Cron Expression: Every Hour Between 9 AM and 5 PM (0 9-17 * * *)

The cron expression 0 9-17 * * * executes a task every hour during business hours (9 AM to 5 PM), making it ideal for regular monitoring, reports, and tasks that should run hourly during work hours.

Expression Breakdown

0 9-17 * * *
│ │   │ │ │
│ │   │ │ └─── Day of week: * (every day)
│ │   │ └───── Month: * (every month)
│ │   └─────── Day of month: * (every day)
│ └─────────── Hour: 9-17 (9 AM to 5 PM)
└───────────── Minute: 0 (at minute 0)

Field Values

Range Syntax

The 9-17 in the hour field is a range that means "hours 9 through 17":

• Runs at: 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00
• Total: 9 executions per day

Execution Time

This expression runs 9 times per day at:

• 09:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00

Common Use Cases

1. Hourly Business Reports

0 9-17 * * * /usr/bin/python3 /scripts/generate-hourly-report.py

Generate hourly reports during business hours.

2. Hourly Health Checks

0 9-17 * * * /usr/local/bin/hourly-health-check.sh

Perform hourly health checks on services during work hours.

3. Hourly Data Sync

0 9-17 * * * /usr/bin/python3 /scripts/sync-hourly-data.py

Sync data from external systems or APIs hourly during business hours.

4. Hourly Cache Refresh

0 9-17 * * * /usr/bin/python3 /scripts/refresh-hourly-cache.py

Refresh cached data or computed values hourly during work hours.

Example Implementations

Hourly Business Report Script

# generate-hourly-report.py
import json
from datetime import datetime, timedelta
import sqlite3

def generate_hourly_report():
    conn = sqlite3.connect('/var/data/app.db')
    cursor = conn.cursor()
    
    # Get data from last hour
    end_time = datetime.now()
    start_time = end_time - timedelta(hours=1)
    
    cursor.execute('''
        SELECT 
            COUNT(*) as total_requests,
            AVG(response_time) as avg_response_time,
            COUNT(CASE WHEN status_code >= 400 THEN 1 END) as errors
        FROM requests
        WHERE timestamp >= ? AND timestamp < ?
    ''', (start_time, end_time))
    
    metrics = cursor.fetchone()
    
    report = {
        'hour': end_time.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:00'),
        'metrics': {
            'total_requests': metrics[0],
            'avg_response_time': round(metrics[1], 2) if metrics[1] else 0,
            'errors': metrics[2]
        }
    }
    
    with open(f'/var/reports/hourly_{end_time.strftime("%Y%m%d_%H")}.json', 'w') as f:
        json.dump(report, f, indent=2)
    
    print(f"{datetime.now()}: Hourly business report generated")
    conn.close()

if __name__ == '__main__':
    generate_hourly_report()

Best Practices

1. Business Hours: Aligns with typical 9-to-5 work schedule
2. Error Handling: Implement comprehensive error handling and logging
3. Locking: Use file locks to prevent concurrent execution
4. Monitoring: Set up alerts for failed jobs
5. Performance: Optimize tasks to complete quickly during business hours

When to Use

✅ Good for:

• Hourly reports during business hours
• Hourly health checks
• Hourly data sync
• Hourly cache refresh
• Regular business-hour operations

❌ Avoid for:

• Real-time critical operations (use every minute)
• Very long-running processes
• Tasks outside business hours

Related Patterns

Conclusion

The 0 9-17 * * * expression is perfect for hourly operations during business hours. It's commonly used for hourly reports, health checks, and data synchronization, providing regular updates during work hours while avoiding execution outside business time.