[chef] Issues with chef-client service

["Stewart, Curtis" < >]

We’re currently using the chef-client cookbook to setup a service (init by default) so chef-client runs on a specified interval.  We’re also using the default value of 1800 (seconds) for the interval.

Apparently some of our runs take more than 1800 seconds, which is OK, however, the service stops running and logs a FATAL error, "FATAL: Chef is already running pid 21697”.

I’m going to up the interval to just once a day, but I’m wondering if there are solutions to skipping a converge if there’s already one running.  I’d like to avoid scenarios in the future where the service does not start back up.  At this point, we have to manually start the service back up if it ever fails.

Thanks,

Curtis