12.8 Resource Provisioning
12.8-A Resource Provisioning Overview
When processing a resource request, Moab attempts to match the request to an existing available resource. However, if the scheduler determines that the resource is not available or will not be available due to load or policy for an appreciable amount of time, it can select a resource to modify to meet the needs of the current requests. This process of modifying resources to meet existing needs is called provisioning.
Currently, there are two types of provisioning supported: operating system (OS) and application. As its name suggests, OS provisioning allows the scheduler to modify the operating system of an existing compute node while application level provisioning allows the scheduler to request that a software application be made available on a given compute node. In each case, Moab evaluates the costs of making the change in terms of time and other resources consumed before making the decision. Only if the benefits outweigh the costs will the scheduler initiate the change required to support the current workload.
Preemption (requeueing) does not work with dynamic provisioning.
12.8-B Configuring Provisioning
Enabling provisioning consists of configuring an interface to a provisioning manager, specifying which nodes can take advantage of this service, and what the estimated cost and duration of each change will be. This interface can be used to contact provisioning software such as xCat or HP's Server Automation tool. Additionally, locally developed systems can be interfaced via a script or web service.
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