Replace task scheduler by Laravel scheduler

[jonasraoni]

Describe the feature
The task scheduler syntax isn't very friendly and has caused issues in the past.

For a next big release, it's better to discard the code and move to the Laravel scheduler, which supports better configurations and the usage of a CRON syntax.

Extra reasons
If a plugin wants to run scheduled tasks, it needs to provide a scheduledTasks.xml file, and also attach itself to the Acron plugin. After installing such plugin, the administrator of a journal, which is using CRON instead of the Acron plugin, will also need to add a new entry at CRON to execute the plugin's scheduledTasks.xml.

• This is a bit counter-intuitive, the Acron shouldn't be any simpler than using CRON after both are setup.
• The "registration" should be unified, the executor just needs to have access to the list of tasks and their execution periods.

This is a follow-up of #8921
Also considering #7940

Plugins to update

• pkp/ojs · classes/plugins/PubObjectsExportPlugin.php
• pkp/usageStats · UsageStatsPlugin.inc.php [NOT REQUIRED AS FUNCTIONALITY MOVED TO CORE IN 3.4.0]
• pkp/pln · PlnPlugin.php
• pkp/crossrefReferenceLinking · CrossrefReferenceLinkingPlugin.php
• pkp/ops · classes/plugins/PubObjectsExportPlugin.php
• medra . MedraDoiDataMigration.php

PRs

• pkp-lib --> pkp/pkp-lib#9678 Replacing task schedular with laravel scheduler #10107
• ojs --> pkp/pkp-lib#9678 Replacing task schedular with laravel scheduler ojs#4332
• omp --> pkp/pkp-lib#9678 Replacing task schedular with laravel scheduler omp#1657
• ops --> pkp/pkp-lib#9678 Replacing task schedular with laravel scheduler ops#738
• acron --> pkp/pkp-lib#9678 make acron non functional acron#10 [Making acron non-functional]
• pln --> pkp/pkp-lib#9678 Laravel schedule task compatiable pln#92
• crossrefReferenceLinking --> pkp/pkp-lib#9678 Laravel schedule task compatiable crossrefReferenceLinking#26
• medra --> pkp/pkp-lib#9678 Laravel schedule task compatiable medra#29

Implementation Details
Changes are as following :-

1. the XML based task scheduler is removed and moved to use the laravel like task scheduling approach, see at https://laravel.com/docs/11.x/scheduling . To register a schedule task that shared by all app , register it in PKP\scheduledTask\PKPScheduler and only app specific ones in APP\scheduler\Scheduler.
2. The old schedule tool tools/runScheduledTasks.php has been removed and we now have few different command to run schedules as :-

php lib/pkp/tools/scheduler.php run # Run any pending schedule task 
php lib/pkp/tools/scheduler.php list # List all schedule tasks registered
php lib/pkp/tools/scheduler.php work # Run the schedule tasks as daemon, useful for local dev rather than to set up a crontab
php lib/pkp/tools/scheduler.php test # Allow the run specific schedule task from the list, useful for devs to test during development

Better to run php lib/pkp/tools/scheduler.php usage to see all available options.
3. The Acron plugin has been removed and the functionality to run schedule task on web based request has been moved to core . To enable the web based schedule task running , need to add the following in config.inc.php file :-

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
; Schedule Task Settings ;
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

[schedule]

; Whether or not to turn on the built-in schedule task runner
;
; When enabled, schedule tasks will be processed at the end of each web
; request to the application.
;
; Use of the built-in schedule task runner is highly discouraged for high-volume 
; sites. Use your operational system's task scheduler instead, and configure 
; it to run the task scheduler every minute.
; Sample for the *nix crontab
; * * * * * php lib/pkp/tools/scheduler.php run >> /dev/null 2>&1
;
; See: <link-to-documentation>
task_runner = On

; How often should the built-in schedule task runner run scheduled tasks at the
; end of web request life cycle (value defined in seconds).
; 
; This configuration will only have effect for the build-it task runner, it doesn't apply
; to the system crontab configuration. 
;
; The default value is set to 60 seconds, a value smaller than that might affect the
; application performance negatively.
task_runner_interval = 60

; When enabled, an email with the scheduled task result will be sent only when an error
; has occurred. Otherwise, all tasks will generate a notification.
scheduled_tasks_report_error_only = On

4. the previously existed config option scheduled_tasks_report_error_only has been moved from general section to newly added section schedule in config.inc.php
5. config option scheduled_task from section general has been removed in favour of Use or remove scheduled_tasks flag in config.inc.php #7940 .
6. Plugins now also can not register schedule tasks as XML but to use the laravel based scheduler convention . To plugins have own scheduler, it need to implement the PKP\plugins\interfaces\HasTaskScheduler and register the task, for example :

/**
     * @copydoc \PKP\plugins\interfaces\HasTaskScheduler::registerSchedules()
     */
    public function registerSchedules(PKPScheduler $scheduler): void
    {
        $scheduler
            ->addSchedule(new DOAJInfoSender())
            ->everyMinute()
            ->name(DOAJInfoSender::class)
            ->withoutOverlapping();
    }

[jonasraoni]

Ah, while you're working on it, check if you need to address this comment: #9979 (comment)

[touhidurabir]

@jonasraoni can you check the plugin PRs at #9678 (comment) specially for the pln . If all ok, I plan to update the submodules for OJS and OMP (already removed the Acron submodule for OPS and it's working) and should be good to merge .

[jonasraoni]

@touhidurabir I've approved the other PRs! FYI I didn't test the updates locally, but there should be enough time to catch unexpected bugs until the next major release.

There are just two not resolved comments, as they are generic, I'll tag @asmecher to get a second opinion (it could be also discussed on the call/voted to be more democratic 😁).

• https://github.com/pkp/pkp-lib/pull/10107/files#r1694293192
• https://github.com/pkp/pkp-lib/pull/10107/files#r1694313251

[asmecher]

Thanks, @jonasraoni and @touhidurabir, I've commented on both.

[touhidurabir]

@jonasraoni I have merged the OJS, OMP and OPS PRs but do not have the write access to plugins , details at #9678 (comment) . Can you please merge the plugins PRs ?

[jonasraoni]

Me neither, summoning @asmecher / @bozana to merge the remaining PRs.

ps: As we've got write access to the pkp-lib/apps, I think we should have write-access to the other repos, as they are less risky from a security perspective.

[asmecher]

I've merged the 3 remaining PRs, thanks! Is this ready to be closed?

[touhidurabir]

I've merged the 3 remaining PRs, thanks! Is this ready to be closed?

@asmecher it now good to be closed . But there was no need to merge the PR pkp/acron#10 for acron as thats obsolete anyway for main . That was just basically comment out the Hooks in register so that those does not run. However it's only for main branch so i don't see any problem.