimerTask` thread does not perform the task, however. Instead, the TimerTask launches the task on a separate thread. Should the task experience an unrecoverable crash only the task thread will crash. This makes the `TimerTask` very fault tolerant. Additionally, the `TimerTask` thread can respond to the success or failure of the task, performing logging or ancillary operations. `TimerTask` can also be configured with a timeout value allowing it to kill a task that runs too long.

One other advantage of `TimerTask` is that it forces the business logic to be completely decoupled from the concurrency logic. The business logic can be tested separately then passed to the `TimerTask` for scheduling and running.

In some cases it may be necessary for a `TimerTask` to affect its own execution cycle. To facilitate this, a reference to the TimerTask instance is passed as an argument to the provided block every time the task is executed.

The `TimerTask` class includes the `Dereferenceable` mixin module so the result of the last execution is always available via the `#value` method. Dereferencing options can be passed to the `TimerTask` during construction or at any later time using the `#set_deref_options` method.

`TimerTask` supports notification through the Ruby standard library {ruby-doc.org/stdlib-2.0/libdoc/observer/rdoc/Observable.html Observable} module. On execution the `TimerTask` will notify the observers with three arguments: time of execution, the result of the block (or nil on failure), and any raised exceptions (or nil on success). If the timeout interval is exceeded the observer will receive a `Concurrent::TimeoutError` object as the third argument.

@!macro copy_options

@example Basic usage

task = Concurrent::TimerTask.new{ puts 'Boom!' }
task.execute

task.execution_interval #=> 60 (default)
task.timeout_interval   #=> 30 (default)

# wait 60 seconds...
#=> 'Boom!'

task.shutdown #=> true

@example Configuring `:execution_interval` and `:timeout_interval`

task = Concurrent::TimerTask.new(execution_interval: 5, timeout_interval: 5) do
       puts 'Boom!'
     end

task.execution_interval #=> 5
task.timeout_interval   #=> 5

@example Immediate execution with `:run_now`

task = Concurrent::TimerTask.new(run_now: true){ puts 'Boom!' }
task.execute

#=> 'Boom!'

@example Last `#value` and `Dereferenceable` mixin

task = Concurrent::TimerTask.new(
  dup_on_deref: true,
  execution_interval: 5
){ Time.now }

task.execute
Time.now   #=> 2013-11-07 18:06:50 -0500
sleep(10)
task.value #=> 2013-11-07 18:06:55 -0500

@example Controlling execution from within the block

timer_task = Concurrent::TimerTask.new(execution_interval: 1) do |task|
  task.execution_interval.times{ print 'Boom! ' }
  print "\n"
  task.execution_interval += 1
  if task.execution_interval > 5
    puts 'Stopping...'
    task.shutdown
  end
end

timer_task.execute # blocking call - this task will stop itself
#=> Boom!
#=> Boom! Boom!
#=> Boom! Boom! Boom!
#=> Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
#=> Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
#=> Stopping...

@example Observation

class TaskObserver
  def update(time, result, ex)
    if result
      print "(#{time}) Execution successfully returned #{result}\n"
    elsif ex.is_a?(Concurrent::TimeoutError)
      print "(#{time}) Execution timed out\n"
    else
      print "(#{time}) Execution failed with error #{ex}\n"
    end
  end
end

task = Concurrent::TimerTask.new(execution_interval: 1, timeout_interval: 1){ 42 }
task.add_observer(TaskObserver.new)
task.execute

#=> (2013-10-13 19:08:58 -0400) Execution successfully returned 42
#=> (2013-10-13 19:08:59 -0400) Execution successfully returned 42
#=> (2013-10-13 19:09:00 -0400) Execution successfully returned 42
task.shutdown

task = Concurrent::TimerTask.new(execution_interval: 1, timeout_interval: 1){ sleep }
task.add_observer(TaskObserver.new)
task.execute

#=> (2013-10-13 19:07:25 -0400) Execution timed out
#=> (2013-10-13 19:07:27 -0400) Execution timed out
#=> (2013-10-13 19:07:29 -0400) Execution timed out
task.shutdown

task = Concurrent::TimerTask.new(execution_interval: 1){ raise StandardError }
task.add_observer(TaskObserver.new)
task.execute

#=> (2013-10-13 19:09:37 -0400) Execution failed with error StandardError
#=> (2013-10-13 19:09:38 -0400) Execution failed with error StandardError
#=> (2013-10-13 19:09:39 -0400) Execution failed with error StandardError
task.shutdown

@see ruby-doc.org/stdlib-2.0/libdoc/observer/rdoc/Observable.html @see docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/util/TimerTask.html

Constants

EXECUTION_INTERVAL

Default `:execution_interval` in seconds.

TIMEOUT_INTERVAL

Default `:timeout_interval` in seconds.

Public Class Methods

execute(opts = {}, &task) click to toggle source

Create and execute a new `TimerTask`.

@!macro timer_task_initialize

@example

task = Concurrent::TimerTask.execute(execution_interval: 10){ print "Hello World\n" }
task.running? #=> true
# File lib/concurrent/timer_task.rb, line 231
def self.execute(opts = {}, &task)
  TimerTask.new(opts, &task).execute
end
new(opts = {}, &task) click to toggle source

Create a new TimerTask with the given task and configuration.

