---
title: Action Availability and Blockers
sidebar_label: Action availability
---
import { Eye, Lock, AlertCircle, Activity, List } from 'react-feather';
# Action Availability and Blockers
An action can be missing from the menu, greyed out inside a dialog, or rejected after you confirm.
This page is the single reference for why — start here when a control you expected is not there.
},
{ href: '#cluster-statuses', label: 'Cluster statuses', icon: },
{ href: '#what-each-status-allows', label: 'What each status allows', icon:
},
{ href: '#visibility-rules-by-action', label: 'Visibility by action', icon: },
{ href: '#blockers-and-their-messages', label: 'Blockers & messages', icon: },
{ href: '#permissions', label: 'Permissions', icon: },
]} />
---
## Quick Diagnosis
Work down this list — the first match is almost always the answer.
| Symptom | Check |
|---------|-------|
| The action is **not in the menu at all** | The cluster status. Most actions need **Running** — see [what each status allows](#what-each-status-allows) |
| **Scale Cluster** is missing on a Running cluster | The cluster is on a **committed** plan. Scaling is not supported for committed plans |
| **Convert to Committed** is missing | The cluster is already committed, is a **CPU cluster**, or runs on a **private cluster** plan |
| **Slurm Configuration** is missing | The cluster is not **Running** |
| **Update Image** is missing | The cluster is not **Running** |
| No actions at all, or the page is read-only | You do not have **update** permission on Training Clusters in this project |
| The dialog opens but the confirm button is grey | Something in the dialog is incomplete — see [disabled-confirm reasons](#why-a-confirm-button-is-disabled) |
| You confirmed and got an error | See [blockers and their messages](#blockers-and-their-messages) |
| A **tab** shows "available when the cluster is running" | Cluster Overview, Partitions, Nodes, Jobs, Monitoring, Volumes and Network & Security need a Running cluster |
| The cluster is gone from the list | It was **deleted**. From the moment Delete is issued the cluster is removed from the list and every action on it fails |
---
## Cluster Statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|--------|---------|
| **Creating** | Provisioning is in progress |
| **Running** | The cluster is live and accepting jobs |
| **Failed** | Creation did not complete and was rolled back |
| **Terminating** | Termination in progress |
| **Terminated** | Terminated. The record remains so you can clone or delete it |
| **Deleting** | Deletion in progress |
| **Deleted** | Deleted. No longer listed |
The list page **refreshes itself every 5 seconds** while any cluster is **Creating** or **Deleting**,
so you can watch provisioning without reloading. The details page does not auto-refresh — use the
refresh icon in the header.
:::info Creating usually finishes in a few minutes
If a cluster sits in **Creating** much longer, try
[**Reconfigure Cluster**](/docs/tir/SlurmCluster/manage/actions#reconfigure-cluster) — it is available
on a Creating cluster and re-applies the intended state. If that does not help, note the cluster name
and contact support.
:::
---
## What Each Status Allows
| Status | Actions offered |
|--------|-----------------|
| **Creating** | Update SSH Keys · Convert to Committed¹ · Reconfigure Cluster · Clone Cluster · Terminate Cluster · Delete |
| **Running** | Everything |
| **Failed** | Update SSH Keys · Clone Cluster · Terminate Cluster · Delete |
| **Terminating** | Update SSH Keys · Clone Cluster · Terminate Cluster · Delete |
| **Terminated** | Update SSH Keys · Clone Cluster · Terminate Cluster · Delete |
| **Deleting** / **Deleted** | Not listed. Once Delete is issued the cluster leaves the list and no action on it is possible |
¹ Only on hourly, non-private-cluster plans.
:::tip Failed clusters are for cloning, not fixing
A **Failed** cluster cannot be repaired into a Running one. The productive path is **Clone Cluster** —
you get the same configuration in a fresh create form — then **Delete** the failed record. A Failed
cluster is not billed for compute.
:::
---
## Visibility Rules by Action
| Action | Visible when | Hidden when |
|--------|--------------|-------------|
| Update SSH Keys | Always | Never |
| Update Image | Status is Running | Any other status |
| Slurm Configuration | Status is Running | Any other status |
| Scale Cluster | Running **and** (hourly plan **or** private cluster) | Committed plan, or not Running |
| Convert to Committed | Hourly plan **and** not a private cluster **and** status is not Failed / Terminating / Terminated | Committed plan, CPU cluster, private cluster, or one of those statuses |
| Restart All Workers | Running | Any other status (the header button is disabled rather than hidden) |
| Restart Cluster | Running | Any other status |
| Restart Login Service | Running | Any other status |
| Reconfigure Cluster | Running **or** Creating | Any other status |
| Clone Cluster | Always | Never |
| Terminate Cluster | Always | Never |
| Delete | Always | Never |
| Add / Edit / Delete Partition | Running; row actions only on **your** partitions | Platform partitions show `Managed` and have no actions |
| Node reboot | Nodes tab, and the node is not already rebooting | While a reboot is in flight |
| Mount / unmount a volume | Volumes tab, cluster Running | — |
| IP and security-group actions | Network & Security tab, cluster Running | The VPC section is not shown in every region |
| **Connect** | Always in the list; the details button needs Running | The list icon is disabled on a Failed cluster |
---
## Why a Confirm Button Is Disabled
| Dialog | Confirm stays grey while |
|--------|-------------------------|
| Update SSH Keys | Nothing is selected, or the selection is unchanged from the current keys |
| Update Image | No version chosen, or the chosen version is already the current one |
| Slurm Configuration | The configuration is still loading or being saved. Validation errors are listed above the buttons and block the save |
| Scale up | The total is not above the current node count, no inventory is available, or you asked for more than is free |
| Scale down | No node selected, or **every** node selected — at least one must remain |
| Convert to Committed | No committed plan is available, or the acknowledgement is unticked |
| Delete Partition | The acknowledgement checkbox is unticked |
| Delete Training Cluster | The acknowledgement checkbox is unticked |
| Any action | A previous submission is still in flight |
---
## Blockers and Their Messages
These are checked after you confirm.
