# Off Peak Compute > Run heavy compute tasks overnight when GPU/cloud capacity is cheapest (spot pricing). Use when you have non-time-sensitive tasks that would benefit from off-peak availability. Tasks execute at 2 AM via cron. - Skill: `dvcrn/off-peak-compute` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add dvcrn/off-peak-compute` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/dvcrn/off-peak-compute/raw - Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner WARNING, skillspector WARNING) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: DevOps & Infra - Author: dvcrn (https://skillmd.com/u/dvcrn) - Updated: 2026-09-08 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/dvcrn/off-peak-compute --- # Off-Peak Compute Skill **Core Insight:** Cloud providers sell pooled, variable capacity. Your effective quota depends on infrastructure load. Running heavy tasks overnight maximizes throughput when GPU farms are underutilized. ## What This Skill Does - Provides a script template for queuing non-time-sensitive compute tasks - Runs queued tasks automatically at 2 AM via cron - Logs execution results for morning review ## Security Model **Honest assessment of what runs:** | Layer | Isolation | Privileges | |-------|-----------|------------| | Cron job | Separate process | Full user privileges | | Agent session | New session (isolated from your current session) | Full access to your environment's credentials | | Network calls | None | Whatever credentials the agent can access | **What this means:** - Tasks run with your user privileges - Each task spawns a new agent session (isolated from each other) - Sessions can access your environment's credentials - There is no sandboxing or credential scoping **Your responsibility:** - Inspect tasks before adding them - Don't embed secrets directly in the script - Test tasks manually before scheduling - Review what network actions tasks perform ## Setup (One-Time) ```bash # Create directories mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/workspace/logs # Copy the script template (see below) # Path: ~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/off-peak-compute.sh # Make executable (owner only for security) chmod 700 ~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/off-peak-compute.sh # Add cron job (runs at 2 AM daily) (crontab -l 2>/dev/null | grep -v "off-peak-compute"; echo "0 2 * * * \$HOME/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/off-peak-compute.sh") | crontab - # Verify crontab -l | grep off-peak ``` ## Script Template Create `~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/off-peak-compute.sh`: ```bash #!/bin/bash # off-peak-compute.sh # # OFF-PEAK COMPUTE QUEUE # Runs automatically at 2 AM via cron # # SECURITY: Tasks run with your user privileges and can access # your environment's credentials. Each task spawns a new agent # session (isolated from each other). No sandboxing is provided. # # REVIEW BEFORE ENABLING: # - Remove sample tasks you don't want # - Test tasks manually before scheduling # - Be aware of credential scope for each task # - Restrict permissions: chmod 700 this script # # --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOG_FILE="$HOME/.openclaw/workspace/logs/off-peak-compute.log" SCRIPT_FILE="$HOME/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/off-peak-compute.sh" log() { echo "[$(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')] $1" >> "$LOG_FILE" } echo "" >> "$LOG_FILE" echo "========================================" >> "$LOG_FILE" log "Off-peak compute run starting" echo "========================================" >> "$LOG_FILE" # Count tasks TASK_COUNT=$(grep -c "^# TASK:" "$SCRIPT_FILE" 2>/dev/null || echo "0") if [ "$TASK_COUNT" -eq 0 ]; then log "No tasks queued. Exiting." exit 0 fi log "Found $TASK_COUNT task(s) to process" # TASK TEMPLATE # Copy and modify for each task. Be aware of: # - Credential scope (what can this task access?) # - Network actions (what external services does it call?) # - File writes (where does it save results?) # # # TASK: # # Added: # # Credential scope: # # Network actions: # openclaw agent --agent --message "Task instructions here" # # END TASK # --------------------------------------------------------------------------- # TASKS BELOW THIS LINE # --------------------------------------------------------------------------- # END OF TASKS # --------------------------------------------------------------------------- log "Run complete. Check log for results." log "Remove completed tasks manually before next run." ``` ## Adding Tasks **Before adding a task, ask yourself:** 1. What credentials does this task need? 2. What network actions will it perform? 3. Where will it write files? 4. Have I tested it manually? **Template:** ```bash # TASK: Research competitive landscape # Added: 2026-03-10 # Credential scope: web search API (no secrets) # Network actions: web search, file write openclaw agent --agent main --message "Research competitive landscape for X. Save results to ~/notes/research/findings.md" # END TASK ``` ## Checking Results ```bash # View log cat ~/.openclaw/workspace/logs/off-peak-compute.log # Check for task output (wherever the task saves results) ls -la ~/notes/research/ ``` ## When to Use This **Good for off-peak:** - Deep research (can wait 12-24 hours) - Document summarization batches - Model-intensive analysis - Batch processing jobs **NOT for off-peak:** - Time-sensitive requests (emails, calendar) - Interactive tasks requiring follow-up - Urgent matters ## Cron Schedule ``` 0 2 * * * $HOME/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/off-peak-compute.sh ``` Adjust timezone if needed. ## Why This Matters Cloud providers sell pooled capacity. Overnight = lower demand = more throughput per token. This skill lets you queue heavy work for when capacity is cheapest. --- *Created: 2026-03-10* *Updated: 2026-03-10 — Honest security model, clear credential scope guidance*