How to run multiple background tasks at a specific time interval?

Question

I'm developing an application in C# MVC and I want to execute multiple background tasks each at different time intervals. I already have a service that inherits the class BackgroundService.

I already tried following this tutorial, but that only works if u only have 1 task.

Do you need a separate service for each task?

Answer 1

Do you need a separate service for each task?

There are multiple options here:

• The official documentation shows the option to create a Timed background tasks:

  public class TimedHostedService : IHostedService, IDisposable
  {
       private int executionCount = 0;
       private readonly ILogger<TimedHostedService> _logger;
       private Timer? _timer = null;
  
       public TimedHostedService(ILogger<TimedHostedService> logger)
       {
           _logger = logger;
       }
  
       public Task StartAsync(CancellationToken stoppingToken)
       {
           _logger.LogInformation("Timed Hosted Service running.");
  
           _timer = new Timer(DoWork, null, TimeSpan.Zero,
               TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
  
           return Task.CompletedTask;
       }
  
       private void DoWork(object? state)
       {
           var count = Interlocked.Increment(ref executionCount);
  
           _logger.LogInformation(
               "Timed Hosted Service is working. Count: {Count}", count);
       }
  
       public Task StopAsync(CancellationToken stoppingToken)
       {
           _logger.LogInformation("Timed Hosted Service is stopping.");
  
           _timer?.Change(Timeout.Infinite, 0);
  
           return Task.CompletedTask;
       }
  
       public void Dispose()
       {
           _timer?.Dispose();
       }
  }
  

  You can use this approach with several timers.

• You can just start several tasks in the ExecuteAsync:

  protected override async Task ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken stoppingToken)
  {
       await Task.WhenAll(Job1(stoppingToken), Job2(stoppingToken));
  }
  
  public async Task Job1(CancellationToken stoppingToken)
  {
       using PeriodicTimer timer = new PeriodicTimer(period1);
       while (
           !stoppingToken.IsCancellationRequested && await timer.WaitForNextTickAsync(stoppingToken))
       {
           Console.WriteLine("Work1");
       }
  }
  
  public async Task Job2(CancellationToken stoppingToken)
  {
       using PeriodicTimer timer = new PeriodicTimer(period2);
       while (
           !stoppingToken.IsCancellationRequested && await timer.WaitForNextTickAsync(stoppingToken))
       {
           Console.WriteLine("Work2");
       }
  }
  

• Use different hosted services, one per task (personally my go to option in this case)

• Also consider switching some scheduling libraries/frameworks like Hangfire or Quartz.NET