Question

I would like my web service to call a clean up routine every X hours, with no input from any user, or any call to “Start Clean up Services”. I understand I can call a method to start this service, but I want no user interaction at all. I want to publish this service, and it automatically starts, and runs my clean up process every X hours.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

You can setup a timer in the Global.asax.cs file that’ll go off every X hours, or you could also create a scheduled tasks that goes off every X hours as well to trigger the clean up service.

If you do not have a Global file in the project you can simply add one by adding one to the project. To do this right-click on the project -> Add -> New Item, and then in the dialog that pops up in select Global Application Class and hit Add. Then inside the Application_Start event you can initialize your timer to perform the action.

public class Global : System.Web.HttpApplication
{
    private static System.Threading.Timer timer;

    protected void Application_Start(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        var howLongTillTimerFirstGoesInMilliseconds = 1000;
        var intervalBetweenTimerEventsInMilliseconds = 2000;
        Global.timer = new Timer(
            (s) => SomeFunc(),
            null, // if you need to provide state to the function specify it here
            howLongTillTimerFirstGoesInMilliseconds,
            intervalBetweenTimerEventsInMilliseconds
        );
    }

    private void SomeFunc()
    {
        // reoccurring task code
    }

    protected void Application_End(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        if(Global.timer != null)
            Global.timer.Dispose();
    }
}

For more information on the Global file you may want to refer to MSDN