dstack Free plan 8.9 Visit HTCondor
htcondor.com
What it is
HTCondor is a free high-throughput computing system that coordinates networked machines to run submitted jobs. It finds available machines, matches their resource offers to job requirements and preferences through ClassAds, and can restart a job elsewhere if its current machine becomes unavailable. It is suited to submitting large batches, including thousands of runs across different data sets, and can use otherwise idle machines in a pool. Users do not need login accounts on machines running their jobs; file transfers and split execution support that model. HTCondor can draw on clusters, cloud resources, and international grids, and flocking can connect multiple installations. It supports transfers to and from S3-compatible storage, including Google Cloud Storage through its S3 interoperability API, but not entire buckets or directories. The software is licensed under Apache License 2.0, includes Python bindings, and offers user and administrator guides. Community support is available through a mailing list; paid contract support offers guaranteed resolution and faster turnaround. Security fixes cover current feature and LTS versions, with the previous LTS supported for approximately twelve months after a new LTS release.
Spec sheet
- Purpose
- HTCondor creates a High-Throughput Computing environment by using the computing power of networked machines, clusters, cloud resources, and international grids.Read 30 Sep 2026 · htcondor.com
- Audience
- The site says HTCSS is used by academic, government, and commercial organizations to manage computational workloads.Read 30 Sep 2026 · htcondor.com
- Platforms
- The product page says Linux, macOS, and Windows are supported.Read 29 Sep 2026 · htcondor.org
- License
- HTCondor Software Suite is licensed under Apache License, Version 2.0.Read 29 Sep 2026 · htcondor.org
- Headquarters
- Madison, Wisconsin, United StatesRead 28 Sep 2026 · htcondor.com
- Access model
- HTCondor does not require users to have a login account on the machines where their jobs run, using file transfer and split execution mechanisms.Read 30 Sep 2026 · htcondor.com
- Cloud and grid use
- The overview says HTCondor can use clusters, cloud resources, or international grids, and the product page describes flocking multiple HTCondor installations together.Read 29 Sep 2026 · htcondor.org
- Cloud storage integration
- HTCondor supports file transfers to and from S3-compatible storage, including Google Cloud Storage through its S3 interoperability API, but does not support transferring entire buckets or directories.Read 29 Sep 2026 · htcondor.readthedocs.io
- Community support
- Free, community-based best-effort support is available through the htcondor-users mailing list.Read 29 Sep 2026 · htcondor.org
- Contract support
- Fee-based internal support offers guaranteed problem resolution, faster turnaround, telephone access, and a high-priority email address.Read 29 Sep 2026 · htcondor.org
- Documentation
- The site provides user and administrator quick-start guides and a manual that can be viewed online or downloaded.Read 30 Sep 2026 · htcondor.com
- Execution model
- HTCondor can run jobs without requiring users to have login accounts on the machines where the jobs run.Read 29 Sep 2026 · htcondor.org
- HTCondor-CE integration
- HTCondor-CE supports Grid Engine, HTCondor, LSF, PBS Pro, Torque, and Slurm as local batch systems.Read 30 Sep 2026 · htcondor.com
- Job scheduling
- Users submit jobs to HTCondor, which finds available machines and starts running the jobs there.Read 30 Sep 2026 · htcondor.com
- Python
- The site says HTCondor comes with Python bindings.Read 30 Sep 2026 · htcondor.com
- Recovery
- If a machine running a job becomes unavailable, HTCondor can automatically restart the job on another machine.Read 30 Sep 2026 · htcondor.com
- Release channels
- The download page describes feature releases for new features and bug fixes, and LTS releases for bug fixes to a fixed feature set.Read 30 Sep 2026 · htcondor.com
- Resource matching
- HTCondor uses ClassAds to match and rank resource offers against job requests, considering resource properties and priority values.Read 30 Sep 2026 · htcondor.com
- Scale
- The overview describes using HTCondor to submit many jobs at once, including thousands of runs across multiple data sets.Read 29 Sep 2026 · htcondor.org
- Security support
- HTCondor provides security fixes for the current feature version and current LTS version, and supports the previous LTS for approximately twelve months after a new LTS release.Read 30 Sep 2026 · htcondor.com
- Security updates
- The security page says fixes are provided for the current feature and LTS versions and, after a new LTS release, for the previous LTS version for approximately twelve months.Read 29 Sep 2026 · htcondor.org
- Upgrade limits
- The site says older LTS channels eventually stop receiving additional bug fixes and that changing to a new LTS feature set requires a manual decision.Read 30 Sep 2026 · htcondor.com
- Vulnerability reporting
- The security page asks people to report suspected or confirmed vulnerabilities to [email protected] and says the team will coordinate a disclosure timeline with the reporter.Read 30 Sep 2026 · htcondor.com
- Workload scale
- HTCondor is useful for running jobs thousands of times across different data sets, and can run jobs on otherwise idle machines in the pool.Read 30 Sep 2026 · htcondor.com
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Matches machine resources to job requirements with ClassAds.
- Can restart jobs when a machine becomes unavailable.
- Users need no login accounts on job-running machines.
- Supports clusters, cloud resources, and international grids.
- Includes Python bindings and user and administrator guides.
Limits
- Whole S3-compatible buckets and directories cannot be transferred.
- Community support is best-effort; guaranteed resolution requires fee-based support.
- Older LTS channels eventually stop receiving bug fixes.
Who it suits
It suits academic, government, and commercial organizations managing computational workloads across networked machines. It is especially relevant when jobs need to use clusters, cloud resources, grids, or otherwise idle pool machines.
Verdict
HTCondor provides job scheduling across a broad pool of machines, with resource matching and recovery when a machine drops out. Its transfer limits and LTS upgrade decisions are important operational details.
Where Specifiction places it
- GPU Cluster Management Software#8 of 217.9
