qsub

qsub is the command used in PBS-style workload managers to submit batch jobs to a compute cluster. It takes a job script and optional resource and policy options and passes the job to the scheduler for execution on allocated nodes. When the submission succeeds, qsub prints a job identifier that can be used to track and manage the job. The exact syntax and available options vary among PBS implementations such as PBS, Torque, OpenPBS, and PBS Pro.

Basic usage commonly submits a script directly, for example: qsub script.sh. Optional arguments adjust job metadata, resource requests, and behavior. Typical options include -N for the job name, -q to choose a queue, -d to set the working directory, -o and -e to direct standard output and error files, -j to join outputs, -V to export the current environment, -S to specify the shell, and -M and -m to configure email notifications. Resource requests are made with -l, for example requesting CPUs, memory, or node counts; the exact syntax varies by system (for instance nodes=2:ppn=4 or select=1:ncpus=4:mem=8gb).

After submission, the scheduler assigns a job ID such as 12345.server. You can monitor progress with qstat or similar commands, cancel with qdel, place a hold with qhold, or manage as supported by the system. Because qsub behavior depends on the specific PBS variant and cluster configuration, it is advisable to consult the local man page or administrator guidelines for precise usage.