Azure Batch Client Library for Python

14.2.0 verified Tue May 12 auth: no python install: verified

The `azure-batch` client library for Python enables users to configure compute nodes and pools, define tasks, and manage jobs for large-scale parallel and high-performance computing (HPC) applications in Azure. The current stable version is 14.2.0, with ongoing development as part of the broader Azure SDK for Python, which typically sees monthly releases for various packages.

pip install azure-batch azure-identity

Common errors

error ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'azure.batch' ↓

cause The 'azure-batch' package is not installed in the Python environment.

fix

Install the package using pip: 'pip install azure-batch'.

error AttributeError: 'BatchServiceClient' object has no attribute 'job' ↓

cause The 'BatchServiceClient' object does not have a 'job' attribute; the correct attribute is 'job_operations'.

fix

Use 'batch_service_client.job_operations' instead of 'batch_service_client.job'.

error TypeError: __init__() missing 1 required positional argument: 'batch_url' ↓

cause The 'batch_url' parameter is required when initializing 'BatchServiceClient'.

fix

Provide the 'batch_url' parameter when creating the client: 'BatchServiceClient(credentials, batch_url)'.

error ImportError: cannot import name 'BatchServiceClient' from 'azure.batch' ↓

cause The import statement is incorrect; 'BatchServiceClient' should be imported from 'azure.batch' directly.

fix

Use 'from azure.batch import BatchServiceClient' instead of 'from azure.batch.models import BatchServiceClient'.

error ValueError: The 'id' parameter is required and cannot be None. ↓

cause The 'id' parameter is missing or set to None when creating a job or pool.

fix

Ensure that the 'id' parameter is provided and not None when creating a job or pool.

Warnings

breaking Version 15.x and above introduces significant changes and improvements from v14.x and below. A migration guide is available in the official GitHub repository's README. ↓

fix Consult the official migration guide for `azure-batch` in the Azure SDK for Python GitHub repository to adapt your code. This often involves changes to client instantiation and model usage.

breaking The `lifetime statistics API` was removed in version 14.0.0. Specifically, `job.get_all_lifetime_statistics` and `pool.get_all_lifetime_statistics` are no longer supported. ↓

fix Remove calls to `get_all_lifetime_statistics` methods. You may need to implement custom logic to track lifetime statistics if needed, using other available APIs.

deprecated CertificateOperations-related methods were deprecated in version 14.0.0 and were scheduled for removal after February 2024. Users are advised to use Azure KeyVault Extension instead. ↓

fix Migrate any certificate management logic to use Azure KeyVault Extension. Avoid using the deprecated CertificateOperations methods.

gotcha Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) authentication using `azure-identity` and `DefaultAzureCredential` is strongly recommended for `azure-batch`. Some Batch capabilities require this, and Batch account API authentication can be restricted to only Microsoft Entra ID, rejecting shared key authentication. ↓

fix Always prefer `DefaultAzureCredential` from `azure-identity` for authentication. Ensure your application or user principal has appropriate Azure RBAC roles assigned to the Batch account.

gotcha When installing packages on Batch compute nodes, if using StartTask, ensure the Python environment is correctly set up. Common issues include `pip` not being recognized or incorrect Python versions. ↓

fix Use a platform image that comes with a suitable Python environment (e.g., Ubuntu 18.04 LTS for Python 3.6). If custom packages are needed, use a `StartTask` to install them (e.g., `pip install -r requirements.txt`) or consider custom VM images. Ensure correct paths for Python executables.

gotcha The default task retention time for all tasks was changed from infinite to 7 days. This means task-related files and stdout/stderr logs will only be available for 7 days by default. ↓

fix If longer retention is required, explicitly set the `retention_time` property when creating tasks or jobs. Ensure critical output files are persisted to an Azure Storage account.

