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S9Sv1.0

Reservations View

The Reservations view displays scheduled resource reservations for dedicated access to cluster resources during specific time windows.

Reservations Demo

Reservations view showing active and future reservations with time windows

Overview

Reservations provide exclusive or prioritized access to cluster resources during defined time periods. They're used for:

  • Scheduled maintenance windows
  • Dedicated compute time for critical jobs
  • Class instruction sessions
  • Conference demonstrations
  • Guaranteed resource availability

Table Columns

ColumnDescription
NameReservation identifier
StateCurrent status (color-coded)
Start TimeWhen reservation begins
End TimeWhen reservation ends
DurationTotal reservation length
NodesNumber of reserved nodes
CoresNumber of reserved cores
UsersAuthorized users (truncated list)
AccountsAuthorized accounts (truncated list)

Reservation States

States are color-coded based on time and status:

StateColorDescription
ACTIVEGreenCurrently active, resources available
INACTIVEGrayPast reservation, ended
FutureYellowScheduled, not yet started

State Indicators

ACTIVE (Green):

  • Reservation window is currently open
  • Authorized users can submit jobs
  • Resources are reserved
  • Shows time remaining

Future (Yellow):

  • Reservation scheduled but not started
  • Shows time until start
  • Resources not yet reserved

INACTIVE (Gray):

  • Reservation has ended
  • Historical record
  • Resources released

Time Display

Start and End Times

  • Displayed in local time
  • Format: 
    YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS
  • Example: 
    2024-01-15 14:00:00

Duration

  • Total reservation length
  • Format: 
    Dd HH:MM:SS
  • Examples: 
    • 04:00:00
      - 4 hours
    • 1d 00:00:00
      - 1 day
    • 7d 12:00:00
      - 7.5 days

Time-to-End (Active Reservations)

For active reservations, shows countdown:

State: ACTIVE (ends in 2h 35m)

Resource Allocation

Nodes

Number of nodes reserved:

  • Specific nodes by name, or
  • Any nodes matching criteria
  • Shows count in table

Cores

Total CPU cores reserved:

  • Sum across all nodes
  • Dedicated or shared access
  • Shows in Cores column

Access Control

Authorized Users

List of users allowed to use the reservation:

  • Comma-separated in table
  • Full list in details view
  • Can be user=ALL for open access

Authorized Accounts

List of accounts allowed to use the reservation:

  • Jobs must specify reservation name
  • Account must be in authorized list
  • Billing still applies to account

Reservation Actions

View Reservation Details

Shortcut: 

Enter

Shows comprehensive reservation information:

Basic Information:

  • Reservation name
  • State and time status
  • Creator and creation time

Time Window:

  • Start time
  • End time
  • Duration
  • Time remaining (if active)
  • Time until start (if future)

Resources:

  • Node list (specific nodes)
  • Node count
  • Core count
  • Features required
  • Partition assignment

Access Control:

  • Full list of authorized users
  • Full list of authorized accounts
  • Access restrictions

Flags:

  • IGNORE_JOBS - Override running jobs
  • DAILY - Repeating daily reservation
  • WEEKLY - Repeating weekly reservation
  • REPLACE - Replace existing allocation
  • STATIC_ALLOC - Fixed node allocation

Current Usage (for active):

  • Jobs running in reservation
  • Resources in use vs. reserved
  • Utilization percentage

Filter Reservations

Simple Filter

Shortcut: 

/

Filter by:

  • Reservation name
  • State
  • Authorized users
  • Authorized accounts

Advanced Filter

Shortcut: 

F3

Expression-based filtering:

state:ACTIVE
nodes:>16
users:alice
accounts:ml-team

Supported fields:

  • name
    - Reservation name
  • state
    - State (ACTIVE/INACTIVE/future)
  • nodes
    - Node count (supports >, <, >=, <=)
  • cores
    - Core count (supports comparison)
  • users
    - Username in authorized list
  • accounts
    - Account in authorized list
  • start
    - Start time (supports comparison)
  • end
    - End time (supports comparison)

Global Search

Shortcut: 

Ctrl+F

Search across all cluster resources.

Sorting

Sort reservations by clicking column headers or using number keys.

Useful sorting:

  • By start time (chronological)
  • By end time (find expiring soon)
  • By nodes (largest reservations)
  • By state (group active/future/past)

Press 

1-9
to sort by column number.

