From: Piet Hadermann <piet.hadermann@...>
Date: 2007-10-11T00:30:14+09:00
Subject: Re: Inter-Process Messaging

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Daniel DeLorme [mailto:dan-ml@dan42.com] 
> 
> Markus Schirp wrote:
> > 
> > shared memory?
> 
> Is there a ruby lib to handle shared memory? Also, I can see 
> how it can be used for "passing information", but for 
> messaging between processes wouldn't it require constant 
> polling to check if a message is waiting in the shared memory?
> 

Check http://sysvipc.rubyforge.org/

It offers support for IPC message queues (and also shared memory and
semaphores if needed).
No need for polling. You can request a message (of a certain type of
needed), and your ruby process just holds until a message of that type
is available on the queue.

I've used it for > 1 year in a setup where a C++ process dispatches
messages that are handled by several parallel ruby processes.

Very light-weight and must have handled millions of messages without any
problem by now. (won't work on Windows though)

Piet.