Cronjobs & Scheduled Tasks

Schedule and manage automated tasks, batch jobs, and recurring workflows with NebuaCloud's powerful job scheduling system. Built on Kubernetes CronJobs with enterprise features.

Overview

NebuaCloud Cronjobs provides a robust platform for scheduling recurring tasks, batch processing, and automated workflows. Execute database maintenance, report generation, data backups, and custom automation with reliability and precision.

Key Features

• Flexible Scheduling - Cron expressions and human-readable schedules
• Job Templates - Reusable job configurations and best practices
• Execution History - Complete audit trail of job runs and outcomes
• Failure Handling - Retry policies, dead letter queues, and notifications
• Resource Management - CPU, memory, and timeout controls per job

Getting Started

Creating Your First Cronjob

1. Navigate to Cronjobs - Access the Cronjobs section in your dashboard
2. Create New Job - Click "Create Cronjob" to start
3. Configure Schedule - Set timing using cron expressions or presets
4. Define Task - Specify container image, command, and parameters
5. Set Resources - Configure CPU, memory, and timeout limits
6. Enable Job - Activate the scheduled task

When To Use Cronjobs

Use Cronjobs when you need recurring automation that runs on a schedule instead of a long-lived application.

Common examples:

• database backups
• report generation
• cache cleanup
• data import and export jobs
• webhook polling or synchronization tasks
• scheduled maintenance scripts

What A Cronjob Defines

Each cronjob usually includes:

• a name for the task
• a schedule
• a container image
• the command or arguments to run
• optional environment variables
• resource limits such as CPU and memory
• retry and timeout settings

Schedule Formats

NebuaCloud supports standard cron expressions and may also provide presets in the dashboard.

Examples:

• 0 * * * * runs every hour
• 0 2 * * * runs every day at 02:00
• 0 3 * * 0 runs every Sunday at 03:00
• */15 * * * * runs every 15 minutes

Example Tasks

Database Backup

Use a backup container or maintenance image that writes a dump to object storage or another backup target.

pg_dump "$DATABASE_URL" > /backups/backup-$(date +%F).sql

Cache Cleanup

Run a lightweight maintenance container that removes expired cache entries or temporary files.

node scripts/cleanup-cache.js

Report Generation

Run a reporting job that aggregates data and stores the result in a bucket, sends email, or updates an internal dashboard.

python jobs/generate_report.py --period daily

Best Practices

• keep each cronjob focused on one task
• use idempotent commands when possible so reruns are safe
• set CPU, memory, and timeout limits explicitly
• store credentials in secrets, not in plain command arguments
• monitor execution history to catch repeated failures early
• start with a manual test run before enabling a production schedule

Troubleshooting

Job Does Not Start

• verify the cron expression is valid
• confirm the cronjob is enabled
• check that the image and command are valid
• review namespace and permission settings

Job Fails Repeatedly

• inspect execution logs and recent run history
• verify environment variables and secrets
• confirm external services such as databases, APIs, or storage are reachable
• increase timeout or memory if the task is being terminated early

Job Runs Too Often Or At The Wrong Time

• review the cron expression carefully
• confirm the expected timezone in your environment
• test with a simple schedule before applying a production schedule