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NAME
qalter - alter pbs batch job
SYNOPSIS
qalter [-a date_time] [-A account_string] [-c interval] [-e path] [-h hold_list] [-j join] [-k keep] [-l
resource_list] [-m mail_options] [-M user_list] [-N name] [-o path] [-p priority] [-r c] [-S path] [-u
user_list] [-W additional_attributes] job_identifier...
DESCRIPTION
The qalter command modifies the attributes of the job or jobs specified by job_identifier on the command
line. Only those attributes listed as options on the command will be modified. If any of the specified
attributes cannot be modified for a job for any reason, none of that job's attributes will be modified.
The qalter command accomplishes the modifications by sending a Modify Job batch request to the batch
server which owns each job.
OPTIONS
-a date_time
Replaces the time at which the job becomes eligible for execution. The date_time argument syntax
is: [[[[CC]YY]MM]DD]hhmm[.SS].
If the month, MM, is not specified, it will default to the current month if the specified day DD,
is in the future. Otherwise, the month will be set to next month. Likewise, if the day, DD, is
not specified, it will default to today if the time hhmm is in the future. Otherwise, the day
will be set to tomorrow.
This attribute can be altered once the job has begun execution, but it will not take affect until
the job is rerun.
-A account_string
Replaces the the account string associated with the job.
This attribute cannot be altered once the job has begun execution.
-c interval
Replaces the the interval at which the job will be checkpointed. If the job executes upon a host
which does not support checkpoint, this option will be ignored.
The interval argument is specified as:
n No checkpointing is to be performed.
s Checkpointing is to be performed only when the server executing the job is shutdown.
c Checkpointing is to be performed at the default minimum cpu time for the queue from which the
job is executing.
c=minutes
Checkpointing is to be performed at an interval of minutes, which is the integer number of
minutes of CPU time used by the job. This value must be greater than zero. If the number is
less than the default checkpoint time, the default time will be used.
This attribute can be altered once the job has begun execution, but the new value does not take
affect until the job is rerun.
-e path Replaces the the path to be used for the standard error stream of the batch job. The path
argument is of the form:
[hostname:]path_name
where hostname is the name of a host to which the file will be returned and path_name is the path
name on that host in the syntax recognized by POSIX 1003.1. The argument will be interpreted as
follows:
path_name
Where path_name is not an absolute path name, then the qalter command will expand the path
name relative to the current working directory of the command. The command will supply
the name of the host upon which it is executing for the hostname component.
hostname:path_name
Where path_name is not an absolute path name, then the qalter command will not expand the
path name. The execution server will expand it relative to the home directory of the user
on the system specified by hostname.
path_name
Where path_name specifies an absolute path name, then qalter will supply the name of the
host on which it is executing for the hostname.
hostname:path_name
Where path_name specifies an absolute path name, the path will be used as specified.
This attribute can be altered once the job has begun execution, but it will not take affect until
the job is rerun.
-h hold_list
Updates the the types of holds on the job. The hold_list argument is a string of one or more of
the following characters:
u Add the USER type hold.
s Add the SYSTEM type hold if the user has the appropriate level of privilege. [Typically
reserved to the batch administrator.]
o Add the OTHER (or OPERATOR ) type hold if the user has the appropriate level of privilege.
[Typically reserved to the batch administrator and batch operator.]
n Set to none; that is clear the hold types which could be applied with the users level of
privilege.
Repetition of characters is permitted, but "n" may not appear in the same option argument with
the other three characters. This attribute can be altered once the job has begun execution, but
the hold will not take affect until the job is rerun.
-j join Declares which standard streams of the job will be merged together. The join argument value may
be the characters "oe" and "eo", or the single character "n".
A argument value of oe directs that the standard output and standard error streams of the job
will be merged, intermixed, and returned as the standard output. A argument value of eo directs
that the standard output and standard error streams of the job will be merged, intermixed, and
returned as the standard error.
A value of n directs that the two streams will be two separate files. This attribute can be
altered once the job has begun execution, but it will not take affect until the job is rerun.