@!macro [attach] timer_task_initialize

@param [Hash] opts the options defining task execution.
@option opts [Integer] :execution_interval number of seconds between
  task executions (default: EXECUTION_INTERVAL)
@option opts [Integer] :timeout_interval number of seconds a task can
  run before it is considered to have failed (default: TIMEOUT_INTERVAL)
@option opts [Boolean] :run_now Whether to run the task immediately
  upon instantiation or to wait until the first #  execution_interval
  has passed (default: false)

@!macro deref_options

@raise ArgumentError when no block is given.

@yield to the block after :execution_interval seconds have passed since
  the last yield
@yieldparam task a reference to the `TimerTask` instance so that the
  block can control its own lifecycle. Necessary since `self` will
  refer to the execution context of the block rather than the running
  `TimerTask`.

@return [TimerTask] the new `TimerTask`
Calls superclass method Concurrent::RubyExecutorService.new
# File lib/concurrent/timer_task.rb, line 189
def initialize(opts = {}, &task)
  raise ArgumentError.new('no block given') unless block_given?
  super
end

Public Instance Methods

execute() click to toggle source

Execute a previously created `TimerTask`.

@return [TimerTask] a reference to `self`

@example Instance and execute in separate steps

task = Concurrent::TimerTask.new(execution_interval: 10){ print "Hello World\n" }
task.running? #=> false
task.execute
task.running? #=> true

@example Instance and execute in one line

task = Concurrent::TimerTask.new(execution_interval: 10){ print "Hello World\n" }.execute
task.running? #=> true
# File lib/concurrent/timer_task.rb, line 214
def execute
  synchronize do
    if @running.false?
      @running.make_true
      schedule_next_task(@run_now ? 0 : @execution_interval)
    end
  end
  self
end
execution_interval() click to toggle source

@!attribute [rw] #execution_interval @return [Fixnum] Number of seconds after the task completes before the

task is performed again.
# File lib/concurrent/timer_task.rb, line 238
def execution_interval
  synchronize { @execution_interval }
end
execution_interval=(value) click to toggle source

@!attribute [rw] #execution_interval @return [Fixnum] Number of seconds after the task completes before the

task is performed again.
# File lib/concurrent/timer_task.rb, line 245
def execution_interval=(value)
  if (value = value.to_f) <= 0.0
    raise ArgumentError.new('must be greater than zero')
  else
    synchronize { @execution_interval = value }
  end
end
running?() click to toggle source

Is the executor running?

@return [Boolean] `true` when running, `false` when shutting down or shutdown

# File lib/concurrent/timer_task.rb, line 197
def running?
  @running.true?
end
timeout_interval() click to toggle source

@!attribute [rw] #timeout_interval @return [Fixnum] Number of seconds the task can run before it is

considered to have failed.
# File lib/concurrent/timer_task.rb, line 256
def timeout_interval
  synchronize { @timeout_interval }
end
timeout_interval=(value) click to toggle source

@!attribute [rw] #timeout_interval @return [Fixnum] Number of seconds the task can run before it is

considered to have failed.
# File lib/concurrent/timer_task.rb, line 263
def timeout_interval=(value)
  if (value = value.to_f) <= 0.0
    raise ArgumentError.new('must be greater than zero')
  else
    synchronize { @timeout_interval = value }
  end
end

Private Instance Methods

execute_task(completion) click to toggle source

@!visibility private

# File lib/concurrent/timer_task.rb, line 306
def execute_task(completion)
  return nil unless @running.true?
  ScheduledTask.execute(execution_interval, args: [completion], &method(:timeout_task))
  _success, value, reason = @executor.execute(self)
  if completion.try?
    self.value = value
    schedule_next_task
    time = Time.now
    observers.notify_observers do
      [time, self.value, reason]
    end
  end
  nil
end
ns_initialize(opts, &task) click to toggle source
# File lib/concurrent/timer_task.rb, line 275
def ns_initialize(opts, &task)
  set_deref_options(opts)

  self.execution_interval = opts[:execution] || opts[:execution_interval] || EXECUTION_INTERVAL
  self.timeout_interval = opts[:timeout] || opts[:timeout_interval] || TIMEOUT_INTERVAL
  @run_now = opts[:now] || opts[:run_now]
  @executor = Concurrent::SafeTaskExecutor.new(task)
  @running = Concurrent::AtomicBoolean.new(false)

  self.observers = Collection::CopyOnNotifyObserverSet.new
end
ns_kill_execution() click to toggle source

@!visibility private

# File lib/concurrent/timer_task.rb, line 294
def ns_kill_execution
  @running.make_false
  super
end
ns_shutdown_execution() click to toggle source

@!visibility private

# File lib/concurrent/timer_task.rb, line 288
def ns_shutdown_execution
  @running.make_false
  super
end
schedule_next_task(interval = execution_interval) click to toggle source

@!visibility private

# File lib/concurrent/timer_task.rb, line 300
def schedule_next_task(interval = execution_interval)
  ScheduledTask.execute(interval, args: [Concurrent::Event.new], &method(:execute_task))
  nil
end
timeout_task(completion) click to toggle source

@!visibility private

# File lib/concurrent/timer_task.rb, line 322
def timeout_task(completion)
  return unless @running.true?
  if completion.try?
    self.value = value
    schedule_next_task
    observers.notify_observers(Time.now, nil, Concurrent::TimeoutError.new)
  end
end