Setting a time limit

Sometimes, jobs may get stuck or encounter unforeseen issues, causing them to run indefinitely. Setting a time limit ensures that such jobs are automatically terminated after a certain duration, preventing them from consuming resources unnecessarily.

You can add a --time parameter to your Slurm command, e.g. --time=0-08:00:00 to run a job for maximum 8 hours:

srun --time=08:00:00 hostname

Time limits before service windows

Setting a time limit is particularly important when a service window is approaching. On the day of the service window, the entire cluster will be reserved for maintainance. As you may remember, jobs can be run in the prioritized partition for 6 consecutive days. If there are fewer than 6 days until the service window, and you do not specify the --time parameter, your job will only start after the service window has been completed. To run jobs in the days leading up to the service window, you will need to calculate how much time is left, and add this value to the --time argument to your Slurm command.