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<h1>SLURM: A Highly Scalable Resource Manager</h1>
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<p>SLURM is an open-source resource manager designed for Linux clusters of all
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sizes. It provides three key functions. First it allocates exclusive and/or non-exclusive
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access to resources (computer nodes) to users for some duration of time so they
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can perform work. Second, it provides a framework for starting, executing, and
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monitoring work (typically a parallel job) on a set of allocated nodes. Finally,
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it arbitrates contention for resources by managing a queue of pending work. </p>
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<p>SLURM is not a sophisticated batch system, but it does provide an Applications
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Programming Interface (API) for integration with external schedulers such as
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<p>SLURM is an open-source resource manager designed for Linux clusters of
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It provides three key functions.
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First it allocates exclusive and/or non-exclusive access to resources
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(computer nodes) to users for some duration of time so they can perform work.
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Second, it provides a framework for starting, executing, and monitoring work
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(typically a parallel job) on a set of allocated nodes.
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Finally, it arbitrates contention for resources by managing a queue of
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<p>SLURM's design is very modular with dozens of optional plugins.
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In its simplest configuration, it can be installed and configured in a
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couple of minutes (see <a href="http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7239/1/">
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Caos NSA and Perceus: All-in-one Cluster Software Stack</a>
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by Jeffrey B. Layton).
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More complex configurations rely upon a
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<a href="http://www.mysql.com/">MySQL</a> database for archiving
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<a href="accounting.html">accounting</a> records, managing
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<a href="resource_limits.html">resource limits</a> by user or bank account,
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or supporting sophisticated
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<a href="priority_multifactor.html">job prioritization</a> algorithms.
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SLURM also provides an Applications Programming Interface (API) for
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integration with external schedulers such as
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<a href="http://www.clusterresources.com/pages/products/maui-cluster-scheduler.php">
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The Maui Scheduler</a> and
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The Maui Scheduler</a> or
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<a href="http://www.clusterresources.com/pages/products/moab-cluster-suite.php">
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Moab Cluster Suite</a>.
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While other resource managers do exist, SLURM is unique in several respects:
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Moab Cluster Suite</a>.</p>
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<p>While other resource managers do exist, SLURM is unique in several
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<li>Its source code is freely available under the
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<a href="http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html">GNU General Public License</a>.</li>
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<li>It is designed to operate in a heterogeneous cluster with up to 65,536 nodes.</li>
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<li>It is portable; written in C with a GNU autoconf configuration engine. While
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initially written for Linux, other UNIX-like operating systems should be easy
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porting targets. A plugin mechanism exists to support various interconnects, authentication
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mechanisms, schedulers, etc.</li>
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<li>It is designed to operate in a heterogeneous cluster with up to 65,536 nodes
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and hundreds of thousands of processors.</li>
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<li>It is portable; written in C with a GNU autoconf configuration engine.
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While initially written for Linux, other UNIX-like operating systems should
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be easy porting targets.</li>
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<li>SLURM is highly tolerant of system failures, including failure of the node
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executing its control functions.</li>
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<li>It is simple enough for the motivated end user to understand its source and
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add functionality.</li>
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<li>A plugin mechanism exists to support various interconnects, authentication
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mechanisms, schedulers, etc. These plugins are documented and simple enough for the motivated end user to understand the source and add functionality.</li>
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<p>SLURM provides resource management on about 1000 computers worldwide,
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<li><a href="https://asc.llnl.gov/computing_resources/bluegenel/">BlueGene/L</a>
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at LLNL with 106,496 dual-core processors</li>
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<li><a href="http://c-r-labs.com/">EKA</a> at Computational Research Laboratories,
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India with 14,240 Xeon processoers and Infiniband interconnect</li>
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India with 14,240 Xeon processors and Infiniband interconnect</li>
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<li><a href="https://asc.llnl.gov/computing_resources/purple/">ASC Purple</a>
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an IBM SP/AIX cluster at LLNL with 12,208 Power5 processors and a Federation switch</li>
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<li><a href="http://www.bsc.es/plantillaA.php?cat_id=5">MareNostrum</a>
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a Linux cluster at Barcelona Supercomputer Center
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with 10,240 PowerPC processors and a Myrinet switch</li>
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<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_(computer)">Anton</a>
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a massively parallel supercomputer designed and built by
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<a href="http://www.deshawresearch.com/">D. E. Shaw Research</a>
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for molecular dynamics simulation using 512 custom-designed ASICs
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and a three-dimensional torus interconnect </li>
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<p>SLURM is actively being developed, distributed and supported by
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<a href="https://www.llnl.gov">Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory</a>,
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<a href="http://www.hp.com">Hewlett-Packard</a>,
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<a href="http://www.bull.com">Bull</a>,
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<a href="http://www.clusterresources.com">Cluster Resources</a> and
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<a href="http://www.sicortex.com">SiCortex</a>.</p>
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<a href="http://www.hp.com">Hewlett-Packard</a> and
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<a href="http://www.bull.com">Bull</a>.
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It is also distributed and supported by
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<a href="http://www.clusterresources.com">Cluster Resources</a>,
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<a href="http://www.sicortex.com">SiCortex</a>,
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<a href="http://www.infiscale.com">Infiscale</a>,
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<a href="http://www.ibm.com">IBM</a> and
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<a href="http://www.sun.com">Sun Microsystems</a>.</p>
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<p style="text-align:center;">Last modified 29 November 2007</p>
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<p style="text-align:center;">Last modified 25 March 2009</p>
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