python scheduler on bluemix

Question

I am using the schedule package in python, to invoke a function for every 15 seconds, and want to run this code on IBM Bluemix. Have pushed the application using the -no-route option to Bluemix, though the application is deployed to Bluemix, Bluemix is not able to start the application

Below is the sample code that I tried

import schedule
import time

def printMyName():
    print("NAME...")

schedule.every(15).seconds.do(printMyName)


while 1:
   schedule.run_pending()
   time.sleep(10)

Messages in the Bluemix logs for this application:

Destroying container
Successfully destroyed container

0 of 1 instances running, 1 starting
0 of 1 instances running, 1 starting
0 of 1 instances running, 1 starting
0 of 1 instances running, 1 starting
0 of 1 instances running, 1 starting

And after a while, I see this message in the logs

ERR Timed out after 1m0s: health check never passed.

Python version: 3.4.4

Answer 1

I got my scheduler to work by setting

health-check-type: process

The cloud foundry docs on this are here: https://docs.cloudfoundry.org/devguide/deploy-apps/healthchecks.html#types

My project is here: https://github.com/snowch/bluemix_retail_demo/tree/master/messagehub2elasticsearch/purge_old_indices

Answer 2

I have done something similar with schedule a while back and it worked. Having the no-route option set in the manifest did the trick for me.

Today, I would recommend to take a look at IBM Cloud Functions / OpenWhisk and the alarm package. IBM Cloud Functions allows actions to be written in Python. With the alarms you can invoke those Python functions in a cron-like fashion - and likely with less cost.