Spinning up a VM is just the beginning.
Once it’s live, the real magic happens when you use it as your own programmable, always-on machine.

Whether you're a developer, tester, freelancer, or indie builder here are 10 high-impact tasks you can automate with your Raff cloud VM.

1. Run Scheduled Jobs with Cron

Use your VM like a reliable cloud-based task scheduler.
Automate:

• Daily database backups

• Data scraping

• Email summaries

• Scripted deployments

It’s as simple as setting up a crontab on your Linux instance.

2. Deploy GitHub Actions Runners

Want full control over your CI pipeline?

Set up a self-hosted GitHub Actions runner on your VM to:

• Speed up workflows

• Avoid GitHub's shared runners' timeouts

• Run private scripts securely

Bonus: You can stop the VM when not in use.

3. Auto-Build and Push Docker Images

Use your VM to:

• Pull the latest code from GitHub

• Build Docker images

• Push them to Docker Hub or your private registry

Great for staging environments or internal tooling.

4. Self-Host Developer Tools

Your Raff VM can automate the setup and uptime of tools like:

• JupyterLab

• VS Code Server

• Postgres / MongoDB

• Jenkins / CI dashboards

• Tailscale or WireGuard for remote access

Install once, run forever.

5. Webhooks and Lightweight API Services

Want to automate Slack alerts, database updates, or webhook listening?

Use Flask, FastAPI, or Node to deploy tiny HTTP endpoints that run 24/7 and automate your side-project workflows.

6. Mirror & Backup Git Repos

Use cron + shell scripts to regularly mirror important Git repos to your private storage.
Peace of mind, automated.

7. Host Your Portfolio or Resume API

Set it once, forget it.
You can host:

• A static portfolio site

• Your resume as JSON API

• A Notion-to-site mirror
  …without needing Vercel or Netlify.

And yes you can automate the refresh too.

8. Monitor Your Personal or Client Websites

Run tools like uptime-kuma or simple bash curl scripts to:

• Monitor your sites

• Get downtime alerts via email or Telegram

• Log response times

Lightweight and powerful.

9. Convert Your VM Into a Discord/Telegram Bot Server

Spin up bots that:

• Respond to commands

• Automate group tasks

• Monitor mentions or RSS feeds

Schedule their tasks, keep logs, and scale them easily.

10. Automate Learning or Research Workflows

Use your VM to:

• Download daily articles, papers, or podcasts

• Summarize content with an LLM

• Push notes to your Obsidian/Notion or email inbox

It becomes your always-on second brain.

Final Thoughts

Raff gives you a clean, powerful VM with no bloat, no overcomplication, and no surprise pricing. That means you're free to automate securely, affordably, and on your terms.

And with $200 in free credit, there’s no reason not to experiment.

Spin up your own automation VM today:
rafftechnologies.com