How do I install and set up Synced Cron in my Meteor app?

Run 'meteor add littledata:synced-cron' to install, then define jobs with SyncedCron.add() and start the scheduler with SyncedCron.start(). Configure options like logging and collection TTL via SyncedCron.config(), as detailed in the README's Basics and Configuration sections.

Synced Cron vs standard Node.js cron packages for Meteor: which is better?

Synced Cron is better for multi-server Meteor deployments because it prevents duplicate executions via MongoDB coordination, whereas packages like node-cron run independently on each process. However, Synced Cron is Meteor-specific, so for non-Meteor projects, standard npm packages are more flexible.

Can Synced Cron handle job failures and automatic retries?

No, Synced Cron does not have built-in retry mechanisms. Job failures are logged in the history collection, but you must implement custom error handling and retry logic within your job functions if needed, as there's no native support for retries.

How do I migrate from the old percolate:synced-cron package?

Run 'meteor remove percolate:synced-cron && meteor add littledata:synced-cron' as per the README migration note. Ensure your job definitions remain compatible, but check the new package's documentation for any potential breaking changes or updates.

What's the best way to log job executions with Synced Cron?

Use the logger configuration option to integrate custom logging functions, which receive level, message, and tag parameters. Set collectionTTL to manage history expiration, and be cautious with index changes by manually dropping MongoDB indexes if TTL is modified, as warned in the configuration details.

How to schedule a one-time job that doesn't repeat?

Create a job with a schedule using parser.recur().on(date).fullDate() as mentioned in the Advanced section of the README. This sets up a single execution at the specified date without recurrence, useful for one-off tasks.

percolate:synced-cron — Meteor Multi-Server Cron System

What is percolate:synced-cron?

Synced Cron is a Meteor package that provides a simple cron system for scheduling and executing recurring tasks within Meteor applications. It solves the problem of duplicate job execution in distributed deployments by using MongoDB to coordinate between multiple server processes, ensuring each scheduled job runs only once across the cluster.

Target Audience

Meteor developers who need to run scheduled background jobs (like data aggregation, report generation, or cleanup tasks) in a multi-server deployment environment where process synchronization is required.

Value Proposition

Developers choose Synced Cron over generic Node.js cron solutions because it offers built-in synchronization for Meteor apps, preventing duplicate executions without external services, and integrates seamlessly with Meteor's ecosystem and MongoDB.

A simple cron system for Meteor. It supports syncronizing jobs between multiple processes.

Use Cases

Best For

Running scheduled tasks in a Meteor application deployed across multiple server instances.
Ensuring a cron job (like sending daily email digests) executes only once per interval in a distributed setup.
Maintaining a detailed history and log of job executions within MongoDB for auditing or debugging.
Scheduling jobs with flexible, human-readable syntax using the Later.js library (e.g., 'every 2 hours').
Managing cron jobs programmatically via an API to add, remove, pause, or query jobs at runtime.
Configuring cron behavior with options like custom logging, UTC time, or TTL for history records.

Not Ideal For

Non-Meteor applications or projects using other Node.js frameworks like Express or NestJS.
Deployments on serverless or ephemeral hosting platforms (e.g., Heroku free tier) where instances shut down during inactivity.
Systems requiring advanced job scheduling features such as automatic retries, job prioritization, or real-time monitoring dashboards.
Teams that prefer to use external, language-agnostic job schedulers like Redis-based queues (e.g., Bull) for better scalability and decoupling.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Process Synchronization

Uses a MongoDB collection to coordinate job execution across multiple server processes, ensuring each scheduled job runs only once per interval, as explicitly described in the README for distributed deployments.

Flexible Scheduling

Leverages the Later.js library for expressive scheduling via human-readable text or parser objects, allowing complex cron patterns without manual date calculations, as shown in the API examples.

Integrated Job Logging

Automatically maintains a detailed history of job executions with timestamps and results in a configurable MongoDB collection, useful for debugging and auditing, with options for TTL management.

Meteor Ecosystem Fit

Designed specifically for Meteor, it integrates seamlessly with Meteor's build system and conventions, reducing setup overhead and providing a native solution for scheduled tasks.

Cons

Meteor-Only Solution

Exclusively tied to the Meteor framework, making it unusable for any other JavaScript or Node.js environment, which severely limits its applicability and portability.

Hosting Environment Sensitive

As admitted in the Caveats section, it may fail on shared hosting providers that shut down idle app instances, such as Heroku's free dyno tier, leading to unreliable job execution.

MongoDB Dependency

Heavily relies on MongoDB for synchronization and logging, introducing a single point of failure and requiring manual index management for TTL, as noted in the configuration warnings.

Limited Advanced Features

Lacks built-in support for job retries, priority handling, or a graphical monitoring interface, which are common in more robust job scheduling systems like Agenda or Bull.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is percolate:synced-cron?

Target Audience

Value Proposition

Use Cases

Best For

Running scheduled tasks in a Meteor application deployed across multiple server instances.
Ensuring a cron job (like sending daily email digests) executes only once per interval in a distributed setup.
Maintaining a detailed history and log of job executions within MongoDB for auditing or debugging.
Scheduling jobs with flexible, human-readable syntax using the Later.js library (e.g., 'every 2 hours').
Managing cron jobs programmatically via an API to add, remove, pause, or query jobs at runtime.
Configuring cron behavior with options like custom logging, UTC time, or TTL for history records.

Not Ideal For

Non-Meteor applications or projects using other Node.js frameworks like Express or NestJS.
Deployments on serverless or ephemeral hosting platforms (e.g., Heroku free tier) where instances shut down during inactivity.
Systems requiring advanced job scheduling features such as automatic retries, job prioritization, or real-time monitoring dashboards.
Teams that prefer to use external, language-agnostic job schedulers like Redis-based queues (e.g., Bull) for better scalability and decoupling.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Process Synchronization

Flexible Scheduling

Leverages the Later.js library for expressive scheduling via human-readable text or parser objects, allowing complex cron patterns without manual date calculations, as shown in the API examples.

Integrated Job Logging

Automatically maintains a detailed history of job executions with timestamps and results in a configurable MongoDB collection, useful for debugging and auditing, with options for TTL management.

Meteor Ecosystem Fit

Designed specifically for Meteor, it integrates seamlessly with Meteor's build system and conventions, reducing setup overhead and providing a native solution for scheduled tasks.

Cons

Meteor-Only Solution

Exclusively tied to the Meteor framework, making it unusable for any other JavaScript or Node.js environment, which severely limits its applicability and portability.

Hosting Environment Sensitive

As admitted in the Caveats section, it may fail on shared hosting providers that shut down idle app instances, such as Heroku's free dyno tier, leading to unreliable job execution.

MongoDB Dependency

Heavily relies on MongoDB for synchronization and logging, introducing a single point of failure and requiring manual index management for TTL, as noted in the configuration warnings.

Limited Advanced Features

Lacks built-in support for job retries, priority handling, or a graphical monitoring interface, which are common in more robust job scheduling systems like Agenda or Bull.

Frequently Asked Questions

percolate:synced-cron

What is percolate:synced-cron?

Overview

Use Cases

Best For

Not Ideal For

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Projects

Found a gem we're missing?

percolate:synced-cron

What is percolate:synced-cron?

Overview

Use Cases

Best For

Not Ideal For

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Projects

Found a gem we're missing?