Cloud Scheduler is Google’s managed cron service for time-based tasks. Trigger Cloud Functions, Cloud Run services, or any HTTP endpoints on schedule.
What is Cloud Scheduler?
Cloud Scheduler replaces self-managed cron jobs with a fully managed service. Define schedules in Unix cron format and let Google handle execution, retries, and monitoring.
The service integrates seamlessly with other GCP services: trigger Cloud Functions for serverless processing, send messages to Pub/Sub for event-driven architectures, or call any HTTP endpoint.
Core Features
- Cron Syntax: Standard Unix cron format for flexible schedules
- Multiple Targets: HTTP/S, Pub/Sub, App Engine
- Authentication: OAuth and OIDC tokens for secure calls
- Retry Policies: Configurable retry attempts on failure
- Timezone Support: All IANA timezones supported
Typical Use Cases
Scheduled Cloud Functions
Daily data cleanup, hourly API queries, or weekly reports. Cloud Scheduler reliably triggers Cloud Functions on schedule.
Batch Processing
Nightly ETL jobs, periodic data aggregation, or scheduled backups. Combine Scheduler with Cloud Run Jobs for longer processing.
Workflow Triggers
Start Cloud Workflows or Dataflow pipelines on schedule. Scheduler sends the initial trigger, the workflow handles orchestration.
Benefits
- Fully managed: No servers, no crontab management
- Reliable: 99.9% SLA with automatic retries
- Affordable: 3 free jobs, then $0.10/month per job
- Integrated: Native integration with Cloud Functions, Pub/Sub, Cloud Run
Integration with innFactory
As a Google Cloud Partner, innFactory supports you with Cloud Scheduler: architecture of scheduled workflows, integration with serverless services, and monitoring setup.
Typical Use Cases
Technical Specifications
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cloud Scheduler?
Cloud Scheduler is a fully managed cron job service on Google Cloud. It executes jobs on schedule and can trigger HTTP endpoints, Pub/Sub topics, or App Engine services. You define the schedule in Unix cron format.
What can Cloud Scheduler trigger?
Cloud Scheduler supports three target types - HTTP/HTTPS endpoints (including Cloud Functions, Cloud Run), Pub/Sub topics for asynchronous processing, and App Engine HTTP targets. For HTTP targets, OAuth or OIDC tokens can be included.
How does Cloud Scheduler differ from Cloud Tasks?
Cloud Scheduler executes jobs on schedule (cron). Cloud Tasks manages asynchronous task queues with rate limiting and retries. Often both are combined - Scheduler triggers periodically, Tasks processes the work.
How much does Cloud Scheduler cost?
The first 3 jobs per month are free. After that, each job costs $0.10 per month, regardless of execution frequency. Costs for triggered services (Cloud Functions, Pub/Sub) are billed separately.
Does Cloud Scheduler support retry on failure?
Yes, you can define retry policies with maximum number of attempts, minimum and maximum backoff time. For HTTP targets, responses with status 2xx are considered successful.
