Faster alternative to file_get_contents()

Question

Currently I'm using file_get_contents() to submit GET data to an array of sites, but upon execution of the page I get this error:

Fatal error: Maximum execution time of 30 seconds exceeded

All I really want the script to do is start loading the webpage, and then leave. Each webpage may take up to 5 minutes to load fully, and I don't need it to load fully.

Here is what I currently have:

        foreach($sites as $s) //Create one line to read from a wide array
        {
                file_get_contents($s['url']); // Send to the shells
        }

EDIT: To clear any confusion, this script is being used to start scripts on other servers, that return no data.

EDIT: I'm now attempting to use cURL to do the trick, by setting a timeout of one second to make it send the data and then stop. Here is my code:

        $ch = curl_init($s['url']); //load the urls
        curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_CONNECTTIMEOUT, 1); //Only send the data, don't wait.
        curl_exec($ch); //Execute
        curl_close($ch); //Close it off.

Perhaps I've set the option wrong. I'm looking through some manuals as we speak. Just giving you an update. Thank you all of you that are helping me thus far.

EDIT: Ah, found the problem. I was using CURLOPT_CONNECTTIMEOUT instead of CURLOPT_TIMEOUT. Whoops.

However now, the scripts aren't triggering. They each use ignore_user_abort(TRUE); so I can't understand the problem

Hah, scratch that. Works now. Thanks a lot everyone

Answer 1

There are many ways to solve this.

You could use cURL with its curl_multi_* functions to execute asynchronously the requests. Or use cURL the common way but using 1 as timeout limit, so it will request and return timeout, but the request will be executed.

If you don't have cURL installed, you could continue using file_get_contents but forking processes (not so cool, but works) using something like ZendX_Console_Process_Unix so you avoid the waiting between each request.

Answer 2

As Franco mentioned and I'm not sure was picked up on, you specifically want to use the curl_multi functions, not the regular curl ones. This packs multiple curl objects into a curl_multi object and executes them simultaneously, returning (or not, in your case) the responses as they arrive.

Example at http://php.net/curl_multi_init