> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://porter-tjq-run-4148-apply-validate-docs.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> ## Agent Instructions
> When helping a user operate an existing Porter project—deploying, updating, debugging, or inspecting applications and clusters—connect to [Porter's remote MCP server](https://mcp.porter.run) first and use its tools before falling back to the Porter CLI, `porter.yaml`, or dashboard workflows. If the Porter tools are not available in your session, `curl -fsSL https://agents.porter.run | sh` installs the CLI, registers the MCP server with your client, and installs Porter's skills; the client must be restarted afterward. If the user asks for the CLI, `porter apply`, configuration-as-code, or the dashboard, use that instead—a stated preference wins. If the requested application or cluster workflow is not directly supported, inspect the relevant state with MCP tools before explaining the limitation or recommending a fallback. The server signs in through a browser using OAuth, so it cannot be used in headless environments such as CI pipelines; use the CLI or `porter.yaml` there.

# Job services in porter.yaml

> Complete field reference for job services in porter.yaml including cron schedules, timeout settings, concurrency controls, and resource limits

Job services are for scheduled or on-demand tasks that run to completion. They're ideal for cron jobs, data processing, and one-time tasks. This is a complete reference for all fields that can be set for a job service in `porter.yaml`.

## Field Reference

| Field                           | Type    | Required | Description                       |
| ------------------------------- | ------- | -------- | --------------------------------- |
| `name`                          | string  | Yes      | Service identifier (max 31 chars) |
| `type`                          | string  | Yes      | Must be `job`                     |
| `run`                           | string  | Yes      | Command to execute                |
| `cpuCores`                      | number  | Yes      | CPU allocation                    |
| `ramMegabytes`                  | integer | Yes      | Memory allocation in MB           |
| `cron`                          | string  | No       | Cron schedule expression          |
| `suspendCron`                   | boolean | No       | Temporarily disable cron schedule |
| `allowConcurrent`               | boolean | No       | Allow concurrent job runs         |
| `timeoutSeconds`                | integer | No       | Maximum job duration              |
| `connections`                   | array   | No       | External cloud connections        |
| `terminationGracePeriodSeconds` | integer | No       | Graceful shutdown timeout         |
| `gpuCoresNvidia`                | integer | No       | NVIDIA GPU cores                  |
| `nodeGroup`                     | string  | No       | Node group UUID                   |

***

## Basic Example

```yaml theme={null}
services:
  - name: cleanup
    type: job
    run: npm run cleanup
    cpuCores: 0.25
    ramMegabytes: 256
    cron: "0 0 * * *"
```

***

## `cron`

`string`

<Badge shape="pill" color="gray">Optional</Badge>

A cron expression that defines when the job should run. Uses [standard 5-field cron syntax](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cron).

```yaml theme={null}
cron: "0 0 * * *"
```

<Info>
  If no cron expression is provided, the job will default to run every 5 minutes.
</Info>

***

## `suspendCron`

`boolean`

<Badge shape="pill" color="gray">Optional</Badge>

Disable the cron schedule without removing it. The job won't run on schedule but can still be triggered manually.

```yaml theme={null}
suspendCron: true
```

<Tip>
  Use this to pause scheduled jobs during maintenance windows or while debugging, or to create one-off jobs.
</Tip>

***

## `allowConcurrent`

`boolean`

<Badge shape="pill" color="gray">Optional</Badge>

Allow multiple instances of the job to run simultaneously. By default, a new job run won't start if a previous run is still in progress.

```yaml theme={null}
allowConcurrent: true
```

<Warning>
  Be careful enabling this for jobs that modify shared resources. Concurrent runs may cause race conditions or data inconsistency.
</Warning>

***

## `timeoutSeconds`

`integer`

<Badge shape="pill" color="gray">Optional</Badge>

Maximum number of seconds the job is allowed to run before being terminated.

```yaml theme={null}
timeoutSeconds: 3600
```

<Info>
  If not specified, jobs may run indefinitely. It's recommended to set a reasonable timeout for all jobs.
</Info>

***

## `connections`

`array`

<Badge shape="pill" color="gray">Optional</Badge>

Connect to external cloud services. See [Connections Configuration](/applications/configuration-as-code/services/connections) for full documentation.

***

## `terminationGracePeriodSeconds`

`integer`

<Badge shape="pill" color="gray">Optional</Badge>

Seconds to wait for graceful shutdown before forcefully terminating the job.

```yaml theme={null}
terminationGracePeriodSeconds: 30
```

<Tip>
  Use this to ensure jobs can clean up resources or checkpoint progress before termination.
</Tip>

***

## `gpuCoresNvidia`

`integer`

<Badge shape="pill" color="gray">Optional</Badge>

Allocate NVIDIA GPU cores for ML training, inference, or GPU-accelerated processing.

```yaml theme={null}
gpuCoresNvidia: 1
nodeGroup: gpu-node-group-uuid
```

<Info>
  Requires a node group with GPU-enabled instances.
</Info>

***

## Triggering Jobs Manually

Jobs can be triggered manually using the Porter CLI:

```bash theme={null}
# Trigger a job run
porter app run my-app --job my-job

# Trigger and wait for completion
porter app run my-app --job my-job --wait

# Override concurrent restriction
porter app run my-app --job my-job --allow-concurrent
```

***

## Complete Example

```yaml theme={null}
services:
  - name: daily-report
    type: job
    run: python generate_report.py
    cpuCores: 1
    ramMegabytes: 2048

    # Schedule: Daily at 6 AM UTC
    cron: "0 6 * * *"

    # Allow up to 2 hours
    timeoutSeconds: 7200

    # Don't allow concurrent runs
    allowConcurrent: false

    # Cloud connections
    connections:
      - type: awsRole
        role: report-s3-access

    # Graceful shutdown
    terminationGracePeriodSeconds: 60
```

***

## Common Use Cases

### Database Cleanup

```yaml theme={null}
services:
  - name: db-cleanup
    type: job
    run: npm run cleanup-old-records
    cpuCores: 0.25
    ramMegabytes: 256
    cron: "0 3 * * *"  # 3 AM daily
    timeoutSeconds: 1800
    allowConcurrent: false
```

### Data Export

```yaml theme={null}
services:
  - name: weekly-export
    type: job
    run: python export_data.py
    cpuCores: 0.5
    ramMegabytes: 1024
    cron: "0 0 * * 0"  # Sunday at midnight
    timeoutSeconds: 14400  # 4 hours
    connections:
      - type: awsRole
        role: s3-export-role
```

### ML Training Job

```yaml theme={null}
services:
  - name: model-training
    type: job
    run: python train.py
    cpuCores: 8
    ramMegabytes: 32768
    gpuCoresNvidia: 4
    nodeGroup: gpu-node-group-uuid
    timeoutSeconds: 86400  # 24 hours
    terminationGracePeriodSeconds: 300
```

### Health Check / Monitoring

```yaml theme={null}
services:
  - name: healthcheck
    type: job
    run: ./check_dependencies.sh
    cpuCores: 0.1
    ramMegabytes: 128
    cron: "*/5 * * * *"  # Every 5 minutes
    timeoutSeconds: 60
    allowConcurrent: false
```

### Manual Migration Job

```yaml theme={null}
services:
  - name: data-migration
    type: job
    run: python migrate.py
    cpuCores: 2
    ramMegabytes: 4096
    suspendCron: true  # otherwise, the job will run every 5 minutes by default
    timeoutSeconds: 28800  # 8 hours
    allowConcurrent: false
    terminationGracePeriodSeconds: 120
```

<Info>
  Jobs `suspendCront: true` must be triggered manually using `porter app run --job`.
</Info>