Introducing HighlanderPG for Elixir - Ensuring Unique Processes in Clusters

Derek Kraan discusses the release of his new Elixir package called HighlanderPG, which serves as an enhancement to his previous library Highlander. Designed for Elixir clusters, HighlanderPG aims to avoid the pitfalls of its predecessor by using Postgres advisory locks, thereby ensuring that a process is only run once within a cluster. Kraan outlines the limitations of the original library, including potential issues with running duplicate processes during network failures or misconfigurations. The new library boasts better failure safety, with no process being started if it cannot obtain a lock from the database. Additionally, HighlanderPG improves upon process supervision, respecting specified shutdown timeouts. Kraan ends with a note on the sustainability of the open-source project, revealing that unlike his other contributions, HighlanderPG is not free and costs $100 per year, to support ongoing maintenance and his livelihood.