persistant_task_runner.rb

class Runner
  @threads = {}

  def self.spawn(name, ttl=1)
    @threads[name] = {}
    Thread.new do
      while @threads[name]
        yield(@threads[name])
        sleep ttl
      end
    end
  end

  def self.kill(name)
    @threads.delete(name)
  end

end

Runner.spawn :test do |opts|
  opts[:cnt] ||= 0
  opts[:cnt] += 1
  puts "Ding! #{Time.now.to_s} #{opts[:cnt]}"
end

Runner.spawn :killer, 2 do |opts|
  opts[:cnt] ||= 0
  opts[:cnt] += 1
  puts "DONG! #{Time.now.to_s} #{opts[:cnt]}"
  if opts[:cnt] == 3
    Runner.kill :test
    puts "KILLED"
  end
end

results.txt

Ding! 2015-09-29 17:14:23 +0200 1
DONG! 2015-09-29 17:14:23 +0200 1
Ding! 2015-09-29 17:14:24 +0200 2
Ding! 2015-09-29 17:14:25 +0200 3
DONG! 2015-09-29 17:14:25 +0200 2
Ding! 2015-09-29 17:14:26 +0200 4
DONG! 2015-09-29 17:14:27 +0200 3
KILLED
DONG! 2015-09-29 17:14:29 +0200 4
DONG! 2015-09-29 17:14:31 +0200 5
DONG! 2015-09-29 17:14:33 +0200 6
DONG! 2015-09-29 17:14:35 +0200 7