3.8.7 Patch Level 3 Custom Cron Task

[schan]

Hey all,

I am working on a product that involves querying the database for, say, 100 posts and does stuff with it. I set a scheduled task via Admin Panel to run this task every minute. When the task runs, it causes our forum (front-end) to be unusable until the query is done. I can see how this can be a problem, but why do the built-in vBulletin's cron tasks do not have this problem? Are these cron tasks built using special cron functions? If so, can you point me to the right direction so I can modify my script?

Thank you in advance. I'm looking forward to your responses.

- S