How to allow thread to finish before next iteratation/check using a Timer object?

[Stubbulon5]

Hi there,

Im using a Timer with an interval of 1 min (60000 milliseconds) to start a thread in the Global.cs of my application. Everything works fine until the the thread job takes more than 1 min to complete. When the job takes longer that 1 min, the old (currently running) job never seems to get to completion.

Basically I only want to re-run the thread once its complete but using the Timer so I can potentially leave gaps inbetween each Thread jobcall.

ANY help would be appreciated!

I list the code in my Global.cs file below:

      protected void Application_Start(Object sender, EventArgs e) {
         System.Timers.Timer aTimer = new System.Timers.Timer();
         aTimer.Elapsed += new System.Timers.ElapsedEventHandler(OnPopulateDatabaseFromDynamicDataSource);
         aTimer.Interval = 60000; // Every min
         aTimer.Enabled = true;
      }



      
      private static void OnPopulateDatabaseFromDynamicDataSource(object source, System.Timers.ElapsedEventArgs e) {

         try {

            System.Threading.Thread objWorkerThread
               = new System.Threading.Thread(HelperClass.PopulateDBFromDynaDataSource);

            objWorkerThread.Name = "DynaPopulate";

            objWorkerThread.IsBackground =
               true;

            objWorkerThread.Start();
         }
         catch (Exception ex) {

            // Do nothing for now!!
         }

      }

[Christian Binder]

Hi!

Could you post some parts (you don't have to show the business-logic if you don't want to) of HelperClass.Pop ulateDBFromDyna DataSource-method?

The code you've provided looks quite well to me, so I think the problem could be in that method.
You could also do some debug-print on the beginning of PopulateDB...()-method to see if it's called every 60 seconds, independent if the last call was finished within this 60 seconds.

[tlhintoq]

Instead of hoping that the job completes in 1 minute, and basing everything on a timer...

What about raising and event when the processing is completed, then doing whatever it is you need to do next - even if it is to start the next job? That way if the job completes in 10 seconds you don't waste 50, and if it takes 2 minutes you don't bail out early.

[Stubbulon5]

Thanks both for your answers,

tlhintoq, thats for your answer. I think you have nailed it. Ill make the class Im calling raise an event and set a public boolean property 'finished' to true. Ill only run the thread again if 'finished' = true.

Nice one