Several options available:

• use some sort of /proc interface (if you have that on your system), and search for your script. Set the name of the script by assigning to $0;
• Parse the output of ps -ef your self
• use a run file. On startup, create a file with sysopen and the O_EXCL bit set. If that fails, it means it exists, and you can assume your script is alive and kicking. If it succeds, do your stuff, and just make sure that you have an END block that closes the file, and deletes it. Also be sure to catch any signal that will kill your script, and close/delete the file on those events as well.

GoldClaw UPDATE:Of cource flock'ing is better. However, make sure to catch any signals that will kill perl, and do a normal exit. If not, I belive perl will die without releasing the lock.

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