> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://novita.ai/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Long Running

By default, a sandbox `timeout` is effective for **at most 1 hour** — any larger value is capped. Long-running mode lifts this cap: with it enabled, the `timeout` you pass when creating the sandbox can exceed 1 hour. This is useful for workloads that need to stay alive well beyond a typical session, such as persistent services, long-running agent tasks, or background jobs.

Long-running mode is configured via the `metadata` field when creating a sandbox. The key is `long_running` and the value is `"true"` (as a string).

<Tip>
  `long_running` works **together with** `timeout`: set the timeout you actually need when creating the sandbox — with `long_running` enabled, it can exceed the default 1-hour cap. Without `long_running`, `timeout` is effective for at most 1 hour. **If `timeout` is not set, it defaults to 5 mins.**
</Tip>

<Warning>
  Long-running mode does not disable [idle timeout](/docs/guides/sandbox-idle-timeout): if you set one, it still applies, and an inactive sandbox will be paused or killed accordingly.
</Warning>

## Basic usage

Pass the `long_running` key in the `metadata` object when creating a sandbox.

<CodeGroup>
  ```js JavaScript & TypeScript icon="js" theme={"system"}
  import { Novita } from 'novita-sandbox'

  const novita = new Novita({
    apiKey: process.env.NOVITA_API_KEY || '',
  })

  // Create a long-running code-interpreter sandbox.
  // With long_running enabled, timeoutMs can exceed the default 1-hour cap.
  const sandbox = await novita.codeInterpreter.create({
    metadata: {
      long_running: 'true',
    },
    timeoutMs: 86_400_000, // 24 hours
  })
  ```

  ```python Python icon="python" theme={"system"}
  import os
  from novita_sandbox import Novita

  novita = Novita(api_key=os.environ['NOVITA_API_KEY'])

  # Create a long-running code-interpreter sandbox.
  # With long_running enabled, timeout can exceed the default 1-hour cap.
  sandbox = novita.code_interpreter.create(
      metadata={
          'long_running': 'true',
      },
      timeout=86_400,  # 24 hours
  )
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## How it works

* On `create` (and `resume`), when `long_running` is set, the `timeout` you pass can exceed the default 1-hour maximum running time.

## Scope and inheritance

* Only `create` accepts the `long_running` parameter.
* `resume` (including auto-resume): a sandbox created with `long_running` keeps the behavior after being resumed from a snapshot.
* `clone` inherits the parameter, and the sandbox keeps it when it continues running after a `reset`.

## Examples

Create a long-running sandbox that stays alive for up to **7 days**:

<CodeGroup>
  ```js JavaScript & TypeScript icon="js" theme={"system"}
  import { Novita } from 'novita-sandbox'

  const novita = new Novita({
    apiKey: process.env.NOVITA_API_KEY || '',
  })

  // 7 days = 7 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000 ms
  const sandbox = await novita.codeInterpreter.create({
    metadata: {
      long_running: 'true',
    },
    timeoutMs: 604_800_000,
  })
  ```

  ```python Python icon="python" theme={"system"}
  import os
  from novita_sandbox import Novita

  novita = Novita(api_key=os.environ['NOVITA_API_KEY'])

  # 7 days = 7 * 24 * 60 * 60 seconds
  sandbox = novita.code_interpreter.create(
      metadata={
          'long_running': 'true',
      },
      timeout=604_800,
  )
  ```
</CodeGroup>