Export special hosts

About this task

These steps describe the way to share a large multiprocessor host among multiple clusters. This is most useful for allowing separate departments to share the cost and use of a very powerful host. It might also be used to allow multiple clusters occasional access to a host that has some unique feature.

Procedure

Create the new policy.
Specify the hosts that are affected by the policy.
Specify how many job slots you want to export from each host. Optionally, reduce the number of job slots available to the local cluster by the same amount.
Specify the distribution policy. This determines which clusters share in the use of the exported job slots.
Optional. Share additional resources (any combination of memory, swap space, or shared resources).

Name the hosts you want to export

Procedure

Specify the name of a host in the PER_HOST parameter in lsb.resources:

Begin HostExport
PER_HOST=HostA

If you specify multiple hosts, this policy will apply to all the hosts you specify:

Begin HostExport
PER_HOST=HostA HostB HostC

Control job slots

Procedure

Use the SLOTS parameter to specify the number of job slots to export from each host.

By default, the provider can still run the usual number of jobs at all times. The additional jobs that the consumer clusters are allowed to start might overload the host. If you are concerned with keeping the host’s performance consistent, reduce the job slot configuration in the local cluster to compensate for the number of slots exported to remote clusters.

Example

For example, this policy exports 4 job slots on each host:

Begin HostExport
PER_HOST=HostA HostB
SLOTS=4

Default configuration of lsb.hosts in the provider cluster:
```
HOST_NAME   MXJ
HostA        6
HostB        8
```
How you can update lsb.hosts to compensate for the exported job slots:
```
HOST_NAME   MXJ
HostA        2
HostB        4
```