-k keep Defines which if either of standard output or standard error of the job will be retained on the
execution host. If set for a stream, this option overrides the path name for that stream.
The argument is either the single letter "e", "o", or "n", or one or more of the letters "e" and
"o" combined in either order.
n No streams are to be retained.
e The standard error stream is to retained on the execution host. The stream will be placed
in the home directory of the user under whose user id the job executed. The file name will
be the default file name given by: job_name.esequence where job_name is the name specified
for the job, and sequence is the sequence number component of the job identifier.
o The standard output stream is to be retained on the execution host. The stream will be
placed in the home directory of the user under whose user id the job executed. The file
name will be the default file name given by: job_name.osequence where job_name is the name
specified for the job, and sequence is the sequence number component of the job identifier.
eo Both the standard output and standard error streams will be retained.
oe Both the standard output and standard error streams will be retained.
This attribute cannot be altered once the job has begun execution.
-l resource_list
Modifies the list of resources that are required by the job. The Resource_List argument is in
the following syntax:
resource_name[=[value]][,resource_name[=[value]],...]
If a requested modification to a resource would exceed the resource limits for jobs in the
current queue, the server will reject the request.
If the job is running, only certain, resources can be altered. Which resources can be altered in
the run state is system dependent. A user may only lower the limit for those resources.
-m mail_options
Replaces the set of conditions under which the execution server will send a mail message about
the job. The mail_options argument is a string which consists of the single character "n", or
one or more of the characters "a", "b", and "e".
If the character "n" is specified, no mail will be sent.
For the letters "a", "b", and "e":
a mail is sent when the job is aborted by the batch system.
b mail is sent when the job begins execution.
e mail is sent when the job terminates.
-M user_list
Replaces the list of users to whom mail is sent by the execution server when it sends mail about
the job.
The user_list argument is of the form:
user[@host][,user[@host],...]
-N name Renames the job. The name specified may be up to and including 15 characters in length. It must
consist of printable, non white space characters with the first character alphabetic.
-o path Replaces the path to be used for the standard output stream of the batch job. The path argument
is of the form:
[hostname:]path_name
where hostname is the name of a host to which the file will be returned and path_name is the path
name on that host in the syntax recognized by POSIX. The argument will be interpreted as
follows:
path_name
Where path_name is not an absolute path name, then the qalter command will expand the path
name relative to the current working directory of the command. The command will supply
the name of the host upon which it is executing for the hostname component.
hostname:path_name
Where path_name is not an absolute path name, then the qalter command will not expand the
path name. The execution server will expand it relative to the home directory of the user
on the system specified by hostname.
path_name
Where path_name specifies an absolute path name, then the qalter will supply the name of
the host on which it is executing for the hostname.
hostname:path_name
Where path_name specifies an absolute path name, the path will be used as specified.
This attribute can be altered once the job has begun execution, but it will not take affect until
the job is rerun.
-p priority
Replaces the priority of the job. The priority argument must be a integer between -1024 and
+1023 inclusive.
This attribute can be altered once the job has begun execution, but it will not take affect until
the job is rerun.
-r c Declares whether the job is rerunable. See the qrerun command. The option argument c is a
single character. PBS recognizes the following characters: y and n.
If the argument is "y", the job is marked rerunable. If the argument is "n", the job is marked
as not rerunable.
-S path Declares the shell that interprets the job script.
The option argument path_list is in the form:
path[@host][,path[@host],...]
Only one path may be specified for any host named. Only one path may be specified without the
corresponding host name. The path selected will be the one with the host name that matched the
name of the execution host. If no matching host is found, then if present the path specified
without a host will be selected.
If the -S option is not specified, the option argument is the null string, or no entry from the
path_list is selected, the execution will use the login shell of the user on the execution host.
This attribute can be altered once the job has begun execution, but it will not take affect until
the job is rerun.
-u user_list
Replaces the user name under which the job is to run on the execution system.
The user_list argument is of the form:
user[@host][,user[@host],...]
