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OpenPBS 23.06.06

Source Installation on Rocky Linux 9

This document describes how I installed OpenPBS 23.06.06 from source, configured all required services, enabled compute functionality, and validated the setup by running a sample batch job. This document was created by me as part of my self-learning to improve my skills in HPC cluster administration.

1. Download and Extract OpenPBS Source

tar xf openpbs-23.06.06.tar.gz
cd openpbs-23.06.06
ls

autogen.sh output

Why this step is required

  • Extracts the OpenPBS source archive
  • Moves into the source directory
  • Prepares the system for building OpenPBS from source

2. Install Required Dependencies

sudo dnf install -y gcc make rpm-build libtool hwloc-devel \
libX11-devel libXt-devel libedit-devel libical-devel \
ncurses-devel perl postgresql-devel postgresql-contrib \
python3-devel tcl-devel tk-devel swig expat-devel \
openssl-devel libXext libXft autoconf automake gcc-c++ cjson-devel

Why are these packages required?

  • Compiler tools (gcc, make, gcc-c++) are required to build OpenPBS binaries
  • Development libraries are needed for scheduler, server, and MOM components
  • PostgreSQL development packages are required for database integration
  • Missing packages will cause configure or make to fail

Source directory

3. Install and Configure PostgreSQL (Required)

OpenPBS uses PostgreSQL internally to store:

  • Job information
  • Scheduler data
  • Accounting and history records

3.1 Install PostgreSQL Packages

sudo dnf install -y postgresql-server postgresql-contrib

Dependencies

3.2 Initialize PostgreSQL Database

sudo postgresql-setup --initdb

PostgreSQL install

Why this step is required

  • Creates the PostgreSQL data directory
  • Mandatory before starting the PostgreSQL service

3.3 Start and Enable PostgreSQL Service

sudo systemctl start postgresql
sudo systemctl enable postgresql
systemctl status postgresql

PostgreSQL initdb

PostgreSQL status

Why this step is required

  • Starts PostgreSQL immediately
  • Enables PostgreSQL on system boot
  • OpenPBS server will not function if PostgreSQL is not running

4. Generate Build Files

./autogen.sh

Configure output

Why this step is required

  • Generates the configure script
  • Prepares Makefiles needed to compile OpenPBS
  • Warnings during this step are normal

5. Configure OpenPBS Installation Path

./configure --prefix=/opt/pbs

Make build

Why this step is required

  • Sets /opt/pbs as the OpenPBS installation directory
  • Keeps OpenPBS separate from system binaries
  • Recommended for production and HPC environments

6. Compile OpenPBS Source Code

make

Make install

Why this step is required

  • Compiles all OpenPBS components:

  • PBS Server

  • PBS Scheduler
  • PBS MOM
  • This step may take several minutes

7. Install OpenPBS

make install

Postinstall

Why this step is required

  • Installs compiled binaries into /opt/pbs
  • Copies libraries, commands, and supporting files

8. Run OpenPBS Post-Installation Script

sudo /opt/pbs/libexec/pbs_postinstall

pbs.conf

Why this step is required

  • Creates /etc/pbs.conf
  • Registers OpenPBS services
  • Sets PBS home directory (/var/spool/pbs)

9. Verify PBS Configuration File

cat /etc/pbs.conf

Permissions

What this configuration means

PBS_SERVER=client
PBS_START_SERVER=1
PBS_START_SCHED=1
PBS_START_COMM=1
PBS_START_MOM=0
PBS_EXEC=/opt/pbs
PBS_HOME=/var/spool/pbs

  • Node is configured as:

  • PBS Server

  • PBS Scheduler
  • PBS Communication daemon
  • MOM is disabled initially

10. Set Required Permissions

chmod 4755 /opt/pbs/sbin/pbs_rcp
chmod 4755 /opt/pbs/sbin/pbs_iff

pbs.sh PBS restart

Why this step is required

  • Required for secure job execution
  • Prevents permission-related job launch failures

11. Load PBS Environment

source /etc/profile.d/pbs.sh

PBS restart

Why this step is required

  • Loads PBS commands (qsub, qstat, pbsnodes)
  • Required for users to interact with OpenPBS

12. Start and Restart PBS Services

/etc/init.d/pbs start
/etc/init.d/pbs restart

PBS restart

Why this step is required

  • Starts all PBS components
  • Restart is required after configuration changes

13. Enable PBS MOM on the Node

Edit /etc/pbs.conf:

PBS_START_MOM=1

PBS restart

Restart PBS:

/etc/init.d/pbs restart

Enable MOM

Why this step is required

  • Enables compute (execution) functionality
  • Without MOM, jobs cannot run

14. Add Node to the PBS Pro Configuration:

First, you need to modify the PBS Pro configuration to recognize the new nodes.

Edit the PBS Pro configuration file to include the new node:

qmgr -c "create node <node_name>"

Replace with the hostname of the new node.

Node details

pbsnodes -a

Node summary

What this shows

  • Displays summarized node information
  • Useful for quick health checks

15. Create Python Test Program

File: print_numbers.py

#!/usr/bin/env python3
import time

for i in range(1000, 100001):
    print(i, flush=True)
    time.sleep(0.001)

Python script

Why this program is used

  • Simple workload to validate job execution
  • flush=True ensures real-time output

16. Create PBS Job Script

File: run.pbs

#!/bin/bash
#PBS -N python_numbers
#PBS -l select=1:ncpus=1
#PBS -l walltime=01:00:00
#PBS -j oe
#PBS -q workq

cd $PBS_O_WORKDIR
python3 print_numbers.py >> python_numbers.log

PBS job script

17. Submit the Job

qsub run.pbs

qsub

What happens here

  • Job is submitted to PBS scheduler
  • Scheduler assigns a unique Job ID

18. Monitor Job Output

tail -f python_numbers.log

Job output

What this confirms

  • Job is running correctly
  • Output is generated in real time

19. Enable Job History

qmgr -c "set server job_history_enable = True"

Enable history

Why this step is required

  • Keeps completed job records
  • Useful for auditing and troubleshooting

Restart PBS:

/etc/init.d/pbs restart

Restart after history

20. Submit Job Again and Verify History

qsub run.pbs
qstat -x

Job history

What this confirms

  • Completed jobs remain visible
  • Job history feature is working correctly

Final Result

  • OpenPBS 23.06 installed from source
  • PostgreSQL configured and running
  • PBS Server, Scheduler, and MOM active
  • Node registered and available
  • Python batch job executed successfully
  • Live output verified
  • Job history enabled

One-Line Summary

Installed and configured OpenPBS 23.06 from source on Rocky Linux, integrated PostgreSQL, enabled MOM, submitted and monitored batch jobs, and validated job history as part of my self-learning in HPC administration.