doc/html/schedplugins.shtml

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<h1><a name="top">SLURM Scheduler Plugin API</a></h1>

<h2> Overview</h2>
<p> This document describes SLURM scheduler plugins and the API that defines 
them. It is intended as a resource to programmers wishing to write their own SLURM 
scheduler plugins. This is version 100 of the API.</p>

<p>It is noteworthy that two different models are used for job scheduling.
The <b>backfill</b> scheduler lets SLURM establish the initial job priority
and can periodically alter job priorities to change their order within the queue.
The <b>wiki</b> scheduler establishes an initial priority of zero (held) for
all jobs. These jobs only begin execution when the <b>wiki</b> scheduler 
explicitly raises the their priority (releasing them). 
Developers may use the model that best fits their needs. 
Note that a separate <a href="selectplugins.html">node selection plugin</a>
is available for controlling that aspect of scheduling.</p>

<p>SLURM scheduler plugins are SLURM plugins that implement the SLURM scheduler
API described herein. They must conform to the SLURM Plugin API with the following 
specifications:</p>
<p><span class="commandline">const char plugin_type[]</span><br>
The major type must be &quot;sched.&quot; The minor type can be any recognizable 
abbreviation for the type of scheduler. We recommend, for example:</p>
<ul>
<li><b>builtin</b>&#151;A plugin that implements the API without providing any actual 
scheduling services. This is the default behavior and implements first-in-first-out scheduling.</li>
<li><b>backfill</b>&#151;Raise the priority of jobs if doing so results in their starting earlier 
without any delay in the expected initiation time of any higher priority job.</li>
<li><b>wiki</b>&#151;Uses
<a href="http://www.clusterresources.com/pages/products/maui-cluster-scheduler.php">
The Maui Scheduler</a> (Wiki version) 
as an external entity to control SLURM job scheduling.</li>
<li><b>wiki2</b>&#151;Uses 
<a href="http://www.clusterresources.com/pages/products/moab-cluster-suite.php">
Moab Cluster Suite</a> as an external entity to control SLURM job scheduling.
Note that wiki2 is an expanded version of the wiki plugin with additional 
functions supported specifically for Moab.</li>

</ul>
<p>The <span class="commandline">plugin_name</span> and 
<span class="commandline">plugin_version</span> 
symbols required by the SLURM Plugin API require no specialization for scheduler support. 
Note carefully, however, the versioning discussion below.</p>
<p>The programmer is urged to study 
<span class="commandline">src/plugins/sched/backfill</span> and
<span class="commandline">src/plugins/sched/builtin</span> 
for sample implementations of a SLURM scheduler plugin.</p>
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<h2>Data Objects</h2>
<p>The implementation must maintain (though not necessarily directly export) an
enumerated <span class="commandline">errno</span>  to allow SLURM to discover
as practically as possible the reason for any failed API call. Plugin-specific enumerated
integer values should be used when appropriate. It is desirable that these values 
be mapped into the range ESLURM_SCHED_MIN and ESLURM_SCHED_MAX
as defined in <span class="commandline">slurm/slurm_errno.h</span>.
The error number should be returned by the function
<a href="#get_errno"><span class="commandline">slurm_sched_get_errno()</span></a>
and  string describing the error's meaning should be returned by the function
<a href="#strerror"><span class="commandline">slurm_sched_strerror()</span></a> 
described below.</p>

<p>These values must not be used as return values in integer-valued functions
in the API. The proper error return value from integer-valued functions is SLURM_ERROR.
The implementation should endeavor to provide useful and pertinent information by 
whatever means is practical. In some cases this means an errno for each credential,
since plugins must be re-entrant. If a plugin maintains a global errno in place of or in
addition to a per-credential errno, it is not required to enforce mutual exclusion on it.
Successful API calls are not required to reset any errno to a known value. However,
the initial value of any errno, prior to any error condition arising, should be
SLURM_SUCCESS. </p>
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<h2>API Functions</h2>
<p>The following functions must appear. Functions which are not implemented should 
be stubbed.</p>

