Create a monthly process using VB.NET

[london.rookie]

Hi all,
i'm quite new to the .NET platform and have a question: I need to create a process that runs once a month to generate automatic passwords for all the users of the web application I'm developing. After generating automatically the password, I want to send an email to each of them. I would like to know if i can create this process using VB.NET, how to create...I mean, I can find out how to send emails using VB.NET, but the creation of the process itself, running by itself once a month, i can't figure out how to implement it.
Hope you can help me!
Best regards,

 

[ManicCW]

would that process work on your server or what? Is that asp.net or win app (windows service)?

 

[london.rookie]

iyep, it'd be working on my server and yep, i'm developing the web application using asp.net (1.1). I don't know if the way it's create a project using VS.NET that does everything i need and launch it somehow with that process once a month...

 

[shroomy]

you can either write it as a windows service .. just do a search you will find tons of stuff.. its not to hard .. and have the service always run and check the date and run once on that date.

or you can write it as an app with no gui.. ie no forms.. just a module with a sub main, and then use the windows scheduler to schedule it to run once a month

 

[JohnH]

I wouldn't clog the system with a process that will only run once every month as a service.

Agree with other option, create a Console application (eg. no GUI) and manually add a schedule for it in the Windows Scheduler.

 

[Luc]

You could make a small module that checks the time and date when you start your system up, then tell the module to shut itself down when it isn't on the right date, hardly takes anny processor time.

 

[JohnH]

Luc, you mean as opposed to having the Windows Task Scheduler service running at the system at all?

 

[Luc]

Yeah, how i used to do it is like this:
I make a regkey in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and put my apps path in a key there, then i simple module that shuts itself down when it isn't launched on the right date.

I'm not really an expert myself but that methode works fune by me and doesnt really take anny processor time.

 

[shroomy]

Yeah, how i used to do it is like this:
I make a regkey in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and put my apps path in a key there, then i simple module that shuts itself down when it isn't launched on the right date.

I'm not really an expert myself but that methode works fune by me and doesnt really take anny processor time.

The problem is that with a server they are rarely turned off/ rebooted.