Skip to content

CraneSched Deployment Guide

Welcome to the CraneSched deployment documentation. This guide will walk you through setting up a high-performance computing cluster with CraneSched's job scheduling system.

Recommended OS

We strongly recommend Rocky Linux 9 for production deployments due to its stability, long-term support, and modern system components.

What You'll Deploy

CraneSched consists of three main components:

Component Description Location
Backend cranectld (scheduler) + craned (Node daemon) Control & Compute nodes
Frontend CLI (cbatch, cqueue, etc.) + other services (cfored, cplugind) As needed
Database MongoDB for storing jobs, accounts, and usage data Control/Storage node

The diagram below shows a typical placement of CraneSched components across node types (dashed borders indicate optional components).

Optional Components

  • cplugind: Only required on nodes that need plugin functionality.
  • cfored: Only required on nodes where interactive jobs (e.g., calloc / crun) need to be submitted.
graph TB
    %% === Node Definitions ===
    subgraph Login Node
        CLIs[CLIs]
        cfored_login[cfored]
        cplugind_login[cplugind]
    end

    subgraph Control Node
        cranectld[cranectld]
        cplugind_ctrl[cplugind]
    end

    subgraph Compute Node
        craned[craned]
        cfored_compute[cfored]
        cplugind_compute[cplugind]
    end

    subgraph Storage Node
        mongodb[(MongoDB)]
    end

    %% === Communication ===
    CLIs --> cranectld
    cfored_login --> cranectld
    cfored_login <-->|streaming I/O| craned
    cfored_compute --> cranectld
    cfored_compute <-->|streaming I/O| craned
    cranectld <-->|dispatch/response| craned
    cranectld <--> mongodb

    %% Plugin connections
    cplugind_ctrl <-.-> cranectld
    cplugind_login <-.-> cranectld
    cplugind_compute <-.-> craned

    %% === Style Definitions ===
    %% Required components: dark gray solid border
    classDef required stroke:#555,stroke-width:2px;

    %% Optional components: dark gray dashed border
    classDef optional stroke:#555,stroke-dasharray: 6 6, stroke-width:2px;

    %% Specify optional components (all cplugind)
    class cplugind_login optional;
    class cplugind_ctrl optional;
    class cplugind_compute optional;
    class cfored_compute optional;

    %% All others are required components
    class CLIs,cfored_login,cranectld,craned,mongodb required;

Quick Start

For a simple single-node test environment:

  1. Install backend: Follow Rocky Linux 9 Guide
  2. Install frontend: Follow Frontend Deployment Guide
  3. Setup database: Follow Database Configuration Guide
  4. Configure cluster: Edit /etc/crane/config.yaml (see Configuration Guide)
  5. Start services: systemctl start cranectld craned (And other frontend services as needed)

For production multi-node clusters, follow the complete deployment workflow below.

Deployment Workflow

Step 1: Build Backend Components

Choose your operating system and follow the corresponding guide:

  • RHEL 8+ / Fedora 37+

    Recommended for production. Includes environment setup, toolchain installation, and building from source.

  • Debian 11+ / Ubuntu 20.04+

    Supported but not officially recommended.

  • CentOS 7

    Legacy support (End of Life). Use only for existing deployments.

All guides cover system preparation, dependencies, and compilation. After building:

  • Packaging Guide - Create RPM/DEB packages for easier distribution across nodes

Step 2: Setup Database

MongoDB stores job history, user accounts, and resource usage data.

Install MongoDB on the control node, configure authentication, and connect CraneSched.

Step 3: Configure Cluster

Define your cluster topology, node resources, and scheduling policies.

Learn how to edit /etc/crane/config.yaml to configure:

  • Cluster name and control machine
  • Node definitions (CPU, memory, GPUs)
  • Partitions and scheduling priorities
  • Network settings and advanced options

Step 4: Deploy to Nodes

For multi-node clusters, distribute binaries and configurations efficiently.

Use SCP, PDSH, or package managers to deploy CraneSched across your cluster.

Step 5: Install Frontend Tools

Deploy user-facing tools and services for job submission and management.

Install Go-based frontend components: cbatch, cqueue, cinfo, cacct, and supporting daemons.

Optional Features

Plugin System

Extend CraneSched with plugins for monitoring, notifications, and more.

  • Plugins Guide - Email notifications, resource monitoring, energy tracking

Access Control

Restrict SSH access to compute nodes for authorized jobs only.

Advanced Device Management

Enable GPU and device isolation with eBPF on systems using cgroup v2.

Getting Help

  • Check individual guides for troubleshooting sections
  • Review configuration examples in the Rocky 9 and Config guides
  • Verify services are running: systemctl status cranectld craned
  • Check logs: /var/log/crane/ or journalctl -u cranectld