How Do I Use PittGrid?

The first thing you must do is make certain that your job is a compatible C, C++, JAVA, Fortran, MATLAB or R program.

Next, you will need to create a job descriptor file, similar to the example below. If your program name is hello_world, your descriptor file might look like this: 

universe = vanilla
executable = hello_world
arguments =
output = grid.out
error = grid.err
log = grid.log
should_transfer_files = YES
when_to_transfer_output = ON_EXIT
queue

Store these lines in a file called hello_world.cmd.

What do these parameters mean? Good question. executable is the name of your program. arguments is a space-separated list of arguments your program uses or needs. output tells PittGrid the name of the file in which to store the output of the program. Similarly, error and log tell PittGrid which files to use to store error and logging information from the job as it runs.

Basic Commands

To submit the job, enter the following command into your shell: 

shell> condor_submit hello_world.cmd

Any output will be written to the directory from which you are running the job. In this example, check the grid.out file for the results.

To check the status of your job, enter the following command: 

shell> condor_q
'R' indicates the job is running, 'I' indicates the job is idle.

Should you need to kill the job, enter the following command: 

shell> condor_rm <job_id>
You can find the job_id parameter by checking your output or running the status check command condor_q.

Question? Comments?
Contact Senthil Natarajan:
senthil (AT) pitt (DOT) edu

Last updated: 09/11/14