What you'll learn
- Explain what a scheduler does and why HPC systems need one
- Write a Slurm batch script with the right #SBATCH directives
- Submit jobs with sbatch and monitor them with squeue
- Inspect output and error files to debug failed jobs
- Request CPUs, memory, GPUs and walltime appropriately
- Cancel jobs and start interactive sessions
Course content
0 Welcome & orientation · 1 lesson
▤Course objectives & prerequisites5 min
1 What is a scheduler? · 3 lessons
▷Why clusters need a scheduler (video)6 min
▤Slurm & the restaurant-queue analogy7 min
✎Quick check: scheduler concepts3 Q
2 Submitting your first job · 2 lessons
▤Writing a batch script & sbatch10 min
✎Lab: submit hello-world (Cloze)4 Q
3 Inspecting output & status · 2 lessons
▤Reading slurm-*.out & squeue8 min
✎Quick check: job states3 Q
4 Reusable SBATCH scripts · 2 lessons
▤#SBATCH directives & accounts9 min
✎Short answer: fix the broken script4 Q
5 Requesting the right resources · 2 lessons
▤CPUs, memory, GPUs & walltime9 min
✎Quick check: resource flags3 Q
6 Cancelling & interactive jobs · 2 lessons
▤scancel & salloc interactive sessions8 min
✎Quick check: managing jobs3 Q
7 Final assessment & certificate · 2 lessons
✎Final Assessment — pass mark 50%7 Q
◆Certificate of Completion — unlocks at 50%PDF
Your instructor
Sigma2 / NRIS Training Team
Norwegian Research Infrastructure Services
The team that operates Norway's national supercomputers and the NIRD storage infrastructure. Every course is written and kept current by the same engineers who run the systems — so what you learn here matches what you'll meet on the clusters.
24courses
4.8★avg rating
1,900+certificates
4national systems
Learner reviews
MK
Marit K.
"Finally a Slurm intro that doesn't assume I already know what a node is. Submitted my first real job the same afternoon."
JL
Jonas L.
"The Cloze labs make you actually type the commands instead of just reading. The certificate was a nice touch for our group's onboarding records."
AH
Aisha H.
"Clear and to the point. Would love a follow-up specifically on GPU jobs on Olivia."