Configure Slurm partitions
Add, edit, and delete partitions on an existing Slurm cluster.
This guide walks through adding, editing, and deleting partitions on an existing Slurm cluster. Partitions are job queues that map to a pool of compute nodes with a specific instance type and autoscaling range.
Add a partition
Open the cluster list
Click Clusters in the left sidebar, then click the Slurm tab.
Open the cluster detail page
Click the cluster name to open the detail page.
Open the Partitions tab
Click the Partitions tab.
Add a partition
Click Add Partition.
Configure the partition
Fill in the partition configuration:
- Partition Name: a short identifier (for example,
gpuorhigh-mem) - Compute Node: click
Select Compute Nodeto browse instance types by vCPU, GPU, and price (AWS) or select a profile (non-AWS) - Maximum node count: the upper bound for autoscaling
Save
Click Add Partition to save.
Success looks like this: the partition is created or updated, and sinfo shows the new partition available for job submissions.
The new partition appears in the Partitions tab. Nodes are provisioned on demand when jobs target this partition.
Edit a partition
Open the edit form
On the Partitions tab, click the edit icon on the partition row.
Modify settings
Change the instance type or maximum node count as needed.
Save
Click Save.
Start with a low maximum node count and increase as you understand your workload patterns. Each additional node incurs compute costs when jobs are queued.
Set the default partition
Toggle the Default flag on a partition row. Jobs submitted without an explicit --partition flag route to the default partition. Only one partition can be default at a time.
Delete a partition
Deleting a partition cancels any jobs currently queued or running on that partition. Drain the partition first if you have active workloads.
Autoscaling behaviour
Slurm autoscales each partition independently. When jobs queue, nodes are provisioned up to the maximum count. When the queue drains, idle nodes are terminated after a cooldown period.
For partition field definitions and Slurm configuration details, see the Partitions reference.