

Google App Engine gets Cron - jessep
http://code.google.com/appengine/docs/python/config/cron.html

======
jye
"A cron job will invoke a URL at a given time of day. A URL invoked by cron is
subject to the same limits and quotas as a normal HTTP request, including the
request time limit."

So you can't do cron tasks which last more than 30 seconds. Too bad.

I'm looking foward to "Offline processing on App Engine: a look ahead"
presentation during the Google I/O (<http://code.google.com/intl/en-
US/events/io/sessions.html>).

~~~
jaxn
I have a cron job set to run once a minute (which I am impressed they allow).

Also, I am currently using the remote-api to create tasks that I run on my
laptop or another server. I imagine the offline processing is pretty similar.

------
mshafrir
Cron job-like functionality could previously be implemented on GAE through a
hack. Further reading:

[http://groups.google.com/group/httpmr-
discuss/browse_thread/...](http://groups.google.com/group/httpmr-
discuss/browse_thread/thread/1648611a54c01aa)

<http://code.google.com/p/gaeutilities/wiki/Cron>

<http://schedulerservice.appspot.com/>

~~~
gr366
Nevertheless, it's encouraging to see Google officially support what many
consider an essential tool in running modern web applications. It's also
helpful to have cron integrated with the GAE dashboard, so I can see
everything scheduled to run and the result of the last run.

The release came at the perfect time for me, the day after I launched an app
that requires regular update tasks to run in the background. It was a boon to
simply add a yaml file to my app and not have to hack the functionality in.

------
marram
We've implemented cron on GAE by using silent ajax calls from clients to kick
start things. Works pretty well ... as long as at least one page is open in a
browser somewhere.

~~~
smokey_the_bear
I have a cron job running on my workstation that curls my app engine. Does
about the same thing as this.

