Building a Scalable Job Queue System with AWS and Laravel

Introduction
Ever wondered how large applications handle thousands of background tasks efficiently? Today, I’ll guide you through a real-world solution our storagely.io team developed, which integrates AWS services with Laravel to build a powerful job queue system. This system handles everything from scheduled syncs to on-demand processing, all while maintaining reliability and scalability.

The Challenge
Imagine you're running a service that needs to sync data for multiple clients regularly. Some syncs need to happen automatically every few hours, while others should be triggered manually by users. You also need to ensure jobs don't duplicate, processes are monitored, and everything is logged properly. Sounds complex? Let's break it down.

The Solution: A Three-Tier Queue Architecture

Tier 1: Automated Sync System
Think of this as your reliable alarm clock. Using AWS EventBridge (the alarm clock) and Lambda (the person who wakes up), the system automatically checks for work that needs to be done. Every 15 minutes, EventBridge triggers a Lambda function that asks: "Hey, do any clients need their data synced?"
Here's what happens:

EventBridge says "Time to check for syncs!"
Lambda wakes up and says "Let me check the list of clients"
For each client, Lambda asks "Does this client already have a sync in progress?"
If not, Lambda says "Ok, let's create a new sync job for this client"

Tier 2: On-Demand Processing
Sometimes users can't wait for the automated schedule. Maybe they've made important changes and need data synced right now. That's where our on-demand system comes in. It's like having a "Sync Now" button that users can press whenever they need it.
When a user hits that button:

The system creates a high-priority job
This job jumps into a "speedy queue"
It gets processed faster than regular scheduled jobs

Tier 3: The Job Processor
This is where the actual work happens. Running on AWS EC2, this system is like a well-organized factory floor. It uses a tool called Supervisor (think of it as a factory manager) to ensure workers (processes) are always available to handle jobs.
The process flows like this:

Jobs arrive from either automated or on-demand sources
Workers pick up these jobs
Each job gets processed
Results get stored in a MySQL database
Everything gets logged in CloudWatch

The Magic Behind The Scenes
Let's peek at how the automated part works. The Lambda function, written in Node.js, is surprisingly simple:

javascriptCopyexports.handler = async (event) => {
    // Check for existing jobs
    const clients = await fetchClientList();

    for (const client of clients) {
        // Don't create duplicate jobs
        if (!(await hasExistingJob(client))) {
            // Create new sync job
            await createSyncJob(client);
        }
    }
};

Monitoring and Reliability
Every good system needs monitoring. Using CloudWatch, we track everything:

How many jobs are running?
Are any jobs failing?
How long do jobs take to complete?
Are there any bottlenecks?

Conclusion
Building a queue system might seem daunting at first, but by breaking it down into manageable pieces and using the right tools, we've created a robust solution that handles both automated and on-demand tasks efficiently. The combination of AWS services (EventBridge, Lambda, EC2) with Laravel's queue system provides a perfect balance of reliability, scalability, and maintainability.
Whether you're handling data syncs, processing reports, or managing any other background tasks, this architecture provides a solid foundation that can grow with your needs. The best part? It runs like clockwork, requiring minimal maintenance while providing maximum visibility into its operations.