Is the use of backticks the right choice for my code? If not, what is the best method and how should it be coded? 
        if ($children >= 20)
        {
            wait();
        }
        if ($pid = fork)
        {
            $parent = "";
            $parent = $$;
            $time = localtime();
            $children = $children + 1;
            print MSG "$time Send DK Started For $key - Process ID: $p
+arent\n";
        } elsif (defined $pid) {
            $child = "";
            $child = $$;
            send_dk($key, $val, $child);
        } elsif ($! =~ /No more process/) {
            print MSG "$time System Reports No More Processes - $key\n
+";
            exit 1;
        } else {
            $time = localtime();
            die "MSG->$time Can't fork: $!\n";
        }

*************

sub send_dk ()
{
    @dk = (), $state = "";
    @dk = split(/\s+/, $val);
    $state = substr($key, 4, 2);
    foreach $item (@dk)
    {
        eval {
            alarm(300);
        };
 
        $SIG{ALRM} = \&timeout_expect;
 
        if (($state =~ /AR/) || ($state =~ /KS/) || ($state =~ /MO/) |
+| ($state
=~ /OK/) || ($state =~ /TX/))
        {
            `$swbt_dms $item > $log/$key`; <- Here they are 
            ck_results($key, $log, $item);

[download]
The $swbt_dms is an Expect script that spawns: 
spawn $env(SHELL)

[download]

In reply to exec, system, or backticks by tc1364

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