Fix “Slurm srun GPU Allocation” Error – Easy Solutions

The error message “Slurm srun cannot allocate resources for GPUs – Invalid generic resource specification” typically means there’s a problem with how the GPU resources are specified or requested in your Slurm configuration or job script. Here are a few things you can check and try to resolve this issue:

1. Check Your Slurm Configuration:
   Ensure that your Slurm configuration (slurm.conf) correctly specifies the GPU resources. The configuration should include parameters for GPUs in the NodeName and Partition sections. For example:

   NodeName=your-node-name Gres=gpu:tesla:2
   Partition=your-partition-name Nodes=your-node-name Default=YES MaxTime=INFINITE State=UP

2. Verify Generic Resource Specification:
   Make sure you are specifying the GPU resources correctly in your srun command or job script. The generic resource specification should match what is defined in slurm.conf. For instance:

   #SBATCH --gres=gpu:tesla:1

Ensure that “tesla” is the correct GPU type as defined in your configuration and adjust the number accordingly.

3. Update Slurm and GPU Modules:
   Sometimes, mismatches or bugs in older versions of Slurm or GPU drivers can cause issues. Ensure that both Slurm and GPU drivers are up-to-date and compatible with each other.
4. Check Node Availability:
   Verify that the nodes you are trying to allocate have GPUs available and are correctly configured. You can check the status of nodes using:

   sinfo -N

and

   scontrol show nodes

5. Review Job Script Syntax:
   Double-check your job script for any syntax errors or incorrect resource requests. A sample job script requesting GPUs might look like this:

   #!/bin/bash
   #SBATCH --job-name=myjob
   #SBATCH --output=output.txt
   #SBATCH --gres=gpu:tesla:1
   #SBATCH --time=01:00:00
   #SBATCH --partition=gpu

   srun my_program

6. Consult Slurm Logs:
   Look into Slurm’s logs for more detailed error messages that might give further insights into what might be going wrong. Logs can often be found in /var/log/slurm/ or wherever your Slurm logs are configured to be stored.

By systematically checking these aspects, you should be able to identify and correct the issue causing the “Invalid generic resource specification” error.

Conclusion

The error message like Slurm srun cannot easily allot various resources for the best GPU dedicated servers. An unacceptable generic resource description usually states that there is an issue with how all GPU resources are clearly stated or demanded in your job script or Slurm configuration.