Slurm Operator

Abstract

1. Introduction

[Slurm] and [Kubernetes] are workload managers originally designed for different kinds of workloads. In broad strokes: Kubernetes excels at scheduling workloads that typically run for an indefinite amount of time, with potentially vague resource requirements, on a single node, with loose policy, but can scale its resource pool infinitely to meet demand; Slurm excels at quickly scheduling workloads that run for a finite amount of time, with well defined resource requirements and topology, on multiple nodes, with strict policy, but its resource pool is known.

This project enables the best of both workload managers, unified on Kubernetes. It contains a [Kubernetes] operator to deploy and manage certain components of [Slurm] clusters. This repository implements [custom-controllers] and [custom resource definitions (CRDs)][crds] designed for the lifecycle (creation, upgrade, graceful shutdown) of Slurm clusters.

For additional architectural notes, see the [architecture] docs.

2. Objective

Run Slurm on Kubernetes. A Slinky project.

This project demonstrates how Go, Kubernetes can be applied to a real-world Blockchain & Cloud Computing problem.

4. Technology Stack

5. System Requirements

General requirements for this technology stack — check the README for exact versions.

• Go 1.20 or later
• Git (to clone the repository)

6. Installation & Setup

git clone https://github.com/SlinkyProject/slurm-operator.git
cd slurm-operator

helm install \
  cert-manager oci://quay.io/jetstack/charts/cert-manager \
  --namespace cert-manager --create-namespace \
  --set crds.enabled=true

helm install slurm-operator-crds oci://ghcr.io/slinkyproject/charts/slurm-operator-crds
helm install slurm-operator oci://ghcr.io/slinkyproject/charts/slurm-operator \
  --namespace=slinky --create-namespace

helm install slurm oci://ghcr.io/slinkyproject/charts/slurm \
  --set-json 'nodesets={"slinky":{}}' \
  --set "partitions.all.enabled=true" \
  --namespace=slurm --create-namespace

Full setup instructions are in the project README.

7. Future Enhancements

Suggested extensions you can add to make this your own project.

• Add a CI/CD pipeline with GitHub Actions
• Deploy to a public test network or cloud free tier
• Add monitoring and cost alerts

8. Viva / Review Questions

Common questions examiners ask for projects in this domain.

1. Why does this problem need a blockchain or cloud-native design?
2. Explain the smart contract / infrastructure components and how they interact.
3. How are gas costs or cloud costs kept under control?
4. How is the system secured (keys, IAM, access control)?
5. How would the solution scale to many more users?

9. Source Code & License

This project is developed by SlinkyProject and published on GitHub under the Apache License 2.0. Please follow the license terms and credit the original author when you use or modify this code.