A list of useful PBS Pro commands can be found below.
If HPC users would like more information, a very useful PBS Pro User Guide (320 pages) can be found at http://www.pbsworks.com/documentation/support/PBSProUserGuide11.2.pdf and a PBS Pro reference guide (592 pages) can also be found at http://www.pbsworks.com/documentation/support/PBSProRefGuide11.1.pdf.
| Command | Description | Usage Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
qsub | Submit a job | qsub myjob | Submits the job "myjob" for the execution. |
qstat | Show status of batch jobs | qstat -u bellj | Show the status of all the jobs submitted by the user bellj (Jason Bell). |
qdel | Delete a job | qdel 3221.pbsserver | Deletes the job with job id 3221. |
qalter | Alter a job's attributes | qalter -l ncpus = 4 : mem: 512 230.pbsserver | Changes the attributes of the job 230. |
qhold | Place a hold on a job to keep it from being scheduled for running | qhold 54.pbsserver | Puts the user hold on job 54. |
qmove | Move a job to a different queue or server | qmove test_queue 43.pbsserver | Moves job 43 from original queue to test_queue ( may require privileges). |
qmsg | Append a message to the output of an executing job | qmsg -o "output file message" 54.pbsserver | Writes the message to the output file of job 54. |
qrerun | Terminate an executing job and return it to a queue | qrerun 54.pbsserver | Terminates the running job 54 and returns it into the queue. |
qrls | Remove a hold from a job | qrls -h u 54.pbsserver | Releases the user type hold from the job 54. |
qselect | Obtain a list of jobs that meet certain criteria | qselect -u barry -l ncpus.gt. 16.pbsserver | Gives a list of jobs that are owned by user barry and have used cpu's > 16. |
qsig | Send a signal to an existing job | qsig -s Kill 34.pbsserver | This command would send kill signal to the job 34. |
xpbs | GUI front to PBS commands | xpbs | Runs the GUI interface to the PBS. |
qsub options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-I | Declares that the job is to be run "interactively". Default: Run in a batch job, if the option is not specified. |
-j{oe,eo,n} |
Default n, or if the option is not specified, standard output and standard error are two separate files |
-o path | The name of the file for standard output. Default: job_name.osequence_number if the option is not specified. |
-e path | The name of the file for standard error. Default: job_name.esequence_number if the option is not specified. |
-l resource_list | |
-m{a,b,e,n} | Mail is sent:
Default n or if option is not specified: no mail is sent. |
-M user_list | List of users for the option -m. Give here mail address(es). Default: job owner if unset. |
-N job_name | The job name. Default: is based on the name of the job script if the option is not specified, STDIN if no script and it was read from standard input. |
-q destination | Destination of the job. destination names a queue, a server or a queue at a server |
-v variable_list | Environment variables exported to the job. variable_list is a comma separated list of the form variable or variable=value |
-V | All environment variables in the qsub command's environment are to be exported to the batch job. |
qstat options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
(no options) | Displays all jobs |
-f | Displays full status of jobs |
-a | Displays all jobs in alternative format |
-i | Displays jobs (non-running mainly) in alternative format |
-r | Displays jobs (mainly running and suspended) |
-n | In addition to the basic information, nodes allocated to a job are listed |
-u user(s) | Displays jobs of a user or users |
-Q | Status of queues |
-Q -f | Full status of queues (configuration also) |
-q | Status of queues in the alternative format |
-B | Batch server status |
-B -f | Full batch server status (configuration also) |
Job identifiers, queue names, PBS server names or named queues on named servers can be given as additional operands for these options. These restrict displayed information only to these items. For more information about these operands and the qstat command see the manual page qstat(1B).
Job status
Job status is displayed by the command qstat without options, or in an alternative format by using, e.g. the options -a, -i, -r, -n and -u without -f.
When option -f is included, full job status, i.e., attributes including requested and used (if job is running) resources, is displayed.
Queue status
Queue status is displayed by options -q and -Q. Full queue status, i.e., queue attributes including resources (minimum and maximum limits and defaults), is displayed with options -Q -f.
Server status
Server status is displayed by the option -B.
Full server status, i.e., server attributes including resources (limits and defaults), is shown by options -B -f.
