# Qsub blocking is not working

**URL:** <https://community.openpbs.org/t/qsub-blocking-is-not-working/1533>\
**Category:** Users/Site Administrators\
**Created:** [March 29, 2019, 3:35pm UTC](https://community.openpbs.org/t/qsub-blocking-is-not-working/1533 "2019-03-29T15:35:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rudrab](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.openpbs.org/rudrab/32/201_2.png) [@rudrab](https://community.openpbs.org/u/rudrab)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2019, 3:35pm UTC](https://community.openpbs.org/t/qsub-blocking-is-not-working/1533/1 "2019-03-29T15:35:38Z")

</div>

Hello,  
Sorry for double posting, as I have posted it on github too. But since I believe this is not a bug, I think this is the better place to discuss my problem.

I am submitting a code using qsub from python3 as( [here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IuI7fcGajY7ZcHt9mpdXc53Zirm7_hIY/view?usp=sharing)is the complete code):

```auto
scfc = ["qsub", "-Wblock=true", "script.sh"]
optstate = ["opt1", "opt2", "opt3"]

          for sstate in optstate:
            subprocess.call(scfc)
            sdir = optstate.index(sstate)
            print(sstate)
            genincar2(sdir)
            shutil.copy2("INCAR", "INCAR"+"."+str(sstate))
            shutil.copy2("CONTAR", "CONTCAR"+"."+str(sstate))

```

and the script.sh is:

```auto
#!/bin/bash
#PBS -S /bin/bash
#PBS -N Test
#PBS -l select=2:ncpus=24:mpiprocs=24
#PBS -q workq
#PBS -joe
#PBS -V
export I_MPI_FABRICS=shm:tmi
export I_MPI_PROVIDER=psm2
export I_MPI_FALLBACK=0
export KMP_AFFINITY=verbose,scatter
module load intel/2018
module load vasp/5.4.4
cd $PBS_O_WORKDIR
cat $PBS_NODEFILE > pbs_nodes
echo Working directory is $PBS_O_WORKDIR
NPROCS=`wc -l < $PBS_NODEFILE`
NNODES=`uniq $PBS_NODEFILE | wc -l`
mpirun -np $NPROCS --machinefile $PBS_NODEFILE vasp_std

```

I am expecting with `-Wblock=true` (and also, subprocess.call), the code to wait to finish the `vasp_std` code before going to `sdir = optstate.index(sstate)` line.

But this is not the case, and getting error as CONTCAR is not generated yet.

Can someone kindly help?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rudrab](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.openpbs.org/rudrab/32/201_2.png) [@rudrab](https://community.openpbs.org/u/rudrab)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2019, 7:26pm UTC](https://community.openpbs.org/t/qsub-blocking-is-not-working/1533/2 "2019-03-29T19:26:03Z")

</div>

Sorry I forgot the versions:  
pbsnodes --version  
pbs\_version = 18.1.3

python3 --version  
Python 3.4.9

uname -a  
Linux master1.clusternet 3.10.0-693.el7.x86\_64 #1 SMP Tue Aug 22 21:09:27 UTC 2017 x86\_64 x86\_64 x86\_64 GNU/Linux

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![adarsh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f07891/32.png) [@adarsh](https://community.openpbs.org/u/adarsh)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2019, 9:37pm UTC](https://community.openpbs.org/t/qsub-blocking-is-not-working/1533/3 "2019-03-30T21:37:03Z")

</div>

When used with -Wblock=true, no exit status is returned.

Basically, when qsub -Wblock=true for job submission will cause the server to hang (not do any work- like service denial) and block the operations that the server user needs to do, better to use some other methods to monitor the job.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vstumpf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/dbc845/32.png) [@vstumpf](https://community.openpbs.org/u/vstumpf)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 12:58am UTC](https://community.openpbs.org/t/qsub-blocking-is-not-working/1533/4 "2019-04-03T00:58:57Z")

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That isn’t true, -Wblock=true only blocks qsub from exiting. The server can continue to service requests.

In one window:

```
[vstumpf@shecil ~]$ qsub -Wblock=true -- /bin/sleep 10
7.shecil

```

In another:

```
[vstumpf@shecil ~]$ qsub -- /bin/sleep 10
8.shecil
[vstumpf@shecil ~]$ qstat
Job id Name User Time Use S Queue
---------------- ---------------- ---------------- -------- - -----
7.shecil STDIN vstumpf 00:00:00 R workq           
8.shecil STDIN vstumpf 00:00:00 R workq           
[vstumpf@shecil ~]$ 

```

Eventually the qsub in the first window will exit

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![adarsh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f07891/32.png) [@adarsh](https://community.openpbs.org/u/adarsh)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2019, 2:17pm UTC](https://community.openpbs.org/t/qsub-blocking-is-not-working/1533/5 "2019-04-10T14:17:43Z")

</div>

FYI:  
[https://pbspro.atlassian.net/browse/PP-823](https://pbspro.atlassian.net/browse/PP-823)