Cavalcade

Cavalcade is a scalable job queue system designed as a direct replacement for the default pseudo-cron system in content management systems. It is built for developers and administrators managing high-traffic websites or multi-site networks where the standard cron becomes a performance bottleneck. The system integrates transparently, requiring no changes to existing site code that uses cron functions.

Horizontal Scalability: The system is built to scale out across multiple servers. A central runner daemon manages the queue and spawns worker processes to execute jobs, allowing you to handle increased load by adding more workers.

Multi-Site Native: It operates flawlessly within multi-site installations, managing scheduled tasks from all sites in a single, efficient queue without conflicts or performance degradation.

Reliable Job Storage: Jobs are moved from the standard options table into a dedicated database table. This separation improves efficiency, reduces table locking, and provides more reliable scheduling and monitoring.

Transparent Integration: It acts as a full drop-in replacement. All existing wp_schedule_event and related cron functions continue to work without modification, making adoption straightforward.

Managed Execution: The runner daemon continuously checks for due jobs and manages worker processes, ensuring tasks are executed on time and failed jobs can be handled appropriately, increasing overall system reliability.