BeginnerPhone
2 min
Cron Expression Basics
LinuxAutomationScheduling
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Interview Question
What does the cron expression "0 2 * * 1-5" mean, and how would you test a cron job locally?
Key Points to Cover
- "0 2 * * 1-5" runs at 02:00 Monday–Friday
- Fields: min hour dom month dow
- Test via `crontab -l`, `cron` logs, or run the script directly with a dry run flag
Evaluation Rubric
Parses cron fields correctly40% weight
Explains the schedule accurately30% weight
Mentions safe testing approaches30% weight
Hints
- 💡Remember DOW ranges and local time considerations.
Potential Follow-up Questions
- ❓How do you ensure idempotency?
- ❓What about timezone handling in cron?
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