ROUTER-to-REQ in PHP

<?php
/*
* Custom routing Router to Mama (ROUTER to REQ)
* @author Ian Barber <ian(dot)barber(at)gmail(dot)com>a
*/

define("NBR_WORKERS", 10);

function worker_thread() {
$context = new ZMQContext();
$worker = new ZMQSocket($context, ZMQ::SOCKET_REQ);
$worker->connect("ipc://routing.ipc");

$total = 0;
while(true) {
// Tell the router we're ready for work
$worker->send("ready");

// Get workload from router, until finished
$workload = $worker->recv();
if($workload == 'END') {
printf ("Processed: %d tasks%s", $total, PHP_EOL);
break;
}
$total++;

// Do some random work
usleep(mt_rand(1, 1000000));
}
}

for ($worker_nbr = 0; $worker_nbr < NBR_WORKERS; $worker_nbr++) {
if(pcntl_fork() == 0) {
worker_thread();
exit();
}
}

$context = new ZMQContext();
$client = $context->getSocket(ZMQ::SOCKET_ROUTER);
$client->bind("ipc://routing.ipc");

for ($task_nbr = 0; $task_nbr < NBR_WORKERS * 10; $task_nbr++) {
// LRU worker is next waiting in queue
$address = $client->recv();
$empty = $client->recv();
$read = $client->recv();

$client->send($address, ZMQ::MODE_SNDMORE);
$client->send("", ZMQ::MODE_SNDMORE);
$client->send("This is the workload");
}

// Now ask mamas to shut down and report their results
for ($task_nbr = 0; $task_nbr < NBR_WORKERS; $task_nbr++) {
// LRU worker is next waiting in queue
$address = $client->recv();
$empty = $client->recv();
$read = $client->recv();

$client->send($address, ZMQ::MODE_SNDMORE);
$client->send("", ZMQ::MODE_SNDMORE);
$client->send("END");
}

sleep (1); // Give 0MQ/2.0.x time to flush output