Install

pip install azure-batch==15.1.0b3 azure-identity

Install compatibility verified last tested: 2026-05-12

python os / libc variant status wheel install import disk

3.10 alpine (musl) azure-batch wheel - - 45.6M

3.10 alpine (musl) azure-batch - - 1.07s 47.7M

3.10 alpine (musl) azure-batch==15.1.0b3 wheel - - 45.6M

3.10 alpine (musl) azure-batch==15.1.0b3 - - - -

3.10 slim (glibc) azure-batch wheel 3.8s - 46M

3.10 slim (glibc) azure-batch - - 0.78s 48M

3.10 slim (glibc) azure-batch==15.1.0b3 wheel 3.9s - 46M

3.10 slim (glibc) azure-batch==15.1.0b3 - - - -

3.11 alpine (musl) azure-batch wheel - - 49.6M

3.11 alpine (musl) azure-batch - - 1.41s 51.9M

3.11 alpine (musl) azure-batch==15.1.0b3 wheel - - 49.6M

3.11 alpine (musl) azure-batch==15.1.0b3 - - - -

3.11 slim (glibc) azure-batch wheel 3.7s - 50M

3.11 slim (glibc) azure-batch - - 1.09s 52M

3.11 slim (glibc) azure-batch==15.1.0b3 wheel 3.8s - 50M

3.11 slim (glibc) azure-batch==15.1.0b3 - - - -

3.12 alpine (musl) azure-batch wheel - - 41.0M

3.12 alpine (musl) azure-batch - - 1.25s 43.2M

3.12 alpine (musl) azure-batch==15.1.0b3 wheel - - 41.0M

3.12 alpine (musl) azure-batch==15.1.0b3 - - - -

3.12 slim (glibc) azure-batch wheel 3.2s - 41M

3.12 slim (glibc) azure-batch - - 1.30s 44M

3.12 slim (glibc) azure-batch==15.1.0b3 wheel 3.3s - 41M

3.12 slim (glibc) azure-batch==15.1.0b3 - - - -

3.13 alpine (musl) azure-batch wheel - - 40.7M

3.13 alpine (musl) azure-batch - - 1.19s 42.8M

3.13 alpine (musl) azure-batch==15.1.0b3 wheel - - 40.7M

3.13 alpine (musl) azure-batch==15.1.0b3 - - - -

3.13 slim (glibc) azure-batch wheel 3.3s - 41M

3.13 slim (glibc) azure-batch - - 1.22s 43M

3.13 slim (glibc) azure-batch==15.1.0b3 wheel 3.4s - 41M

3.13 slim (glibc) azure-batch==15.1.0b3 - - - -

3.9 alpine (musl) azure-batch wheel - - 45.7M

3.9 alpine (musl) azure-batch - - 1.02s 47.8M

3.9 alpine (musl) azure-batch==15.1.0b3 wheel - - 45.6M

3.9 alpine (musl) azure-batch==15.1.0b3 - - - -

3.9 slim (glibc) azure-batch wheel 4.4s - 46M

3.9 slim (glibc) azure-batch - - 0.96s 48M

3.9 slim (glibc) azure-batch==15.1.0b3 wheel 4.3s - 46M

3.9 slim (glibc) azure-batch==15.1.0b3 - - - -

Imports

BatchServiceClient

wrong

from azure.batch.batch_service_client import BatchServiceClient

correct

from azure.batch import BatchServiceClient

Direct import from the top-level package is standard.

models
wrong
```
from azure.batch.models import ...
```
correct
```
from azure.batch import models
```
Models are typically exposed directly under the `azure.batch` namespace for convenience.
DefaultAzureCredential
```
from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential
```
The standard credential type for authenticating with Azure services using Microsoft Entra ID.
SharedKeyCredentials
```
from azure.batch.batch_auth import SharedKeyCredentials
```
Used for shared key authentication, though Microsoft Entra ID is now recommended.

Quickstart last tested: 2026-04-24

This quickstart demonstrates how to instantiate `BatchServiceClient` using the recommended `DefaultAzureCredential` from `azure-identity`. It retrieves the Batch account URL from an environment variable and then lists the existing pools. For shared key authentication, an alternative commented-out section is provided.

import os
from azure.batch import BatchServiceClient
from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential

# Retrieve Batch account details from environment variables
batch_account_url = os.environ.get("AZURE_BATCH_ACCOUNT_URL", "https://<your-batch-account>.westus.batch.azure.com")

# Authenticate using DefaultAzureCredential (recommended for Azure AD)
# This will attempt to authenticate via environment variables, managed identity, etc.
try:
    credential = DefaultAzureCredential()
    batch_client = BatchServiceClient(credential, batch_url=batch_account_url)
    
    # Example: List existing pools
    pools = batch_client.pool.list()
    print(f"Successfully connected to Azure Batch. Found {len(pools)} pools.")
    for pool in pools:
        print(f"  - Pool ID: {pool.id}, VM Size: {pool.vm_size}")

except Exception as e:
    print(f"Error connecting to Azure Batch: {e}")
    print("Please ensure AZURE_BATCH_ACCOUNT_URL is set and your environment is authenticated (e.g., via Azure CLI).")

# For shared key authentication (less recommended, but available):
# batch_account_name = os.environ.get("AZURE_BATCH_ACCOUNT_NAME", "<your-batch-account-name>")
# batch_account_key = os.environ.get("AZURE_BATCH_ACCOUNT_KEY", "<your-batch-account-key>")
# if batch_account_name and batch_account_key:
#     from azure.batch.batch_auth import SharedKeyCredentials
#     creds = SharedKeyCredentials(batch_account_name, batch_account_key)
#     batch_client_shared_key = BatchServiceClient(creds, batch_url=batch_account_url)
#     print("Successfully connected with Shared Key credentials.")