Only one user name may be given for per specified host. Only one of the user specifications may
be supplied without the corresponding host specification. That user name will be used for
execution on any host not named in the argument list.
This attribute cannot be altered once the job has begun execution.
-W additional_attributes
The -W option allows for the modification of additional job attributes. The general syntax of
the -W is in the form:
-W attr_name=value[,attr_name=value...]
Note if white space occurs anywhere within the option argument string or the equal sign, "=",
occurs within an attribute_value string, then the string must be enclosed with either single or
double quote marks.
PBS currently supports the following attributes within the -W option.
depend=dependency_list
Redefines the dependencies between this and other jobs. The dependency_list is in the form:
type[:argument[:argument...][,type:argument...].
The argument is either a numeric count or a PBS job id according to type . If argument is a
count, it must be greater than 0. If it is a job id and is not fully specified in the form:
seq_number.server.name, it will be expanded according to the default server rules. If argument
is null (the preceding colon need not be specified), the dependency of the corresponding type is
cleared (unset).
synccount:count
This job is the first in a set of jobs to be executed at the same time. Count is the
number of additional jobs in the set.
syncwith:jobid
This job is an additional member of a set of jobs to be executed at the same time. Jobid
is the job identifier of the first job in the set.
after:jobid[:jobid...]
This job may be scheduled for execution at any point after jobs jobid have started
execution.
afterok:jobid[:jobid...]
This job may be scheduled for execution only after jobs jobid have terminated with no
errors.
afternotok:jobid[:jobid...]
This job may be scheduled for execution only after jobs jobid have terminated with
errors.
afterany:jobid[:jobid...]
This job may be scheduled for execution after jobs jobid have terminated, with or without
errors.
on:count
This job may be scheduled for execution after count dependencies on other jobs have been
satisfied. This form is used in conjunction with one of the before forms, see below.
before:jobid[:jobid...]
When this job has begun execution, then jobs jobid... may begin.
beforeok:jobid[:jobid...]
If this job terminates execution without errors, then jobs jobid... may begin.
beforenotok:jobid[:jobid...]
If this job terminates execution with errors, then jobs jobid... may begin.
beforeany:jobid[:jobid...]
When this job terminates execution, jobs jobid... may begin.
If any of the before forms are used, the job referenced by jobid must have been submitted
with a dependency type of on.
The job specified in any of the before forms must have the same owner as the job being
altered.. Otherwise, the dependency will not take effect.
Error processing of the existence, state, or condition of the job on which the newly
submitted job is a deferred service, i.e. the check is performed after the job is queued. If
an error is detected, the new job will be deleted by the server. Mail will be sent to the
job submitter stating the error.
group_list=g_list
Alters the group name under which the job is to run on the execution system.
The g_list argument is of the form: group[@host][,group[@host],...]
Only one group name may be given per specified host. Only one of the group specifications may be
supplied without the corresponding host specification. That group name will used for execution
on any host not named in the argument list.
stagein=file_list
stageout=file_list
Alters which files are staged (copied) in before job start or staged out after the job completes
execution. The file_list is in the form: local_file@hostname:remote_file[,...]
The name local_file is the name on the system where the job executes. It may be an absolute path
or a path relative to the home directory of the user. The name remote_file is the destination
name on the host specified by hostname. The name may be absolute or relative to the user's home
directory on the destination host.
OPERANDS
The qalter command accepts one or more job_identifier operands of the form:
sequence_number[.server_name][@server]
STANDARD ERROR
Any error condition, either in processing the options or the operands, or any error received in reply to
the batch requests will result in a error message being written to standard error.
EXIT STATUS
Upon successful processing of all the operands presented to the qalter command, the exit status will be a
value of zero.
If the qalter command fails to process any operand, the command exits with a value greater than zero.
SEE ALSO
qsub(1B), qstat(1B), pbs_alterjob(3B), pbs_statjob(3B), pbs_selectjob(3B), pbs_resources_*(7B), where * is system type, and the PBS ERS.