# Cron Job

In ClawCloud Run, a Cron Job is used to create tasks that run at regular intervals. Unlike regular applications, Cron Jobs automatically trigger tasks based on a predefined schedule, making them ideal for maintenance routines or data processing scenarios.

<figure><img src="/files/2D0MMU4k5WbbHJxFO5IX" alt=""><figcaption><p>Cron Job Configuration Entry</p></figcaption></figure>

### Typical Use Cases

1. **Data Backup and Synchronization:**\
   Execute daily backups at midnight.
2. **Scheduled Notifications:**\
   Send daily summary emails at a fixed time.
3. **Batch Processing:**\
   Run data processing tasks every hour.
4. **Scheduled Scaling:**\
   Perform scaling operations at set times.

Below is an example of how to configure a scheduled scaling task in ClawCloud Run.

### Scheduled Scaling Configuration

For applications that experience predictable traffic fluctuations (such as during e-commerce promotions, gaming events, or office systems), scheduled scaling allows for precise resource management.

#### Example Use Cases

* **E-commerce Promotions:**\
  Scale up to 10 instances from 09:00 to 23:00 during peak promotional hours and scale down to 3 instances during off-peak hours.
* **Office Systems:**\
  Maintain 5 instances on weekdays from 08:00 to 20:00 and reduce to 1 instance during non-business hours.
* **Gaming Events:**\
  Scale up to 15 instances on weekends, while keeping 5 instances on weekdays.

#### Configuration Steps

**Creating a Scheduled Task**

1. Open the Cron Job section in the ClawCloud Run console.
2. Click the **Add Cron Job** button to create a new task.

**Configuring Basic Parameters**

* **Task Name:**\
  Provide an easily recognizable name, such as "nginx-scale".
* **Task Type:**\
  Choose the task type:
  * `Scale APP Launchpad`: Scale application instances.
  * `Access URL`: Access a specified URL.
  * `Execute Command`: Run a custom command.
* **Cron Expression:**\
  Set the execution time using a Cron expression (based on Singapore Time).
* **App Name:**\
  When selecting `Scale APP Launchpad`, specify the target application for scaling.
* **Replica Count:**\
  When using `Scale APP Launchpad`, specify the desired number of instances.

**Example Configuration:**

```bash
Task Name: nginx-scale
Schedule: 0 8 * * *  # Executes daily at 8:00 AM Singapore Time
Replica Count: 5
```

This configuration means:

* **Cron Expression:** `0 8 * * *` — The task runs daily at 8:00 AM Singapore Time.
* **Replica Count:** The application instance count will be adjusted to 5.

<figure><img src="/files/0Cnet587hEvlAx8zFZBg" alt=""><figcaption><p>Cron Job Configuration Interface</p></figcaption></figure>

### Scheduled Power On/Off

For applications that need to be periodically paused (such as development environments or scheduled data processing tasks), you can combine two Cron Jobs to achieve automatic shutdown and startup.

#### Typical Use Cases

* **Development Environment:**\
  Run only during weekdays from 09:00 to 18:00 and shut down outside these hours.
* **Data Processing Tasks:**\
  Start compute tasks between 02:00 and 04:00 daily.
* **Demo Systems:**\
  Operate only during customer viewing periods.

**Creating a Shutdown Task**

<figure><img src="/files/KMr1XSyAriSv9OvR0WVy" alt=""><figcaption><p>Cron Job Shutdown Configuratio</p></figcaption></figure>

1. Click the **Add Cron Job** button to create the first task.
2. Configure the following parameters:

```bash
Task Name: dev-env-stop
Task Type: Scaling Applications at Launchpad
Cron Expression: 0 0 * * *  # Executes daily at 00:00 Singapore Time
App Name: your-app-name
Replica Count: 0
```

3. Click **Deploy** to save the configuration.

**Creating a Startup Task**

<figure><img src="/files/FRrVUHkGiiG8wjhk5dms" alt=""><figcaption><p>Cron Job Startup Configuration</p></figcaption></figure>

1. Click the **Add Cron Job** button again to create a second task.
2. Configure the following parameters:

```bash
Task Name: dev-env-start
Task Type: Scaling Applications at Launchpad
Cron Expression: 0 9 * * *  # Executes daily at 09:00 Singapore Time
App Name: your-app-name
Replica Count: 3  # Restore to the normal number of instances
```

3. Click **Deploy** to complete the configuration.

With this setup, the system will automatically:

* Shut down instances every day at midnight, saving resources.
* Restart the service every morning at 9:00, ensuring availability during working hours.
* Operate continuously throughout the year without manual intervention.


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