PHP Timeouts?

jnuneznyc

I am creating a file submission form in PHP. Will PHP/Apache timeout if the file is too big? Should I set a time out?

sglane

Yes, they will. Apache has a default of (I think) of 300 seconds. PHP has a timeout called max_execution_time which is defaulted to 30 seconds. I think that is just for command line scripts though. If you set the max_execution_time in php.ini to zero, it will be infinate. Hope this helps.

Britisch

Infinite timeouts are a bad, very bad idea. If you disable the timeout in PHP, Apache should catch it, but wouldn't disabling the timeout in Apache be server suicide? All someone has to do is write a small script:

<?php while(1) {}; ?>

...and the server processes will be "hang" the server until the TCP connections die and the memory resources are freed!

I can't see any PHP script requiring more than 30 seconds to execute.

jnuneznyc

Yes infiite is bad but 30 seconds for file uploads? It works fine if the user is on the local network but if they are submitting from home I need to be set it to 10 to 15 minutes. Yes, we still have users with 56k submitting their 3MB Powerpoint files to our intranet.

Thanks sglane and Britisch,
John

sglane

Infinite timouts are bad in most situations, but I use them all the time on the command line. Then again, I only have a few people who have access to use PHP on my servers and I trust them. I also monitor the server constantly. 10 to 15 minutes is quite a long time for a http upload. You should use ftp or scp or something besides http.

jnuneznyc

Can't... users refuse to learn how to use a FTP client.

sglane

If you don't want to have it set in the php.ini file, use the function set_time_limit() only on those pages with the uploading.

http://www.php.net/manual/en/function.set-time-limit.php

Apache will still timeout at 300 seconds if you haven't changed it, so the upload will terminate after 300 seconds. I think most browsers have a time limit as well, so regardless of what you do, you may not be able to do this with HTTP. HTTP wasn't designed for long connection sessions. You will have to find some middle ground and possibly cut out the 56k users and their 3mb files.

jnuneznyc

Just found that function. I just started to work on a system that will allow the user's to select their connection speed and I will place a limit based on speed. Wanted to use cookies but some of the higher-ups (old users) are paranoid about accepting cookies.

UPDATE: By the way, these are the same people to determine our technology. Linux and PHP is not welcomed BUT since our official Intranet, which is Win NT and ASP, is still under construction (for 2 years). My solution is considered a stop gap solution. In fact the server is a old PII box that sits on the floor next to my desk.

sglane

Hehe... the whole "cookies are evil" thing. Those guys are well read. Regarless, hope everything works out for you.