CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#sql-serverclrscheduled-tasks
Caveatrob
Caveatrob

Reputation: 13267

Scheduled Task or Service for Routine Database Job in C#?

I've got a web server and a database server, and I'd like to run a job that uses an existing C# DLL to access the database and perform some calculations.

Is the simplest method to create a console app in C# and schedule it on the web server (app server) to run against the DB server?

I see SSIS as an option, but I don't know that well, so I thought a console app scheduled as a task would be best.

What do you think?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 2409

Answers (5)

Wyatt Barnett
Wyatt Barnett

Reputation: 15673

I'm a big fan of the console app + scheduled task approach. It tends to be cleaner, easier to test, and easier to re-run if something goes south. That said, if you can write the calculations in pure SQL, you could just run everything as a SQL job. Alternatively, you could take advantage of SQLCLR (.NET assemblies living within SQL Server and basically appearing as a sproc or UDF) and also run things entirely within the SQL job engine.

Upvotes: 1

Gordon Freeman
Gordon Freeman

Reputation: 1167

You can use Quartz.NET library (quartznet.sourceforge.net) for scheduling within your console app, it is open source and it works perfectly!

Upvotes: 0

ChrisF
ChrisF

Reputation: 137108

Yes the simplest solution is to create a separate console app and run it as a scheduled task.

You've got access to the web server and all the tools are already in place without having to install anything else.

Upvotes: 0

devio
devio

Reputation: 37205

You can also call your C# DLL from a PowerShell script, and execute that script as a Scheduled Task.

For operations that require immediate actions in the background I prefer to have a service for each of my projects.

Upvotes: 0

Samiksha
Samiksha

Reputation: 6182

You don't need to write a separate console application for that if the job is very minor. you can write a page separately and write a batch file i.e. a scheduler fr the same to schedule it. You can also schedule it through window's user interface. Apart for that, if your job is plan/step of a maintenance plan (like re-indexing, taking backup of db, defragmenting , cleaning up history/log etc) then create a maintenance plan for it from you sql server, under "Management" folder available.

Upvotes: 0

Related Questions