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Argonne Leadership Computing Facility

PBS Pro qsub Options

Version 1.2 2021-04-28

-l select and similar options use a lowercase "L", -I for interactive is an uppercase "I".

Cobalt CLI PBS CLI PBS Directive Function and Page Reference
-A <account_string> -A <account_string> #PBS Account_Name=<accounting string> "Specifying Accounting String” UG-29
-n NODES
--nodecount NODES		 -l select=NODES:system=<hostname> One or more
#PBS -l <resource name>=<value>
directives		 "Requesting Resources” UG-51
-t
--walltime		 -l walltime=H:MM:SS One or more
#PBS -l <resource name>=<value>
directives		 "Requesting Resources” UG-51
--attrs
filesystems=<resource>		 -l filesystems=<resource> One or more
#PBS -l <resource name>=<value>
directives		 "Requesting Resources” UG-51
-q -q <destination> #PBS -q <queue name>
#PBS -q @<server name>
#PBS -q <queue name>@<server name>		 "Specifying Server and/or Queue” UG-29
--env -v <variable list> "Exporting Specific Environment Variables” UG-126
--env -V #PBS -V "Exporting All Environment Variables” UG-126
--attrs Done via custom resources and select statements "Setting Job Attributes” UG-16
--dependencies=<list> -W depend=afterok:<list> #PBS depend=... "Using Job Dependencies” UG-107
-I
--interactive		 -I Deprecated for use in a script "Running Your Job Interactively” UG-121
--jobname -N <name> #PBS -N <job name>
#PBS -WJob_Name=<job name>		 "Specifying Job Name” UG-27
-e
--error=		 -e <path> #PBS -e <path>
#PBS Error_Path=<path>		 "Paths for Output and Error Files” UG-42
-o
--output=		 -o <path> #PBS -o <path>
#PBS Output_Path=<path>		 "Paths for Output and Error Files” UG-42
-M
--notify
see note #1		 -M <user list>
-m <mail options>
(-m be is suggested)		 #PBS -M <mail recipients>
#PBS -WMail_Users=<mail recipients>
#PBS -m <mail points>
#PBS -WMail_Points=<mail points>		 "Setting Email Recipient List” UG-26
-u
--umask		 -W umask=<value> #PBS umask=<value> "Changing Linux Job umask” UG-45
-h -h #PBS -h "Holding and Releasing Jobs” UG-115
--proccount
See Note #2		 -l mpiprocs
Not needed to get equivalent Cobalt functionality		 One or more
#PBS -l <resource name>=<value> directives		 "Requesting Resources” UG-51

PBS options that provide functionality above and beyond Cobalt

Depending on policy decisions, not all of these options may be available.

Cobalt CLI PBS CLI PBS Directive Function and Page Reference
N/A -a <date_time> #PBS -a "Deferring Execution” UG-119
N/A -C <directive prefix> "Changing the Directive Prefix” UG-16
N/A -c <interval> #PBS -c "Using Checkpointing” UG-113
N/A -G "Submitting Interactive GUI Jobs on Windows” UG-125
N/A -J X-Y[:Z] #PBS -J "Submitting a Job Array” UG-150
N/A -j <join> #PBS Join_Path=<joining option> "Merging Output and Error Files” UG-43
N/A -k <keep> #PBS Keep_Files=<keep option> "Keeping Output and Error Files on Execution Host” UG-44
N/A -p <priority> #PBS -p "Setting Priority for Your Job” UG-120
N/A -P <project> #PBS project=<project name> "Specifying a Project for a Job” UG-27
N/A -r <value> #PBS -r "Allowing Your Job to be Re-run” UG-118
N/A -R <remove options> "Avoiding Creation of stdout and/or stderr” UG-43
N/A -S <path list> "Specifying the Top Shell for Your Job” UG-19
N/A
See Note #3		 -u <user list> #PBS User_List=<username list> "Specifying Job Username” UG-28
N/A -W block=true #PBS block=true "Making qsub Wait Until Job Ends” UG-120
N/A -W group_list=<list> #PBS group_list=<group list> "Specifying Job Group ID” UG-28
N/A -W release_nodes_on_stageout=<value> "Releasing Unneeded Vnodes from Your Job” UG-127
N/A -W run_count=<value> "Controlling Number of Times Job is Re-run” UG-119
N/A -W sandbox=<value> "Staging and Execution Directory: User Home vs. Job-specific” UG-31
N/A -W stagein=<list> #PBS -W stagein=<execution path>@<input file storage host>:<input file storage path>[,...] "Input/Output File Staging” UG-31
N/A -W stageout=<list> #PBS -W stageout=<execution path>@<output file storage host>:<output file storage path>[,...] "Input/Output File Staging” UG-31
N/A -X "Receiving X Output from Interactive Linux Jobs” UG-124
N/A -z #PBS -z "Suppressing Printing Job Identifier to stdout” UG-30

Notes

  1. To get the equivalent mail notifications from PBS, it requires two parameters: the -M just like Cobalt, but also -m be (the be stands for "beginning" and "end") to specify when the mails should go out. This will give you the same behavior as Cobalt.
  2. --proccount, while available, only changed behavior on the Blue Gene machines. To get equivalent functionality, just drop it from the CLI. In PBS, it does influence the PBS_NODES file. See Section 5.1.3 in the PBS Users Guide page UG-78.
  3. The following Cobalt options have no equivalent in PBS:
    • --cwd: use a script and cd to the directory you want to run from.
    • --user_list: There is no way to do this. We will work on adding this functionality.
    • --debuglog: Are we going to try and generate the equivalent of a .cobalt file?
  4. The following Cobalt options were Blue Gene specific and no longer apply:
    • --kernel
    • -K KERNELOPTIONS
    • --ion_kernel
    • --ion_kerneloption
    • --mode: see notes on running scripts, Python, and other executables
    • --geometry
    • --disable_preboot