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QUESTION: Can I get different images using batch as well as manual?
ANSWER: Yes. Using ppn=4 and -n 4 and tracking the cores given in the cgroup, I was able to see the same sort of variance in images. For example a job with 4 even cores produced a different image than a job with 3 even and 1 odd core. So, it doesn't look like Torque does anything significantly different than my manual tests and there is no guarentee as to which cores Torque will give you.