Step 3: Use Job Templates to Partition a Group of Nodes for a Group of Users

Applies To: Windows HPC Server 2008

Job templates can be used to define custom submission policies.

The first procedure describes how to create a new job template called “Debugging”. This template limits jobs to the node group “StagingNodes” and to the user group “Developers”.

The second procedure describes how to modify the default job template to add the “ProductionNodes” node group as a required value of the Node group job property. This ensures that jobs submitted using the default template will not be able to run on nodes in the “StagingNodes” node group.

Note

The Node group job property specifies a list of node groups that a job can use. A job can only run on nodes that are members of all listed groups. For example, if the two mutually exclusive groups “ProductionNodes” and “StagingNodes” are both specified in a job request, the job will not start because there are no nodes that are members of both groups.

You must have administrative permissions on the head node to complete the following procedures.

Using job templates to partition your cluster for different user groups

To create a new job template called “Debugging”

  1. In HPC Cluster Manager, click Configuration.

  2. In the Navigation pane, click Job Templates.

  3. In the Actions pane, click New. The Generate Job Template Wizard appears.

  4. In Enter a name for the job template, type:

    Debugging

  5. In Enter a description, type:

    To partition StagingNodes for Developers

  6. Click Limit Node Groups (Optional).

  7. On the Limit Node Groups page, select the Allow only the selected node groups radio button, then select the check box next to the StagingNodes node group.

  8. Click Next.

  9. To create the job template, click Finish. The Debugging template now appears in the job template list.

  10. Right-click the Debugging template, and then click Set Permissions. The Permissions for Debugging dialog box appears.

  11. By default, the Administrators and Users groups are included in the job template permissions. In Group or user names, select the Users group, then click Remove.

  12. Click Add. The Select Users, Computers, or Groups dialog box appears.

  13. Because you created the Developers group as a local group on the head node, specify your head node as the location:

    1. Click Locations. The Locations dialog box appears.

    2. Under Location, select your head node, then click OK.

  14. Under Enter the object names to select, type Developers, then click OK.

  15. Developers now appears in the list of group or user names for the Debugging template. Verify that the Allow check box is selected for the Submit Job permission.

  16. Click OK to apply the changes and close the permissions dialog box.

To modify the default job template

  1. In the job template list, right-click the Default template, then click Edit.

  2. In the Job Template Editor dialog box, click Add, then click Node Groups.

    Note: if Node Groups is grayed out, then it has already been added. Find and select Node Groups in Selected Job Properties.

  3. Node Groups now appears selected in Selected Job Properties

  4. In Default Value drop-down list, select the check box next to ProductionNodes.

  5. In Required Values drop-down list, select the check box next to ProductionNodes.

  6. Click Save.

Important

If you have other job templates that should not be able to submit jobs to “StagingNodes”, then add “ProductionNodes” to the default and required Node Groups properties for those templates as well.