We have a custom built web application that is built on the Symfony PHP MVC Framework (Version 1.2)

The applications comprises of PHP/MySQL and a AJAX to provide a sudo realtime component.

The application has a basic user registration system that provides the user with the ability to set their status. (Online, Offline, and Away.)

The system currently uses a periodic updater using prototypes periodic update function to check for updates to the MySQL database every (X) seconds. It is currently set to check every one second which I know will not scale well and will kill the server when we get any kind of server load.

If user A is browsing a page with user B’s postings on them and user B changes their status User A will see User B’s status change in any of User B’s postings.

The current implementation
1)Checks the database every 1 second
2) Checks the session variables for the current page (all user status’s for the page that you are on)
3)If the session is different from what the database result is set the updater to true
4)A ajax call (jQuery) changes all the required classes to the correct status
5)The session is set to the new database query result set.
6)Go back to 1
I know this won’t scale well so we are looking at three options.
1) Lightstreamer
2) CometD
3) Tornado Web Server
I believe that all of these technologies can do this simple function but I need them to work on top of our existing application.
1)Connect to MySQL Database
2)Maintain A record of information that the user is looking at that can possibly change.
3)If any of those records change, send the information to change the classes or information that the web user is viewing (Viewing the real time status of other users)

I’m not sure but I imagine this is a fairly simple task for someone who knows these technologies.

This is also the options that I have found I am more than willing to look at other options or other suggestions.

Is it possible to do this with light streamer?

How much would it cost to have someone write this application for us? (Approximately)

Does anyone know a consultant or company that can do this for us?

email me at (thewebtician at hotmail.com) or post here.

Thanks very much.
Scott