Re: [Condor-users] Machine ad attributes in submit files

[Todd Tannenbaum <tannenba@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 05:45 AM 8/1/2006, o c wrote:
> Just wondering why machine ad attributes are only available in 
> execute, arguments and environment entries of a submit script
> (manual section 2.5.6.1).
>
> machine ad attributes could be useful in other submit entries too 
> (e.g., transfer_input_files).
>
> Is there a reason why this is not possible?

For some attributes, it is impossible.  For example, the "log" entry, 
since Condor needs to write entries into the "log" (like a submit 
event) before it has a match.

For other entries, the only issue is that condor_submit tries to be 
helpful.  For instance, condor_submit will check that all the files 
specified w/ transfer_input_files actually exist before it submits 
the job.  It cannot do this if it is not able to resolve the filename 
due to $$().


> What are the common workarounds or am I the only one who needs to 
> transfer platform specific input files with jobs?

You are the only one.  ;)

Seriously, you can work around this fairly easily since it is only a 
condor_submit being "helpful" issue --- the rest of Condor is 
perfectly happy with $$() appearing anywhere in the job 
classad.   For example, the following submit file works for me --- 
the trick here is I am using the "+" operator to over-ride the 
ClassAd entries that store the file transfer stuff:

> universe = vanilla
> environment = path=c:\winnt\system32
> executable = printname.bat
> log = printname.log
>
> # specify some file that exists to make condor_submit happy...
> transfer_input_files = foo
> # and then overwrite it in the ClassAd with what we really want
> +TransferInput = "foo.$$(arch)"
>
> # specify some file that exists to make condor_submit happy...
> output = printname.out
> # and then overwrite it in the ClassAd with what we really want
> +Out = "printname.out.$$(arch)"
> queue 1


Maybe another work-around would be to just write your submit file as 
you want, i.e. like
  transfer_input_file = foo.$$(arch)
and just make a dummy "foo.$$(arch)" file (hopefully your filesystem 
is happy with dollar sign and parenthesis characters in file names) 
to keep condor_submit's checking happy.

Hope this helps,
Todd



-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Todd Tannenbaum                       University of Wisconsin-Madison
Condor Project Research               Department of Computer Sciences
tannenba@xxxxxxxxxxx                  1210 W. Dayton St. Rm #4257
http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~tannenba      Madison, WI 53706-1685
Phone: (608) 263-7132  FAX: (608) 262-9777