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Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background

From Kevin Conway <kevinjacobconway@gmail.com>
Newsgroups comp.lang.python
Subject Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background
Date 2016-02-16 14:54 +0000
Message-ID <mailman.172.1455634489.22075.python-list@python.org> (permalink)
References (3 earlier) <87h9ha8lt0.fsf@jester.gateway.pace.com> <CAPTjJmoWUDfcOe3OCaMK7=zDtW3QzS+7hqUG6DoYZ2AbqzJBUw@mail.gmail.com> <mailman.166.1455628969.22075.python-list@python.org> <87d1rwpwo2.fsf@elektro.pacujo.net> <n9vc4j$n89$1@ger.gmane.org>

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> Ok, yes, but those "background tasks" monopolize the CPU once they are
scheduled to run.

This is true if the coroutines are cpu bound. If that is the case then a
coroutine is likely the wrong choice for that code to begin with.
Coroutines, in asyncio land, are primarily designed for io bound work.

> My background task does take a long time to run - about 10 seconds - but
most of that time is spent waiting for database responses, which is handled
in another thread.

Something else to look into is an asyncio driver for your database
connections. Threads aren't inherently harmful, but using them to achieve
async networking when running asyncio is a definite code smell since that
is precisely the problem asyncio is supposed to solve for.

On Tue, Feb 16, 2016, 08:37 Frank Millman <frank@chagford.com> wrote:

> "Marko Rauhamaa"  wrote in message news:87d1rwpwo2.fsf@elektro.pacujo.net.
> ..
> >
> > Kevin Conway <kevinjacobconway@gmail.com>:
> >
> > > If you're handling coroutines there is an asyncio facility for
> > > "background tasks". The ensure_future [1] will take a coroutine,
> > > attach it to a Task, and return a future to you that resolves when the
> > > coroutine is complete.
> >
> > Ok, yes, but those "background tasks" monopolize the CPU once they are
> > scheduled to run.
> >
> > If your "background task" doesn't need a long time to run, just call the
> > function in the foreground and be done with it. If it does consume time,
> > you need to delegate it to a separate process so the other tasks remain
> > responsive.
> >
>
> I will explain my situation - perhaps you can tell me if it makes sense.
>
> My background task does take a long time to run - about 10 seconds - but
> most of that time is spent waiting for database responses, which is handled
> in another thread.
>
> You could argue that the database thread should rather be handled by
> another
> process, and that is definitely an option if I find that response times are
> affected.
>
> So far my response times have been very good, even with database activity
> in
> the background. However, I have not simulated a large number of concurrent
> users. That could throw up the kinds of problem that you are concerned
> about.
>
> Frank
>
>
> --
> https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
>

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Thread

asyncio - run coroutine in the background "Frank Millman" <frank@chagford.com> - 2016-02-15 08:35 +0200
  Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-02-15 08:54 +0200
    Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background "Frank Millman" <frank@chagford.com> - 2016-02-15 09:16 +0200
      Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-02-15 09:34 +0200
      Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2016-02-14 23:39 -0800
        Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background "Frank Millman" <frank@chagford.com> - 2016-02-15 10:17 +0200
        Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-02-15 13:05 +0200
        Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2016-02-16 16:51 +1100
        Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Kevin Conway <kevinjacobconway@gmail.com> - 2016-02-16 13:22 +0000
          Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-02-16 16:17 +0200
            Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background "Frank Millman" <frank@chagford.com> - 2016-02-16 16:36 +0200
            Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Kevin Conway <kevinjacobconway@gmail.com> - 2016-02-16 14:54 +0000
            Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2016-02-17 02:17 +1100
              Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-02-16 19:12 +0200
                Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2016-02-17 20:38 -0800
                Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-02-18 08:10 +0200
              Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-02-16 19:13 +0200
              Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-02-16 19:14 +0200
              Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-02-16 19:15 +0200
                Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-02-16 19:15 +0200
                Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Robin Becker <robin@reportlab.com> - 2016-02-16 17:52 +0000
            Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background "Frank Millman" <frank@chagford.com> - 2016-02-16 17:21 +0200
              Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-02-16 19:20 +0200
                Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2016-02-19 23:40 -0800
                Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-02-20 10:13 +0200
                Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2016-02-20 00:37 -0800
                Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2016-02-20 19:52 +1100
                Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-02-20 10:59 +0200
                Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2016-02-20 20:02 +1100
                Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-02-20 11:28 +0200
                Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Kevin Conway <kevinjacobconway@gmail.com> - 2016-02-20 13:52 +0000
                Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background "Martin A. Brown" <martin@linux-ip.net> - 2016-02-20 09:45 -0800
                Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2016-02-21 08:47 +1100
            Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2016-02-17 02:28 +1100
            Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background "Frank Millman" <frank@chagford.com> - 2016-02-16 17:45 +0200
        Re: asyncio - run coroutine in the background "Frank Millman" <frank@chagford.com> - 2016-02-16 15:52 +0200

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