The only pitfalls I can foresee, are that you're tying up the browser for X minutes, and what happens if the user's connection is terminated un-expectedly ?
When dealing with thousands of documents that is going to take a considerable amount of time, I usually trigger a scheduled batch job, that is designed to handle a time out, and pick up where it left off. Some have already suggested a "control" document that manages the job, and that's also how I handle it.
But it depends on the requirement, but unless the user is prepared to sit in front of a progress bar for 10+ minutes, it's the ol' batch job management approach. Having an interface they can interactively click on with options to abort the operation if applicable, or simply an email alert showing progress.
I try and avoid tying up the browser/client for any significant amount of time and also avoid any risks associated with the client breaking the connection.
The only pitfalls I can foresee, are that you're tying up the browser for X minutes, and what happens if the user's connection is terminated un-expectedly ?
When dealing with thousands of documents that is going to take a considerable amount of time, I usually trigger a scheduled batch job, that is designed to handle a time out, and pick up where it left off. Some have already suggested a "control" document that manages the job, and that's also how I handle it.
But it depends on the requirement, but unless the user is prepared to sit in front of a progress bar for 10+ minutes, it's the ol' batch job management approach. Having an interface they can interactively click on with options to abort the operation if applicable, or simply an email alert showing progress.
I try and avoid tying up the browser/client for any significant amount of time and also avoid any risks associated with the client breaking the connection.