Recurring functions in Node JS

Question

I try to develop a little browser game based on NodeJS and Angular 4. I have an API server running on NodeJS which is connected to a MongoDB and a second server running Angular 4.

I want to execute recurring standard functions (like every 15 minutes) in the background.

Do I need a third server which runs that functions? Or can I run that functions independently on my API server - no matter which route is open?

I mean, getting data from the DB and do something with it and save the update; e.g.: check all 15 mins if a player has a mine, then increase his/her resources by 1 — snibbo
– snibbo, Commented Apr 13, 2017 at 15:46

nmargaritis · Accepted Answer · 2017-04-13 17:34:46Z

1

You might want to have a look to this library node-cron. You can set it up to work with your services. You will need to initialise the job right after your sever is initialised. An example:

var CronJob = require('cron').CronJob;
var job = new CronJob({
  cronTime: '00 30 11 * * 1-5',
  onTick: function() {
    /*
     * Runs every weekday (Monday through Friday)
     * at 11:30:00 AM. It does not run on Saturday
     * or Sunday.
     */
  },
  start: false,
  timeZone: 'America/Los_Angeles'
});
job.start();

answered Apr 13, 2017 at 17:34

nmargaritis

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1 Comment

snibbo Over a year ago

Thanks for helping out. It help that you told me where to place the code. I go with setInterval, but CronJob looks like a good tool too.

rsp · Accepted Answer · 2017-04-13 16:08:15Z

0

You can use setTimeout() and setInterval() in Node just like in the browser:

setInterval(() => {
  // this runs every 15 minutes
}, 15 * 60 * 1000);

answered Apr 13, 2017 at 16:08

rsp

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1 Comment

snibbo Over a year ago

sure, thanks for your comment! but I worry about the function when the API is on "/whatever". Is it still working?

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