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LSF Quick Start Guide

A brief introduction to using LSF batch commands. You might also want to look at the introductory guide to Using Platform LSF or the quick reference card.

First make sure your LSF environment is setup.

Submit a simple job and its output will be mailed to you:

On the command line:

$ bsub -q short hostname
Job <JobID> is submitted to queue <short>.

Or through stdin:

$ bsub -q short
bsub> hostname
bsub> ^D
Job <JobID> is submitted to queue <short>.

A more complex batch job can be submitted by writing a shell script, again its output will be mailed to you:

On the command line (the script is read only when your job runs):

$ bsub -q short script.sh.txt
Job <JobID> is submitted to queue <short>.

Or spooled immediately through stdin:

$ bsub -q short < script.sh.txt
Job <JobID> is submitted to queue <short>.

To see a list of the available queues, use the bqueues command (add the -l option for more details):

$ bqueues
QUEUE_NAME      PRIO STATUS          MAX JL/U JL/P JL/H NJOBS  PEND   RUN  SUSP 
at_cas_high      50   Open:Active      -    -    -    -     0     0     0     0
priority         43   Open:Active      -    -    -    -     0     0     0     0
owners           43   Open:Active      -    6    -    -     0     0     0     0
night            40    Open:Inact      -    -    -    -     0     0     0     0
short            35   Open:Active      -    -    -    -    18     0    18     0
license          33   Open:Active      -    -    -    -     0     0     0     0
at_cas           30   Open:Active      -    -    -    -     0     0     0     0
normal           30   Open:Active      -    -    -    -     0     0     0     0
idle             20   Open:Active      -    -    -    -     0     0     0     0

To see a list of your batch jobs, use the bjobs command:

The job has been submitted and is now waiting for the job manager to run it:

$ bjobs
JOBID USER     STAT  QUEUE      FROM_HOST   EXEC_HOST   JOB_NAME   SUBMIT_TIME
 ID   user     PEND  short      acas001                 test_LSF   Aug 14 17:42

A little while later it is actually running:

$ bjobs
JOBID USER     STAT  QUEUE      FROM_HOST   EXEC_HOST   JOB_NAME   SUBMIT_TIME
 ID   user     RUN   short      acas001     acas054     test_LSF   Aug 14 17:42

And when it has finished:

$ bjobs -a
JOBID USER     STAT  QUEUE      FROM_HOST   EXEC_HOST   JOB_NAME   SUBMIT_TIME
 ID   user     DONE  short      acas001     acas054     test_LSF   Aug 14 17:42

As always, read the man pages for more detailed information, examples and descriptions of options. The most commonly used commands are: bsub(1), bjobs(1), bkill(1), bqueues(1) and bhosts(1)
Complete manuals can also be downloaded from the Documentation page.

Report problems or send comments to RCF Webmaster.
Maintained by Jason A. Smith.
This document last modified Friday June 13, 2003

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This site is now deprecated. Please visit the New Facility Site.

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Please visit the New Facility Site.