This tutorial will cover how to use MATLAB on the Aloe supercomputer through two main approaches:

1. The interactive MATLAB graphical application. This is an ideal approach for new users as they become familiar with the supercomputer. This is also ideal for code that is being developed or tested before it is submitted as a batch job.

2. A batch job. This is a job that is submitted as a complete script and runs unattended. This is done through a SBATCH script.

Using the Interactive MATLAB Graphical Application

The interactive MATLAB graphical application is available through the web portal. To access this application, follow these steps:

1. Connect to the web portal and log on with your credentials.

2. Select “Interactive Apps“ in the navigation bar then select “MATLAB“.

3. You will be directed to a request form. This form will be used to request resources for your interactive session. An explanation of these resources can be found in this “Requesting Resources on Aloe“ guide.

4. Specify the resources needed for your job and select “Launch“.

5. You will be directed to a window with details about your job. Select “Launch MATLAB“ and the interactive MATLAB graphical application will open:

Submitting a Batch Job

Follow these steps to submit a MATLAB batch job:

1. Create the SBATCH script. You can create this script on your workstation and then upload it to the Aloe supercomputer. You can also create this script through the shell. To do this:

   1. Connect to the web portal and log on with your credentials.

   2. Select “System“ in the navigation bar then select “Aloe Shell Access“. You will be prompted for your credentials and a DUO push will be sent to you.

   3. In the command prompt, use the following commands to create a SBATCH script called “MATLAB_test_script.sh“.

      nano MATLAB_test_script.sh

   4. In the file editor, specify the resources, MATLAB version, and the MATLAB file needed for your computation. Here is an example of a MATLAB SBATCH script:

      #!/bin/bash
      #SBATCH -c 16     # number of TASKS
      #SBATCH -N 1     # keep all tasks on the same node
      #SBATCH --mem=120G     # request 120 GB of memory
      #SBATCH -t 0-4     # request 4 hours of walltime
      
      module load matlab/latest # load in the lastest version of MATLAB
      matlab –batch hello.m # run the MATLAB file

      
      This job will allocate 16 cores and 120 GB of memory on one node for four hours. It will also execute the “hello.m“ file with the latest version of MATLAB on the Aloe supercomputer.

   5. Save the SBATCH script and exit the file editor.

2. In the command prompt, use the following commands to submit the batch job:

   sbatch MATLAB_test_script.sh

3. Done. Your job has been submitted. Here are some helpful commands to manage your job:

   myjobs # This will show the status for all of your jobs.

   scancel JOBID # This will cancel one job by using its JOBID.

   scancel –u $USER # This will cancel all of your jobs. 

   seff JOBID # This will give the efficiency report for one job by using its JOBID.