Issue: TickerQ - New .NET Foundation Project Application

[arcenox]

Project Name

TickerQ

License

Apache License 2.0 and the MIT License.

Contributor

Arcenox, Xor-el, DavidGarton8

Existing OSS Project?

Yes

Source Code URL

https://github.com/Arcenox-co/TickerQ

Project Homepage URL

https://tickerq.arcenox.com

Project Transfer Signatories

• Albert Kunushevci albert@arcenox.com

Description

TickerQ is a fast, reflection-free background task scheduler for .NET — built with source generators, EF Core integration, cron and time-based execution, and a real-time dashboard.

Name

Albert Kunushevci

Email

albert@arcenox.com

GitHub Profile URL

https://github.com/arcenox

Committers

Albert Kunushevci – @arcenox – Arcenox (project lead, full access)
Ugochukwu Mmaduekwe – @Xor-el – Independent Contributor (write access)

Discord Ids

No response

Governance Model

All code changes are proposed through GitHub Pull Requests. Contributors submit PRs which are reviewed by the project lead or a designated committer. Reviews focus on code quality, maintainability, and alignment with project goals.

Once approved, changes are merged into the main branch, triggering the CI/CD pipeline which runs automated tests and, for tagged releases, deploys the package to NuGet. This ensures consistent, validated builds and streamlined releases.

For significant or breaking changes, contributors are encouraged to open an issue or discussion before submitting a PR.

New committers are identified based on consistent, high-quality contributions and active community involvement. They are appointed by the project lead after mutual agreement.

CLA

• If already an OSS project, was a Contribution License Agreement in place for contributions accepted?

How does the project check who has signed one?

TickerQ did not have a formal Contribution License Agreement (CLA) process in place prior to this application. All contributions were accepted through GitHub Pull Requests with manual code review, and contributors were expected to follow the repository’s license (MIT).

We plan to adopt the .NET Foundation’s CLA automation to enforce contributor agreement tracking going forward.

CLA Notification Alias

github-cla@arcenox.com

Select the Project Transfer Agreement model

Contribution

Repository Layout

The TickerQ repository is structured for clean, modular .NET development and already follows many of the .NET Foundation’s best practices. Changes are made via GitHub Pull Requests, including by core maintainers, to maintain transparency and reviewability.

We currently use Directory.Build.props to centralize common MSBuild configuration and maintain consistency across projects.

As part of joining the .NET Foundation, we plan to:
• Add SECURITY.md and CONTRIBUTING.md if not already present
• Ensure Source Link is configured for full debugging support
• Publish symbol packages to NuGet.org
• Review documentation and project layout for clarity
• Integrate the Foundation’s CLA bot and automation workflows

We’re open to further improvements based on the Foundation’s guidance to ensure alignment with community standards.

Eligibility Criteria

• The project is built on the .NET platform and/or creates value within the .NET ecosystem.
• The project produces source code for distribution to the public at no charge.
• The project's code is easily discoverable and publicly accessible (preferably on GitHub).
• The project contains a build script that can produce deployable artifacts that are identical to the official deployable artifacts, with the exception of code signing (Exception may be granted for strong name keys, though strongly encouraged to be committed. Exception relies on OSS signing being in the build script for public builds).
• When applicable, project must use reproducible build settings in its toolchain.
• The project uses Source Link.
• The project uses either embedded PDBs or publish symbol packages to NuGet (if applicable).
• The project code signs their artifacts as appropriate.
• The project organization has 2FA enabled. Requiring 2FA must be done as part of onboarding if not already enabled.
• Libraries that are mandatory dependencies of the project are offered under a standard, permissive open source license which has been approved by the .NET Foundation (exceptions include a dependency that is required by the target platform where no alternative open source dependency is available such as the .NET Framework or a hardware specific library).
• Committers are bound by a Contributor License Agreement (CLA) and/or are willing to embrace the .NET Foundation's CLA when the project becomes a Member.
• The copyright ownership of everything that the project produces is clearly defined and documented.
• The project has a public issue tracker where the status of any defect can be easily obtained.
• The project has a published Security Policy.
• The project has a home page which provides high level information about its status and purpose.
• The project has a public communication channel where community members can engage with maintainers.
• The project has a publicly available location where members can review and contribute to documentation.

Describe why you are applying for Project Membership.

By joining the Foundation, I aim to ensure the project remains well-governed, secure, and aligned with evolving .NET standards. I also want to collaborate with other maintainers and contributors to keep TickerQ up-to-date with the latest advancements in the .NET ecosystem — such as .NET SDK improvements, C# language features, and new APIs that can benefit from deeper integration.

Becoming a Foundation project will help build trust with contributors and users, provide access to guidance, infrastructure, and resources, and ultimately allow TickerQ to grow as a stable, community-backed, and future-ready open-source tool.

Infrastructure Requirements Summary

TickerQ currently uses GitHub Actions as its CI/CD system for building, testing, and publishing NuGet packages. The build pipeline is stable and reproducible using the .NET SDK.

We publish .nupkg and .snupkg packages to NuGet.org and plan to integrate Source Link and code signing as part of the .NET Foundation onboarding. We would appreciate support in setting up Authenticode signing for release artifacts if available.

Additionally, we plan to host a lightweight demo dashboard for TickerQ via Azure App Service or Static Web Apps, and may need Azure sponsorship credits to support infrastructure like Azure Storage or Azure Container Apps for testing distributed scheduling features in production-like environments.

No special hardware or long-running infrastructure is required. All services are fully cloud-based and automated.

Additional Notes

TickerQ is conceptually similar to other .NET background job libraries like Hangfire and Quartz.NET, but takes a different approach focused on performance, modularity, and modern .NET tooling.

Unlike Hangfire, which relies heavily on reflection and requires a SQL Server backend, TickerQ is reflection-free, built with Source Generators, and supports in-memory, EF Core, or custom persistence providers — making it lightweight and more flexible for modern .NET developers. It also includes cron + time-based execution, retry logic, distributed execution support, and an integrated dashboard.

We anticipate needing guidance or support on best practices for:
• OSS-friendly code signing and artifact security
• Proper open governance as contributors grow
• Integrating with .NET Foundation tools (e.g., CLA bot, project structure, metrics)

We are committed to continuous improvement and want TickerQ to evolve into a trusted and widely adopted job scheduling framework in the .NET ecosystem.

[glennawatson]

This project will be discussed in tomorrow's project committee. Thankyou.

[arcenox]

@glennawatson Just following up to see if there were any updates or feedback from the project committee discussion.

[glennawatson]

Thank you again for sharing your project and submitting your application.

We’re still collecting written feedback from a few reviewers who couldn’t join the last call, and we want to be sure everyone has a chance to weigh in before we give you a formal outcome of the meeting.

At this stage I think the committee is leaning towards a seed classification for the project. Basically the foundation will help foster the project new by providing some advertising.

Then later if the growth remains we usually reevaluate projects every six months or so for full membership.

[arcenox]

Hi Glenn,

Thank you for the update and for considering TickerQ for the .NET Foundation. I appreciate the committee taking the time to review the project thoroughly.

A seed classification sounds like a great starting point, and I’m excited about the opportunity to grow the community with the Foundation’s support. I’ll continue working on expanding adoption and engagement, and I’d be happy to revisit full membership down the line.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if there’s anything you need from my side in the meantime.

[arcenox]

Hi @glennawatson,

Just wanted to check for any update?

[glennawatson]

TickerQ has been placed in the seed category. So we can help out with some limited marketing etc. We generally will advertise some of the seed projects in our monthly newsletter which gets released also on our socials.