Batch Operations Guide

Efficiently manage multiple jobs simultaneously with S9S's batch operation capabilities.

Overview

Batch operations allow you to:

Manage multiple jobs with a single command
Apply operations to filtered jobs
Perform bulk job maintenance tasks
Export output from multiple jobs

Selection Methods

Visual Selection

Use visual selection mode to choose multiple items:

Key	Action	Description
`Space`	Toggle selection	Select/deselect current item
`v`	Visual mode	Enter visual selection mode
`V`	Visual line mode	Select entire rows
`Ctrl+A`	Select all	Select all visible items
`Ctrl+D`	Deselect all	Clear all selections
`Ctrl+I`	Invert selection	Invert current selection

Filter-Based Selection

Select items using filters:


# Select all failed jobs
/state:FAILED

# Select jobs by user
/user:alice

# Combine multiple filters
/state:PENDING user:bob

Available Batch Operations

S9S supports the following batch operations on selected jobs:

Cancel Jobs

Cancel all selected jobs:


# Select jobs and press 'c' or choose "Cancel Jobs" from the menu
# Confirmation dialog will appear before execution

Operation: Calls

scancel

for each selected job Use Case: Stop running or pending jobs that are no longer needed

Hold Jobs

Put selected jobs on hold:


# Select jobs and press 'H' or choose "Hold Jobs" from the menu
# Jobs will be prevented from starting

Operation: Calls

scontrol hold

for each selected job Use Case: Temporarily prevent pending jobs from starting without canceling them Note: Only works on pending jobs; cannot hold running jobs

Release Jobs

Release held jobs:


# Select held jobs and press 'r' or choose "Release Jobs" from the menu
# Jobs will be eligible to run again

Operation: Calls

scontrol release

for each selected job Use Case: Allow previously held jobs to start

Requeue Jobs

Requeue selected jobs:


# Select jobs and press 'q' or choose "Requeue Jobs" from the menu
# Jobs will be requeued for execution

Operation: Calls

scontrol requeue

for each selected job Use Case: Restart failed jobs or re-run completed jobs

Export Job Output

Export job output for all selected jobs:


# Select jobs and press 'e' or choose "Export Output" from the menu
# Choose output format: Text, JSON, CSV, or Markdown
# Files saved to ~/slurm_exports/ by default

Formats Available:

Text: Plain text with header information
JSON: Structured JSON with metadata
CSV: CSV format (line-by-line for analysis)
Markdown: Markdown format with code blocks

Operation: Retrieves job output and saves to local files Use Case: Archive job results, analyze output across multiple jobs

Interactive Batch Operations

Using the Batch Operations Menu

Select Jobs: Use visual selection (
```
Space
```
key) or filters to select multiple jobs
Open Batch Menu: Press
```
b
```
(or configured batch key) to open the batch operations menu
Choose Operation: Navigate the menu or use keyboard shortcuts:
- ```
c
```
  - Cancel Jobs
- ```
H
```
  - Hold Jobs
- ```
r
```
  - Release Jobs
- ```
q
```
  - Requeue Jobs
- ```
e
```
  - Export Output
Confirm: Review the confirmation dialog showing affected jobs
Execute: Confirm to execute the batch operation
Monitor Progress: Watch the progress bar as operations are applied to each job

Progress Tracking

The batch operations interface shows:

Number of jobs being processed
Current job being processed
Success/failure count
Overall completion status

Common Workflows

Cleanup Failed Jobs


# Step 1: Filter failed jobs
/state:FAILED

# Step 2: Review the filtered list
# Step 3: Press 'c' to cancel all failed jobs
# Step 4: Confirm the operation

Hold User Jobs for Maintenance


# Step 1: Filter user's pending jobs
/user:alice state:PENDING

# Step 2: Press 'H' to hold all jobs
# Step 3: Perform maintenance
# Step 4: Filter held jobs and press 'r' to release them

Requeue Failed Jobs


# Step 1: Filter failed jobs
/state:FAILED

# Step 2: Press 'q' to requeue
# Step 3: Jobs will be requeued and eligible to run again

Export Results from Completed Jobs


# Step 1: Filter completed jobs
/state:COMPLETED user:alice

# Step 2: Press 'e' to export
# Step 3: Choose export format (Text, JSON, CSV, or Markdown)
# Step 4: Files saved to ~/slurm_exports/

Safety and Validation

Confirmation Dialogs

All destructive batch operations (cancel, hold, requeue) require confirmation:

Shows the number of jobs affected
Lists job IDs that will be modified
Requires explicit "Yes" to proceed
Can be canceled with "No" or
```
Esc
```

Progress Feedback

Batch operations provide real-time feedback:

Progress bar showing completion percentage
Current job being processed
Success and failure counts
Final summary of results

Error Handling

If a batch operation fails on individual jobs:

Operation continues with remaining jobs
Errors are counted and reported
Final summary shows successful vs. failed operations

Configuration

Export Settings

Configure default export behavior:


# Default export path (defaults to ~/slurm_exports)
export:
  defaultPath: ~/my_job_exports

# Default export format
  defaultFormat: json

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"No jobs selected for batch operations"

Solution: Select at least one job using
```
Space
```
or visual selection mode

"Permission denied" errors during batch operations

Solution: You can only perform operations on your own jobs (unless admin)

"Operation failed" for some jobs

Cause: Job state may have changed, or job may not support the operation
Solution: Review the final summary to identify which jobs failed

Export files not found

Solution: Check
```
~/slurm_exports/
```
directory or configured export path
Note: Directory is created automatically on first export

Keyboard Reference

Key	Operation	Description
`b`	Open batch menu	Open batch operations on selected jobs
`Space`	Toggle selection	Select/deselect individual jobs
`c`	Cancel jobs	Cancel all selected jobs
`H`	Hold jobs	Put selected jobs on hold
`r`	Release jobs	Release held jobs
`q`	Requeue jobs	Requeue selected jobs
`e`	Export output	Export job output
`Esc`	Close menu	Close batch operations menu

Next Steps

Learn more about Advanced Filtering for precise job selection
Explore Export capabilities for detailed output analysis
Review Job Management for single-job operations