[vox-tech] [OT] MS Windows nice

[Peter Jay Salzman]

I'm developing a Java application that needs a ton of economic data from an
Oracle db.  The query takes a long time to do, so instead of getting the
data from Oracle, the app uses a binary file of "reference data".

The ref data is created once every morning.  Takes betweeen 2 and 15 min to
create.  Basically, all the economic data is downloaded and pumped into a
binary file.  This file is used by the app, rather than direct querying.

During the ref file creation, my computer pretty much locks up.  I can't do
much of anything.  Windows has a hard time being a multi-tasking OS.

So, two questions:

1. Is there a cron for Windows?  I would like to run something like:

      cd /path/to/application
      ant create.reference.data

   before coming into work.

2. Is there a nice for Windows?

      I don't think the ref data is built any faster when it has full
      control of my system.  I really would like to read digg.com while
      the data is being built.  Is there a way to nice a process in Windows?

Thanks!
Peter

-- 
How VBA rounds a number depends on the number's internal representation.
You cannot always predict how it will round when the rounding digit is 5.
If you want a rounding function that rounds according to predictable rules,
you should write your own.
              -- MSDN, on Microsoft VBA's "stochastic" rounding function

Peter Jay Salzman, email: p at dirac.org web: http://www.dirac.org/p    
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