Cron based scheduled downtime
 

Is there a means to use vB's internal cron to schedule a downtime? Just something as simple as setting the forum to off at a certain time and back on while other processes are running?

Sure, you'd need two cron jobs set at different times. The first one would turn the forum off by setting the appropriate setting, the second one which fires later would reverse the changes of the first one.

Anyone have a suggestion on how to form those jobs? Log phrase/filename?

Set these in cpanel not through vBulletin cron/scheduled tasks as those are activity based and if no one coincidentally is on the site at the time it's supposed to shut off it won't run the cron to close the site.. well I suppose it would once they visited of course but would it be too late then i.e. would the processes you mentioned above already be ongoing and then issues arise etc. If you set up the cron in cpanel however it will run at the specified time when the server time matches.

I do not have cpanel. But I'm confused how vB tasks are based on activity? I could I guess just add a task in linux cron. But I'm at a loss how that'd be done.