### Plan and cluster-type blockers
| Message | Cause | Fix |
|---------|-------|-----|
| *Scale cluster is not supported for committed cluster* | Scaling a committed plan | Size the cluster before committing, or create a second hourly cluster |
| *Cluster plan upgrade not allowed for committed clusters* | Asking for plan options on a committed cluster | None — the commitment window has to run out |
| *Convert to committed is not supported for committed cluster* | Already committed | — |
| *Convert to committed is not supported for CPU cluster* | CPU clusters have no committed plans | — |
### Capacity and quota blockers
| Message | Cause | Fix |
|---------|-------|-----|
| *Inventory not available for the selected configuration* | No free nodes of the right type on the same rack as your existing nodes | Retry later; inventory is refreshed frequently. For guaranteed capacity, use a [Private Cluster](/docs/myaccount/private_cluster/) |
| **Inventory Unavailable** in the Scale dialog | Same, surfaced before you submit | As above, or scale to the maximum the dialog offers |
| A credit-related message | Not enough credit for the requested nodes or the upfront committed charge | Top up, then retry |
| A BOM or limit message | An account-level limit on the requested configuration | Contact support |
### State blockers
| Message | Cause | Fix |
|---------|-------|-----|
| *Slurm configuration can only be updated on a running cluster* | Editing Slurm config on a non-Running cluster | Wait for **Running** |
| *Minimum one node required for cluster to remain in running* | Scaling down to zero | Keep at least one node, or terminate instead |
| *Invalid request, Cluster does not exist* | The cluster was deleted, or belongs to a different project | Check the project selector |
| A VPC-IP-in-progress error | A VPC IP is mid-attach, which blocks terminate and delete | Wait for the attach to settle, then retry |
### Storage blockers
| Message | Cause | Fix |
|---------|-------|-----|
| *Cannot remove storage. At least one storage volume must remain mounted on the cluster.* | Unmounting the last volume | Mount a replacement first, then unmount |
| *Cannot unmount this storage as it is used for persistent login. Disable persistent login on the cluster first.* | The volume holds the home directories | Disable [Login User Management](/docs/tir/SlurmCluster/connect/login-user-management) first |
### Network blockers
| Message | Cause | Fix |
|---------|-------|-----|
| *At least one IP (reserved or floating) must be attached.* | Detaching the last IP | Attach a reserved IP first, then detach the other |
| A "at least one security group" error | Removing the last security group | Attach a replacement first |
### Partition validation
See [Manage partitions](/docs/tir/SlurmCluster/slurm-configuration/partitions#rules-summary) for the
full list, including reserved names, the 20-partition limit, and the node-membership rules.
---
## No Action Checks Your Job Queue
This is the most important operational caveat on the page.
:::danger Nothing stops you restarting a cluster with jobs running
No action inspects the Slurm queue before it runs. **Restart All Workers**, **Restart Cluster**,
**Scale down** and **Terminate** all proceed with jobs in flight, and those jobs are lost. Only
**Update Image** drains nodes as part of its rolling restart.
Before any disruptive action:
1. Open the [**Jobs** tab](/docs/tir/SlurmCluster/manage/jobs) or run `squeue`.
2. Let jobs finish, or drain first: `scontrol update nodename= state=drain`.
3. Confirm your jobs checkpoint to a PFS or SFS mount so a loss costs minutes, not days.
:::
### What each action interrupts
| Action | Interrupts jobs? |
|--------|------------------|
| Update SSH Keys | No |
| Convert to Committed | No — billing only, nothing on the cluster changes |
| Slurm Configuration | No — running jobs continue; queued jobs use the new settings |
| Reconfigure Cluster | No |
| Scale up | No |
| Mount / unmount a volume | Yes — the nodes restart |
| Update Image | Yes, gracefully — nodes are drained one at a time |
| Restart Login Service | Only shells on the login node; Slurm jobs keep running |
| Restart All Workers | **Yes — all running jobs** |
| Restart Cluster | **Yes — all running jobs** |
| Scale down | **Yes** — on removed nodes, and remaining workers restart too |
| Terminate / Delete | **Yes — everything** |
---
## Permissions
Actions are gated by your role on **Training Clusters** in the project.
| You need | For |
|----------|-----|
| **Read** | Viewing clusters, all tabs, and **Connect** |
| **Update** | Every action in the Actions menu except Clone and Delete; partitions; volumes; IPs; security groups; node reboot |
| **Create** | **Clone Cluster** — it leads to a create form |
| **Delete** | **Delete Training Cluster** |
If the whole Actions menu is missing, or the details page is read-only, you have read access only. Ask
a project administrator to review your role in the **IAM Panel**.
---
## Related Resources
- [Cluster actions](/docs/tir/SlurmCluster/manage/actions)
- [Manage a Slurm Cluster](/docs/tir/SlurmCluster/manage/)
- [Jobs tab](/docs/tir/SlurmCluster/manage/jobs)
- [Troubleshooting](/docs/tir/SlurmCluster/troubleshoot/)