Message Scheduler Setup

Deploy the message scheduler service on a VPS with PM2 for continuous operation

Message Scheduler Setup

The message scheduler is a background service that automatically sends scheduled WhatsApp messages. It needs to run continuously on a server, separate from the Vercel-hosted frontend.

Important: The scheduler must run 24/7 on a VPS. Vercel’s serverless functions are not suitable for long-running background tasks. We recommend DigitalOcean, AWS EC2, or similar VPS providers.

How the Scheduler Works

The scheduler service:

• Checks for pending messages every 30 seconds
• Automatically sends messages when scheduled time arrives
• Updates campaign status and tracking in real-time
• Handles errors with retry logic and detailed logging
• Runs independently from the web application

DigitalOcean VPS Setup

1. Create a Droplet

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Recommended specifications:

• OS: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (or latest LTS)
• Plan: Basic Droplet with 1GB RAM minimum
• CPU: 1 vCPU (sufficient for scheduler)
• Storage: 25GB SSD
• Region: Choose closest to your WAHA server

Authentication:

• For beginners: Use password authentication
• Recommended: Use SSH keys for better security

2. Initial Server Setup

Connect to your server and perform initial setup:

SSH Connection

# Connect to your server
ssh root@your-server-ip
# Enter your password or use your SSH key

3. Deploy the Scheduler

Clone Repository

# Clone your repository
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/whatsapp-group-manager.git
cd whatsapp-group-manager

4. Start Scheduler with PM2

PM2 ensures the scheduler runs continuously and restarts automatically if it crashes.

Start with PM2

# Start the scheduler service
pm2 start src/scripts/messageScheduler.ts \
  --interpreter ./node_modules/.bin/tsx \
  --name whatsapp-scheduler \
  --env production

PM2 Startup: After running pm2 startup, it will output a command that you need to copy and execute. This ensures PM2 starts automatically when the server reboots.

PM2 Management Commands

Monitor the Scheduler

Check Status

# View all PM2 processes
pm2 status

# View detailed info for scheduler
pm2 show whatsapp-scheduler

Control the Scheduler

Restart

# Restart the scheduler
pm2 restart whatsapp-scheduler

# Restart with zero-downtime
pm2 reload whatsapp-scheduler

PM2 Configuration File

For advanced configuration, create an ecosystem.config.js file:

ecosystem.config.js

module.exports = {
  apps: [{
    name: 'whatsapp-scheduler',
    script: 'src/scripts/messageScheduler.ts',
    interpreter: './node_modules/.bin/tsx',
    instances: 1,
    exec_mode: 'fork',
    env_production: {
      NODE_ENV: 'production',
      DATABASE_URL: process.env.DATABASE_URL,
      WAHA_API_KEY: process.env.WAHA_API_KEY,
      WAHA_API_URL: process.env.WAHA_API_URL,
    },
    error_file: './logs/scheduler-error.log',
    out_file: './logs/scheduler-out.log',
    log_date_format: 'YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss Z',
    max_memory_restart: '500M',
    autorestart: true,
    watch: false,
    max_restarts: 10,
    min_uptime: '10s',
  }]
};

Updating the Scheduler

When you need to deploy updates:

Pull Updates

# Navigate to project directory
cd whatsapp-group-manager

# Pull latest changes
git pull origin main

# Install any new dependencies
pnpm install

# Regenerate Prisma client if schema changed
pnpm prisma:generate

# Restart the scheduler
pm2 restart whatsapp-scheduler

Troubleshooting

Scheduler Not Starting

Check logs:

pm2 logs whatsapp-scheduler --err --lines 50

Common issues:

• Missing environment variables
• Database connection failure
• Invalid Prisma client (run pnpm prisma:generate)
• Node.js version mismatch

Database Connection Issues

# Test database connection
pnpm prisma db push

# If successful, restart scheduler
pm2 restart whatsapp-scheduler

High Memory Usage

# Check current memory usage
pm2 monit

# Set memory limit in ecosystem.config.js
max_memory_restart: '500M'

Scheduler Stopped After Reboot

# Verify PM2 startup is configured
pm2 startup

# Save current process list
pm2 save

# Check if PM2 is running
systemctl status pm2-root

Alternative VPS Providers

AWS EC2

EC2 Setup

# Similar process on Amazon Linux 2
sudo yum update -y
sudo yum install -y nodejs npm
npm install -g pnpm pm2

# Follow same deployment steps

Google Cloud Platform

GCP Compute Engine

# On Debian/Ubuntu image
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
# Follow DigitalOcean steps above

Linode

Linode Setup

# On Ubuntu 22.04 image
# Follow DigitalOcean steps above

Security Best Practices

1. Firewall Configuration

   # Enable UFW firewall
   ufw allow OpenSSH
   ufw enable
   

2. Keep System Updated

   # Regular updates
   apt update && apt upgrade -y
   

3. Use SSH Keys

   • Disable password authentication
   • Use strong SSH key passphrases

4. Environment Variables

   • Never commit .env.production to git
   • Use strong, unique credentials

5. Monitor Logs

   # Regularly check for errors
   pm2 logs whatsapp-scheduler --lines 100
   

Performance Optimization

Log Rotation

# Install PM2 log rotate
pm2 install pm2-logrotate

# Configure retention (keep 7 days)
pm2 set pm2-logrotate:retain 7

# Configure max file size (10MB)
pm2 set pm2-logrotate:max_size 10M

Resource Monitoring

# Enable PM2 Plus for advanced monitoring (optional)
pm2 link [secret-key] [public-key]

Next Steps

Environment Variables

Review all configuration options

Vercel Deployment

Deploy the web application