Queues

A queue is a container for a class of jobs that are allowed to run on one or more hosts concurrently. A queue determines certain job attributes, for example, whether the job can be migrated. Throughout its lifetime, a running job is associated with its queue. Association with a queue affects some of the things that can happen to a job. For example, if a queue is suspended, all jobs associated with that queue are also suspended.

Jobs need not be submitted directly to a queue. You need to specify only the requirement profile of the job. A profile might include requirements such as memory, operating system, available software, and so forth. The grid engine software automatically dispatches the job to a suitable queue and a suitable host with a light execution load. If you submit a job to a specified queue, the job is bound to this queue. As a result, the grid engine system daemons are unable to select a better-suited device or a device that has a lighter load.

A queue can reside on a single host, or a queue can extend across multiple hosts. For this reason, grid engine system queues are also referred to as cluster queues. Cluster queues enable users and administrators to work with a cluster of execution hosts by means of a single queue configuration. Each host that is attached to a cluster queue receives its own queue instance from the cluster queue.