[HTCondor-devel] new name for MaxJobRetirementTime

[Todd L Miller <tlmiller@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

	We've come to the conclusion that every word in 
MaxJobRetirementTime is wrong, so we'd like to rename it.  To be precise, 
we must observe that there's a job ad attribute and a startd configuration 
knob with the same name.  The job ad attribute can only shorten the 
duration specified by the startd configuration knob.  Therefore, since the 
job is not informed when it enters vacating state, the only utility for 
the job ad attribute is match-making, meaning "don't bother to start me if 
you won't guarantee me if enough time to make forward progress."
	I therefore propose that we call the job ad attribute 
"request_duration", since that's the only thing it can do.
	The startd configuration knob should thus include the word 
duration.  It can't be /just/ duration (unlike MEMORY), because (unlike 
MEMORY and NUM_CPUs), it's a conditional minimum, not a configured 
maximum.  (The Miron directive for CHTC implies a knob called 
MAXIMUM_DURATION, but that's a different a problem.) 
Maybe call it ADVERTISED_DURATION?
	Things that ignore MJRT currently include condor_reassign_slot(s) 
(which may be renamed to condor_now) and one (or more?) of the shutdown 
styles.  A job may also not run for the MJRT because it didn't need that 
much time or because its policy expressions indicated it shouldn't.  We 
agree that a job should also not run for the MJRT if it abuses the system 
(e.g., uses more memory than requested), but that's not currently 
implementable if the machine is draining.  Because of these conditions, I 
feel we shouldn't name the knob 'promised' or 'minimum'.
- ToddM