Keyboard Shortcuts Reference

Reservation Operations

KeyAction
Enter
View reservation details

Filtering

KeyAction
/
Simple filter
F3
Advanced filter
Ctrl+F
Global search
ESC
Exit filter mode

Data Management

KeyAction
R
Manual refresh
1-9
Sort by column

Reservation Details Example

When viewing reservation details (

Enter
):

Reservation: class-demo
State: ACTIVE
Creator: admin
Created: 2024-01-10 10:00:00

Time Window:
  Start: 2024-01-15 14:00:00
  End:   2024-01-15 18:00:00
  Duration: 04:00:00
  Time Remaining: 2h 35m

Resources:
  Nodes: gpu[001-008] (8 nodes)
  Cores: 384 (48 per node)
  Partition: gpu
  Features: nvidia_a100, nvlink

Access Control:
  Users: alice, bob, charlie, david
  Accounts: teaching, research

Flags:
  - DAILY
  - REPLACE

Current Usage:
  Jobs Running: 3
  Cores Used: 192/384 (50%)
  Nodes Used: 4/8 (50%)

Running Jobs:
  12345 (alice) - 96 cores, 2 nodes
  12346 (bob)   - 48 cores, 1 node
  12347 (charlie) - 48 cores, 1 node

Using Reservations

Submitting Jobs to Reservations

Jobs must explicitly request the reservation:

sbatch --reservation=class-demo job_script.sh

Or in job script:

#SBATCH --reservation=class-demo

Requirements

  1. User must be in authorized users list, or
  2. Job account must be in authorized accounts list
  3. Reservation must be active (within time window)
  4. Resources requested must fit in reservation

Priority

Jobs in reservations:

  • Get priority access to reserved resources
  • May bypass normal queue
  • Confined to reservation resources
  • Cannot use non-reserved resources (usually)

Common Reservation Patterns

Maintenance Window

Name: maintenance-weekly
State: Future
Start: Every Sunday 02:00:00
Duration: 04:00:00
Nodes: ALL
Users: root, admin
Accounts: operations
Flags: WEEKLY, IGNORE_JOBS

Class Instruction

Name: cs101-lab
State: ACTIVE
Start: Mon/Wed/Fri 14:00:00
Duration: 02:00:00
Nodes: cpu[001-016]
Users: student1, student2, ..., instructor
Accounts: teaching
Flags: DAILY, STATIC_ALLOC

Dedicated Research Time

Name: grant-deadline
State: ACTIVE
Start: 2024-01-20 00:00:00
Duration: 3d 00:00:00
Nodes: gpu[001-032]
Users: alice, bob, charlie
Accounts: research, ml-team
Flags: REPLACE

Conference Demo

Name: sc24-demo
State: Future
Start: 2024-11-18 08:00:00
Duration: 8h 00:00:00
Nodes: gpu[001-004]
Users: presenter, backup
Accounts: marketing
Flags: STATIC_ALLOC

Reservation Flags

IGNORE_JOBS:

  • Can preempt running jobs to start reservation
  • Use for: Critical maintenance windows

DAILY:

  • Repeats every day at same time
  • Use for: Regular class sessions, maintenance

WEEKLY:

  • Repeats every week on same day/time
  • Use for: Weekly maintenance, meetings

REPLACE:

  • Replace existing resource allocations
  • Can take resources from running jobs if needed
  • Use for: Emergency reservations

STATIC_ALLOC:

  • Fixed node allocation (specific nodes)
  • Nodes don't change over reservation lifetime
  • Use for: Predictable resource access

FLEX:

  • Flexible node assignment within partition
  • Can use any available nodes
  • Use for: General-purpose reservations

Tips

  • Plan ahead: Create reservations well before needed time
  • Check availability: Ensure nodes are available during desired window
  • Use specific nodes: STATIC_ALLOC prevents resource shuffling
  • Communicate: Notify users when reservations will limit general access
  • Monitor usage: Check utilization to justify resource dedication
  • Clean up: Remove or update inactive reservations
  • Access control: Be specific with user/account lists to prevent unauthorized use
  • Time buffers: Add buffer time for setup/cleanup
  • Repeating reservations: Use DAILY/WEEKLY for regular needs
  • Test before critical use: Test reservation access before important deadlines

Common Issues

"Reservation not usable"

  • User not in authorized users list
  • Job account not in authorized accounts list
  • Check reservation access control
  • Contact admin to add user/account

"Reservation is not active"

  • Trying to use before start time or after end time
  • Check current time vs. reservation window
  • Wait for start time or request extension

"Insufficient resources in reservation"

  • Job requests more resources than reserved
  • Reduce job resource request
  • Request larger reservation

"Reservation conflict"

  • Time window overlaps with existing reservation on same nodes
  • Adjust start/end times
  • Use different nodes
  • Cancel conflicting reservation

Best Practices

For Admins:

  • Document reservation policies
  • Require justification for large reservations
  • Monitor reservation utilization
  • Remove unused or expired reservations
  • Use DAILY/WEEKLY for recurring needs
  • Set reasonable duration limits

For Users:

  • Only request resources actually needed
  • Use reservations efficiently (high utilization)
  • Return unused time if possible
  • Coordinate with team on shared reservations
  • Test jobs before reservation window
  • Monitor time remaining during active reservation

For Planning:

  • Create reservation days in advance
  • Add buffer time for setup
  • Include authorized backup users
  • Document reservation purpose
  • Set calendar reminders for start time
  • Prepare jobs ahead of window