Add flag to allow beeflow to run on back end node (#947)

The --backend flag has been added for CI testing purposes and should be avoided by the user. They should run beeflow on the front-end.

beeflow/client/core.py

@@ -296,14 +296,14 @@ def load_check_charliecloud():
         sys.exit(1)
 
 
-def check_dependencies():
+def check_dependencies(backend=False):
     """Check for various dependencies in the environment."""
-    print('Checking dependencies...')
     # Check if running on compute node under Slurm scheduler
-    if os.environ.get('SLURM_JOB_NODELIST') is not None:
+    if not backend and os.environ.get('SLURM_JOB_NODELIST') is not None:
         warn('Slurm job node detected! Beeflow should not be run on a compute node.')
         warn(f'SLURM_JOB_NODELIST = {os.environ.get("SLURM_JOB_NODELIST")}')
         sys.exit(1)
+    print('Checking dependencies...')
     # Check for Charliecloud and its version
     load_check_charliecloud()
     # Check for the flux API
@@ -385,9 +385,13 @@ def handle_terminate(signum, stack): # noqa
 
 @app.command()
 def start(foreground: bool = typer.Option(False, '--foreground', '-F',
-          help='run in the foreground')):
+          help='run in the foreground'), backend: bool = typer.Option(False, '--backend',
+          '-B', help='allow to run on a backend node')):
     """Start all BEE components."""
-    check_dependencies()
+    if backend:  # allow beeflow to run on backend node
+        check_dependencies(backend=True)
+    else:
+        check_dependencies()
     mgr = init_components()
     beeflow_log = paths.log_fname('beeflow')
     sock_path = paths.beeflow_socket()

docs/sphinx/commands.rst

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ To interact with the daemon process you'll need to use the ``beeflow core`` sub-
 
 Options:
   -F, --foreground  run in the foreground  [default: False]
+  -B, --backend  run on a back end node  [default: False]
 
 
 ``beeflow core status``: Check the status of beeflow and the components.