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Module 05 · Shipping a Real Agent System

Deploying an Agent to Run on a Schedule

25 minfocused lesson5practical steps4grounded questions3source links
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On this lesson

Course outline

A scheduled agent is production software triggered by time. It needs one durable run identity per schedule window, overlap prevention, time-zone clarity, catch-up policy, secrets, health checks, alerts, and a manual rerun that cannot duplicate effects.

After this lesson, you can deploy a scheduled workflow with safe concurrency and recovery.

// concept

Specify Schedule Semantics

Write:

// prompt — copy me9 lines
timezone and calendar
intended window
late-start tolerance
overlap policy: forbid, queue, or replace
missed-run policy: skip or catch up
maximum run duration
data cutoff and watermark
manual rerun rule
owner and alert route

Cron describes a trigger, not business semantics. GitHub Actions documents schedule syntax and behavior; other platforms differ. Verify the selected platform’s timezone, delays, default branch, concurrency, and inactivity behavior.

// concept

Create a Stable Run Key

For a daily PKT report:

// prompt — copy me1 line
run_key = tenant + workflow_version + business_date

Insert the key under a uniqueness constraint before work. A retry resumes or reports the same run. Use a watermark for the last committed source event rather than “now minus 24 hours,” which can skip or duplicate records.

// concept

Deploy as a Least-Privilege Service

Pin dependencies, use managed secrets, restrict network and data access, set CPU/memory/time limits, and separate development from production. Include structured logs, metrics, failure alert, and a runbook. Test restoration and secret rotation.

// worked_example

Worked Example

A Karachi distributor creates a daily exception digest at 08:00 PKT. It reads orders through a read-only API, flags deterministic exceptions, drafts summaries, and publishes to a private review queue. It never contacts customers.

The run key is shop12:exceptions:v3:2026-07-19. If the scheduler triggers twice, the second process sees the existing run. If yesterday’s run is still active, overlap is forbidden and an alert fires. A manual rerun uses the same key unless an authorized operator creates a new revision. The watermark advances only after the report commits.

// failure_cases

Failure Cases to Diagnose

7 cases to diagnose

  • Schedule timezone assumed

    document and test it.

  • Two instances overlap

    use durable uniqueness and locking.

  • Lookback uses local clock arithmetic

    use watermarks and consistent timestamps.

  • Manual rerun creates duplicate emails

    bind effects to run/effect IDs.

  • Workflow runs under a personal user

    create a service identity and offboarding plan.

  • Success alert only

    alert failure, overdue, and missing run.

  • No catch-up policy

    decide what missed windows mean.

// pakistan_angle

Pakistan Angle

Pakistan does not currently observe seasonal daylight changes, but overseas clients and hosted schedulers may use UTC or another zone. Store machine time consistently and show PKT business windows explicitly. Review Ramadan, Eid, and public-holiday behavior as a business calendar decision.

Expect power or network interruptions at operator locations. The scheduler, state, and alerts should not depend on an employee laptop. If a local dependency is unavailable, checkpoint and notify rather than repeatedly contacting customers or issuing transactions.

// hands_on

Hands-On Exercise

5 steps

  1. Complete the schedule semantics contract.

  2. Define run key, watermark, and overlap lock.

  3. Deploy or diagram the service identity and secret path.

  4. Test duplicate trigger, late start, missed run, timeout, and manual rerun.

  5. Execute the failure runbook.

// completion_rubric

Completion Rubric

6 checks — tick as you verify

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// sources

Sources

3 official sources — check every claim yourself

// check_yourself

Check yourself

4 questions · answers and options are taken word-for-word from this course

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  1. 1 / 4 · diagnose

    Your work shows this failure mode: “Two instances overlap.” What does the lesson tell you to do about it?