Restart

Overview

The /restart command restarts the bot process using PM2 process manager. This is useful for applying updates, clearing memory, or recovering from errors.

Command Details

Permissions Required

• User: ADMINISTRATOR permission

• Bot: SEND_MESSAGES

Command Syntax

/restart

No parameters required. Response is ephemeral.

Features

PM2 Restart

• Calls PM2 to restart the running bot process named poixpixel-discord-bot.

• Minimal local behavior: the command acknowledges the issuer and triggers the restart.

• Expected downtime while PM2 restarts the process.

Usage Example

/restart

Bot will:

1. Acknowledge the command to the issuer (ephemeral reply).

2. Execute pm2 restart poixpixel-discord-bot on the host. This may cause a brief downtime while PM2 restarts the process.

How It Works

1. Permission Check: Verifies the caller has ADMINISTRATOR permission.

2. Restart Command: The handler issues pm2 restart poixpixel-discord-bot on the host.

3. Process Restart: PM2 restarts the process; the bot will reconnect to Discord when the process comes back up.

Note: The current command handler performs pre-restart DB/Redis health checks and notifies managers but does not implement a multi-step graceful shutdown. If you need additional guardrails, implement them in the runtime handler or open an issue/PR to add them.

When to Restart

Good reasons:

• After code updates/deployments

• After configuration changes requiring restart

• Memory leaks or performance degradation

• Stuck processes or zombie threads

• After database schema changes

• Recovering from errors

Not needed for:

• Simple configuration changes (use /reload-config)

• Channel/role updates

• Content changes

Restart Duration

Typical restart timeline:

• Shutdown: 2-5 seconds

• Process restart: 5-15 seconds

• Discord reconnection: 3-10 seconds

• Total: 10-30 seconds usually

Requirements

• PM2 Process Manager: The bot should be running under PM2 on the host.

• Process name: The PM2 process should be named poixpixel-discord-bot so the command targets the correct process.

Related Commands

• Reload Config - Reload config without restart

• Backend Manager - Manage services

Use Cases

• Deployment: Apply code updates

• Maintenance: Regular restarts for performance

• Troubleshooting: Clear stuck states

• Recovery: Recover from errors

• Updates: Apply system updates

Best Practices

• Announce: Warn users before restarting

• Off-peak: Restart during low activity

• Backup: Ensure recent backups exist

• Monitor: Watch logs after restart

• Test: Verify all features work after restart

Post-Restart Checks

After restarting, verify:

• ✅ Bot comes back online

• ✅ Commands respond properly

• ✅ Database connection works

• ✅ Redis connection works

• ✅ Scheduled tasks resume

• ✅ Event handlers work

Troubleshooting

If bot doesn't come back:

1. Check PM2 process: pm2 list

2. Check logs: pm2 logs poixpixel-discord-bot

3. Manual restart: pm2 restart poixpixel-discord-bot

4. Check config.json for errors

5. Check database/Redis connectivity

Tips

• Use /backend-manager status to check services before restart

• Restart during maintenance windows when possible

• Keep restart logs for troubleshooting

• Monitor resource usage to determine if restarts are needed

• Consider scheduled daily restarts for optimal performance

• Have rollback plan if restart fails