Compare cron and anacron in Linux with an example?

Answer»

S.no	CRON	ANACRON
1.	It is a daemon that runs scheduled tasks	It runs COMMANDS PERIODICALLY, the frequency being defined in several days.
2.	Example – updates, SYSTEM backups	Example – a BACKUP script that is scheduled to run weekly or monthly.
3.	Suitable for machines that are on 24x7 like servers	Suitable for machines like laptops and desktops that are NOT on 24x7.
4.	Runs as per defined schedules.	Checks if any JOB has to be executed when the user turns on the power.
5.	Default system crontab file is /etc/crontab	Listed in /etc/anacrontab

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