Cron Expression: 5 Minutes Past Every Hour from 1 AM to 5 AM (5 1-5 * * *)
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Cron Expression: 5 Minutes Past Every Hour from 1 AM to 5 AM (5 1-5 * * *)
The cron expression 5 1-5 * * * executes a task at 5 minutes past every hour from 1 AM to 5 AM, making it ideal for early morning operations, maintenance, and tasks that should run during low-traffic hours.
Expression Breakdown
5 1-5 * * *
│ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ └─── Day of week: * (every day)
│ │ │ └───── Month: * (every month)
│ │ └─────── Day of month: * (every day)
│ └────────── Hour: 1-5 (1 AM to 5 AM)
└──────────── Minute: 5 (at minute 5)
Field Values
| Field | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Minute | 5 | At minute 5 |
| Hour | 1-5 | Hours 1 through 5 (1 AM to 5 AM) |
| Day of Month | * | Every day (1-31) |
| Month | * | Every month (1-12) |
| Day of Week | * | Every day of week (0-7) |
Range Syntax
The 1-5 in the hour field is a range that means "hours 1 through 5":
- Runs at: 01:05, 02:05, 03:05, 04:05, 05:05
- Total: 5 executions per day
Execution Time
This expression runs 5 times per day at:
- 01:05 (1:05 AM), 02:05 (2:05 AM), 03:05 (3:05 AM), 04:05 (4:05 AM), 05:05 (5:05 AM)
Common Use Cases
1. Early Morning Maintenance
5 1-5 * * * /usr/local/bin/early-morning-maintenance.sh
Run maintenance tasks during early morning low-traffic hours.
2. Early Morning Backups
5 1-5 * * * /usr/local/bin/early-morning-backup.sh
Create backups during early morning hours.
3. Early Morning Data Processing
5 1-5 * * * /usr/bin/python3 /scripts/process-early-morning-data.py
Process data batches or aggregations during early morning hours.
4. Early Morning Health Checks
5 1-5 * * * /usr/local/bin/early-morning-health-check.sh
Perform health checks on services during early morning hours.
Example Implementations
Early Morning Maintenance Script
#!/bin/bash
# /usr/local/bin/early-morning-maintenance.sh
LOG_FILE="/var/log/early-morning-maintenance.log"
CURRENT_HOUR=$(date +%H)
echo "$(date): Starting early morning maintenance (Hour: $CURRENT_HOUR)" >> $LOG_FILE
# Database optimization
psql -U dbuser -d app_db -c "VACUUM ANALYZE;" >> $LOG_FILE 2>&1
# Clean up old files
find /tmp -type f -mtime +7 -delete
find /var/log -name "*.log" -mtime +30 -exec gzip {} \;
echo "$(date): Early morning maintenance completed (Hour: $CURRENT_HOUR)" >> $LOG_FILE
Early Morning Data Processing Script
# process-early-morning-data.py
from datetime import datetime
import sqlite3
def process_early_morning_data():
conn = sqlite3.connect('/var/data/app.db')
cursor = conn.cursor()
current_hour = datetime.now().hour
# Process data based on hour
if current_hour == 1:
# Process midnight data
cursor.execute('''
UPDATE daily_stats
SET processed = 1, processed_at = ?
WHERE DATE(created_at) = DATE('now', '-1 day')
AND processed = 0
''', (datetime.now(),))
elif current_hour in [2, 3, 4, 5]:
# Process hourly aggregations
cursor.execute('''
INSERT INTO hourly_aggregates (hour, total, created_at)
SELECT HOUR(timestamp), COUNT(*), ?
FROM requests
WHERE HOUR(timestamp) = ?
AND DATE(timestamp) = DATE('now')
GROUP BY HOUR(timestamp)
''', (datetime.now(), current_hour - 1))
conn.commit()
conn.close()
print(f"{datetime.now()}: Early morning data processing completed (Hour: {current_hour})")
if __name__ == '__main__':
process_early_morning_data()
Best Practices
- Low Traffic: Early morning hours (1-5 AM) are typically low-traffic
- Error Handling: Implement comprehensive error handling and logging
- Locking: Use file locks to prevent concurrent execution
- Monitoring: Set up alerts for failed jobs
- Resource Management: Monitor system resources during execution
When to Use
✅ Good for:
- Early morning maintenance
- Early morning backups
- Early morning data processing
- Tasks during low-traffic hours
- Operations that should run before business hours
❌ Avoid for:
- Real-time critical operations
- Tasks requiring immediate execution
- Very long-running processes
Related Patterns
| Pattern | Expression | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 5 min past 1-5 AM | 5 1-5 * * * | Early morning, specific time |
| Every hour 1-5 AM | 0 1-5 * * * | Early morning, top of hour |
| Every day at 2 AM | 0 2 * * * | Once daily at 2 AM |
Conclusion
The 5 1-5 * * * expression is perfect for early morning operations. It provides a specific time (5 minutes past the hour) during low-traffic early morning hours, making it ideal for maintenance, backups, and data processing tasks that should run before business hours begin.
Need to generate a cron expression?
Use CronOS to generate any cron expression you wish with natural language. Simply describe what you need, and we'll create the perfect cron expression for you. It's completely free!