In-Memory Mode

The in-memory mode of TickerQ allows you to schedule background jobs without needing a database or any external dependencies. It’s ideal for lightweight services, cron-driven execution, and one-node deployments.

Initial Setup

To configure a periodic job using TickerQ:

1. Create a Public or Internal Class
   Your class should have either a parameterless or DI-supported constructor.

2. Annotate the Method with [TickerFunction]
   This attribute takes two required parameters:

   • FunctionName — a unique identifier for the job
   • CronExpression — a standard cron string (e.g., "*/5 * * * *")

Example

This example defines a job that runs every 5 minutes:

public class MyBackgroundService
{
    private readonly IUserService _userService;

    public MyBackgroundService(IUserService userService)
    {
        _userService = userService ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(userService));
    }

    [TickerFunction(FunctionName: "ExampleMethod", CronExpression: "*/5 * * * *")]
    public void ExampleMethod()
    {
        // Your background job logic goes here...
        _userService.DoSomething();
    }

    [TickerFunction(FunctionName: "DeactivateStaleUsers", CronExpression: "0 0 * * 0")]
    public void DeactivateStaleUsersAsync()
    {
        // Deactivate accounts that haven't been used for a set period.
    }

    [TickerFunction(FunctionName: "CleanUpUserSessions", CronExpression: "0 */2 * * *")]
    public void CleanUpUserSessions()
    {
        // Remove expired or inactive user sessions.
    }
}

Cron Expression via Configuration

You can also reference cron expressions from appsettings.json using %Section:Key% syntax:

[TickerFunction(FunctionName: "ExampleMethod", CronExpression: "%CronTicker:EveryMinute%")]
public void ExampleMethod() { }

{
  "CronTicker": {
    "EveryMinute": "* * * * *"
  }
}

Good to Know

• ✅ Supports DI — inject any service into your job class.
• ✅ No reflection — method dispatch is handled via a Roslyn source generator.
• ✅ Simple and fast — no database or configuration needed.

Limitations

In-memory mode does not support:

• Job persistence or retry tracking
• Time-based triggers (TimeTicker)
• Multi-node execution
• Dashboard integration

For advanced scenarios, consider upgrading to EF Core Mode.

Summary

Use in-memory mode when:

• You want a minimal, cron-based background task
• You don’t need persistence or retry logic
• You're running a single-node or local service