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:

Filter-Based Selection

Select items using filters:

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# Quick filter for text search
/FAILED                # Jobs containing "FAILED"
/alice                 # Jobs containing "alice"

Available Batch Operations

S9S supports the following batch operations on selected jobs:

Cancel Jobs

Cancel all selected jobs:

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# 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:

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# 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:

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# 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:

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# Choose "Requeue Jobs" from the batch operations 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

Delete Jobs

Delete selected jobs:

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

Operation: Cancels each selected job Use Case: Remove unwanted jobs from the queue

Set Priority

Set priority for selected jobs:

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# Select jobs and press 'p' or choose "Set Priority" from the menu
# Enter the desired priority value

Operation: Sets priority for each selected job Use Case: Adjust scheduling priority for a group of jobs

Export Job Output

Export job output for all selected jobs:

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# 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
• HTML: HTML format for browser viewing

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

1. Select Jobs: Use visual selection (Space key) or filters to select multiple jobs
2. Open Batch Menu: Press b (or configured batch key) to open the batch operations menu
3. Choose Operation: Navigate the menu and select an operation:
   • Cancel Jobs
   • Hold Jobs
   • Release Jobs
   • Requeue Jobs
   • Delete Jobs
   • Set Priority
   • Export Output
4. Confirm: Review the confirmation dialog showing affected jobs
5. Execute: Confirm to execute the batch operation
6. 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

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# Step 1: Filter failed jobs using quick filter
/FAILED

# Step 2: Review the filtered list
# Step 3: Select jobs with Space or V for multi-select, then b for batch menu
# Step 4: Press 'c' to cancel, confirm the operation

Hold User Jobs for Maintenance

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

# Step 2: Select jobs, open batch menu with 'b', press 'H' to hold all jobs
# Step 3: Perform maintenance
# Step 4: Filter held jobs and use batch menu 'r' to release them

Requeue Failed Jobs

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# Step 1: Filter failed jobs
/FAILED

# Step 2: Select jobs, open batch menu with 'b', choose "Requeue Jobs"
# Step 3: Jobs will be requeued and eligible to run again

Export Results from Completed Jobs

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# Step 1: Filter completed jobs
/COMPLETED

# Step 2: Select jobs, open batch menu with 'b', press 'e' to export
# Step 3: Choose export format (Text, JSON, CSV, Markdown, or HTML)
# 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

Export Defaults

Export files are saved to ~/slurm_exports/ by default. The directory is created automatically on first export. Export path and format are selected interactively in the export dialog.

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

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