Cron for Web 2.0

For TST, I run several processes each hour of the day and I use cron to do it. It's quite simple when you have linux box running 24/7. All you have to do is type "crontab -e" and enter a line like "01 * * * * /script_folder/script_to_run" then ":wq" to save the file.

I discovered yesterday that my internet connection and local power grid are not as reliable as I would like. Consequently, I'd love it if my web host could run cron jobs for me. They don't. Many web hosts offer cron jobs, but if it's not part of your current hosting plan, and you don't really want to upgrade or switch hosting providers, you're at a bit of a loss.

So I've got an idea to create a web-based cron service to grab the url of your choice on the schedule you decide. That way you can make a little php or perl script, put it in an obscure or password-protected folder on your server and have it run when you want.

Now that's what I would call a web service.