time based MySQL events

[phpfan101]

I created a "statistics of site" page, stats.php.

Currently stats.php updates every visit, that's over 25 queries for every visit, with over 9,000 visits a day, I wish to cut down.

What is the best way to make it so all queries are done every hour, therefore requiring less queries to the database?

I assume the best way to go at this would be either to run a time() based script every 60 minutes and:

 

  - update this to a new field, then stats.php will require 1 query every visit, plus the 1 every hour.

or

  - update a text file and read that each stats.php visit, meaning just the 1 query every hour.

 

Now, I understand the second option will run much less queries overall, but is it the best way to go? Is there a better way to go about doing this?

[BlueSkyIS]

crontab. run the script whenever you want it to run.

[phpfan101]

I understand how to do it, I want to know what the best method for my situation would be.