How can my job requests either type of the nodes (x86 and ppc64) to increase the chance that it gets scheduled faster?
If your application can run on both architectures, you may use the “FIRSTOF” option within the specification of a nodeset on a “#PBS” line. The first type of CPU listed will be given preference if both types of CPU are available. Example #PBS -l nodes=4:ppn=2 #PBS -l nodeset=FIRSTOF:FEATURE:x86:ppc64 In this example, x86 will be used if both PowerPCs and x86 are available. If you have absolutely no preference for CPU (even if both are available), you may replace “FIRSTOF” with “ONEOF” in the examples shown above. Based on the nodes you are getting (e.g. using “arch” to determine the node architecture), you can run the proper applications.
