We are currently in the process of integrating multiple sub-systems that were initially developed independently to address various domain-specific challenges. Following the merger, we encountered an issue where all the cron jobs ceased to function. Despite a thorough review of the code, the root cause of the problem remained elusive, leaving us unsure of how to rectify the situation. During our further investigation, we identified the WatchService, which appeared to operate on a similar principle to a cron job, as it also waited for specific events. Subsequent research confirmed that both the WatchService and cron jobs utilized the same underlying mechanism for event monitoring.

Cron jobs are scheduled tasks that can run at specific times or intervals. They are commonly used for automation in various tasks, such as backing up files or sending email notifications.