asynch-requestable php script. Copied from -nathan's comment on http://petewarden.typepad.com/searchbrowser/2008/06/how-to-post-an.html

gistfile1.php

<?php 
/// script can run forever.. 
set_time_limit(0); 

/// tell the client the request has finished processing 
header('Connection: close'); 

@ob_end_clean(); #seems to complain a lot w/o the @ 

/// continue running once client disconnects 
ignore_user_abort(); 

ob_start(); 

/* this is where regular request code runs.. 
* in this case, we'll probly just send off some 
* sort of 'succeeded' response 
*/ 
echo handleRequest(); # <- example 'normal' request code.. 
/// clean things up on the server, and respond to the client 
$iSize = ob_get_length(); 
header("Content-Length: $iSize"); 
@ob_end_flush(); 
flush(); 
session_write_close(); 

/* this is where code that will be executed 
* after the client disconnects will run 
*/ 
handleAsync();