JOB_STARTER parameter (lsb.queues)

The JOB_STARTER parameter in the queue definition (lsb.queues) has the following format:

JOB_STARTER=starter [starter] ["%USRCMD"] [starter]

The string starter is the command or script that is used to start the job. It can be any executable that can accept a job as an input argument. Optionally, additional strings can be specified.

When starting a job, LSF runs the JOB_STARTER command, and passes the shell script containing the job commands as the argument to the job starter. The job starter is expected to do some processing and then run the shell script containing the job commands. The command is run under /bin/sh -c and can contain any valid Bourne shell syntax.

%USRCMD string

The special string %USRCMD indicates the position of the job starter command in the job command line. By default, the user commands run after the job starter, so the %USRCMD string is not usually required. For example, these two job starters both give the same results:

JOB_STARTER = /bin/csh -c
JOB_STARTER = /bin/csh -c "%USRCMD"

You must enclose the %USRCMD string in quotes. The %USRCMD string can be followed by additional commands. For example:

JOB_STARTER = /bin/csh -c "%USRCMD;sleep 10"

If a user submits the following job to the queue with this job starter:

bsub myjob arguments

the command that actually runs is:

/bin/csh -c "myjob arguments; sleep 10"