<p class="commandline">int slurm_sched_plugin_reconfig (void);</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Description</b>: Reread any configuration files.</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Arguments</b>: None</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Returns</b>: SLURM_SUCCESS if successful. On fail
ure,
the plugin should return SLURM_ERROR and set the errno to an appropriate value
to indicate the reason for failure.</p>

<p class="commandline">int slurm_sched_plugin_schedule (void);</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Description</b>: For passive schedulers, invoke a scheduling pass.</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Arguments</b>: None</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Returns</b>: SLURM_SUCCESS if successful. On failure, 
the plugin should return SLURM_ERROR and set the errno to an appropriate value 
to indicate the reason for failure.</p>

<p class="commandline">int slurm_sched_plugin_newalloc (void);</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Description</b>: Note the successful allocation of resources to a job.</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Arguments</b>: Pointer to the slurmctld job structure. This can be used to
get partition, allocated resources, time limit, etc.</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Returns</b>: SLURM_SUCCESS if successful. On failure, 
the plugin should return SLURM_ERROR and set the errno to an appropriate value 
to indicate the reason for failure.</p>

<p class="commandline">int slurm_sched_plugin_freealloc (void);</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Description</b>: Note the successful release of resources for a job.</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Arguments</b>: Pointer to the slurmctld job structure. This can be used to
get partition, allocated resources, time limit, etc.</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Returns</b>: SLURM_SUCCESS if successful. On failure, 
the plugin should return SLURM_ERROR and set the errno to an appropriate value 
to indicate the reason for failure.</p>

<p class="commandline">uint32_t slurm_sched_plugin_initial_priority (
uint32_t last_prio, struct job_record *job_ptr);</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Description</b>: Establish the initial priority of a new job.</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Arguments</b>:<br>
<b>last_prio</b> (input) default priority of the previously submitted job. 
This can be used to provide First-In-First-Out scheduling by assigning the 
new job a priority lower than this value.
This could also be used to establish an initial priority of zero for all jobs, 
representing a "held" state. 
The scheduler plugin can then decide where and when to initiate pending jobs 
by altering their priority and (optionally) list of required nodes.<br>
<b>job_ptr</b> (input) 
Pointer to the slurmctld job structure. This can be used to get partition, 
resource requirements, time limit, etc.</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Returns</b>: The priority to be assigned to this job.</p>

<p class="commandline">void slurm_sched_plugin_job_is_pending (void);</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Description</b>: Note that some job is pending execution.</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Arguments</b>: None</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Returns</b>: Nothing.</p>

<p class="commandline">void slurm_sched_plugin_partition_change (void);</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Description</b>: Note that some partition state change 
happened such as time or size limits.</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Arguments</b>: None</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Returns</b>: Nothing.</p>
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<p class="commandline">char *slurm_sched_get_conf (void);</p></a>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Description</b>: Return scheduler specific 
configuration information to be reported for the <i>scontrol show configuration</i>
command.</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Arguments</b>: None</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Returns</b>: A string containing configuration 
information. The return value is released using the <i>xfree()</i> function.</p>

<a name="get_errno"><p class="commandline">int slurm_sched_get_errno (void);</p></a>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Description</b>: Return the number of a scheduler
specific error.</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Arguments</b>: None</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Returns</b>: Error number for the last failure encountered by the scheduler plugin.</p>

<p class="commandline"><a name="strerror">const char *slurm_sched_strerror(int errnum);</a></p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Description</b>: Return a string description of a scheduler
specific error code.</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Arguments</b>:<br>
<b>errnum</b> (input) a scheduler
specific error code.</p>
<p style="margin-left:.2in"><b>Returns</b>: Pointer to string describing the error
or NULL if no description found in this plugin.</p>
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<h2>Versioning</h2>
<p> This document describes version 100 of the SLURM Scheduler API. Future 
releases of SLURM may revise this API. A scheduler plugin conveys its ability 
to implement a particular API version using the mechanism outlined for SLURM plugins.</p>
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<p style="text-align:center;">Last modified 8 November 2007</p>

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