Using PHP streams to invoke things in parallel over a network

tcp_magic.php

<?php

class TcpMagic {
    private $_socket = null;

    public function __construct($host, $port) {
        $this->_socket = socket_create(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, getprotobyname('tcp'));
        socket_connect($this->_socket, $host, $port);
    }

    public function __destruct() {
        $this->close();
    }

    public function write($data) {
        socket_write($this->_socket, $data);
    }

    public function read() {
        $result = '';
        $chunk = '';
        do {
            $chunk = socket_read($this->_socket, 8192);
            $result .= $chunk;
        } while ($chunk !== '');
        return $result;
    }

    public function close() {
        if ($this->_socket) {
            socket_close($this->_socket);
        }
    }
}

function serial() {
    $t = new TcpMagic('api.beatport.com', 80);
    $t->write("GET /catalog/2/tracks HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n");
    echo strlen($t->read()) . PHP_EOL;

    $r = new TcpMagic('api.beatport.com', 80);
    $r->write("GET /catalog/2/releases HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n");
    echo strlen($r->read()) . PHP_EOL;

    $c = new TcpMagic('api.beatport.com', 80);
    $c->write("GET /catalog/2/charts HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n");
    echo strlen($c->read()) . PHP_EOL;

    $a = new TcpMagic('api.beatport.com', 80);
    $a->write("GET /catalog/2/artists HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n");
    echo strlen($a->read()) . PHP_EOL;

    $l = new TcpMagic('api.beatport.com', 80);
    $l->write("GET /catalog/2/labels HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n");
    echo strlen($l->read()) . PHP_EOL;

    $g = new TcpMagic('api.beatport.com', 80);
    $g->write("GET /catalog/2/genres HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n");
    echo strlen($g->read()) . PHP_EOL;
}

function parallel() {
    $t = new TcpMagic('api.beatport.com', 80);
    $t->write("GET /catalog/2/tracks HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n");

    $r = new TcpMagic('api.beatport.com', 80);
    $r->write("GET /catalog/2/releases HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n");

    $c = new TcpMagic('api.beatport.com', 80);
    $c->write("GET /catalog/2/charts HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n");

    $a = new TcpMagic('api.beatport.com', 80);
    $a->write("GET /catalog/2/artists HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n");

    $l = new TcpMagic('api.beatport.com', 80);
    $l->write("GET /catalog/2/labels HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n");

    $g = new TcpMagic('api.beatport.com', 80);
    $g->write("GET /catalog/2/genres HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n");

    echo strlen($t->read()) . PHP_EOL;
    echo strlen($r->read()) . PHP_EOL;
    echo strlen($c->read()) . PHP_EOL;
    echo strlen($a->read()) . PHP_EOL;
    echo strlen($l->read()) . PHP_EOL;
    echo strlen($g->read()) . PHP_EOL;
}

$start = microtime(true);
serial();
$end = microtime(true);
echo 'Serial invocation took ' . ($end - $start) . ' seconds' . PHP_EOL;

$start = microtime(true);
parallel();
$end = microtime(true);
echo 'Parallel invocation took ' . ($end - $start) . ' seconds' . PHP_EOL;