diff --git a/ClusterController/QstatParser.py b/ClusterController/QstatParser.py
index 7b29212..b95c623 100644
--- a/ClusterController/QstatParser.py
+++ b/ClusterController/QstatParser.py
@@ -28,6 +28,21 @@ class QstatParser:
 			else:
 				assert False, 'unhandled job state flag :"' + c + '"'
 		return jobState
+	def parseQueueMachineState( self, strQueueMachineStatus ):
+		queueMachineState = 0
+		for i in range(0, len(strQueueMachineStatus) ):
+			c = strQueueMachineStatus[i]
+			if c == 'd':
+				queueMachineState += QueueMachineStateFlags.DISABLED
+			elif c == 'a':
+				queueMachineState += QueueMachineStateFlags.ALARM
+			elif c == 'u':
+				queueMachineState += QueueMachineStateFlags.UNKNOWN
+			elif c == 'E':
+				queueMachineState += QueueMachineStateFlags.ERROR
+			else:
+				assert False, 'unhandled queue machine state flag :"' + c + '"'
+		return queueMachineState
 	def parseQstatOutput( self, qstatOutput ):
 		jobsState = JobsState()
 		f = StringIO.StringIO(qstatOutput)
@@ -45,7 +60,7 @@ class QstatParser:
 		jobRegularExp = re.compile( '^[ ]*(?P<jobId>[^ ]+)[ ]+[0-9.]+[ ]+(?P<jobScriptName>[^ ]+)[ ]+(?P<jobOwner>[^ ]+)[ ]+(?P<jobStatus>[^ ]+)[ ]+(?P<jobStartOrSubmitTime>[0-9][0-9]/[0-9][0-9]/[0-9][0-9][0-9][0-9] [0-9][0-9]:[0-9][0-9]:[0-9][0-9])[ ]+(?P<numSlots>[0-9]+)[ ]+(?P<jobArrayDetails>[^\n]*)[\s]*$' )
 		# example of machine line :
 		# allintel.q@simpatix34.univ-ren BIP   0/6/8          6.00     darwin-x86
-		machineRegularExp = re.compile( '^(?P<queueName>[^@]+)@(?P<machineName>[^.]+)[^ ]+[ ]+(?P<queueTypeString>[^ ]+)[ ]+(?P<numReservedSlots>[^/]+)/(?P<numUsedSlots>[^/]+)/(?P<numTotalSlots>[^ ]+)[ ]+(?P<cpuLoad>[^ ]+)[?]*' )
+		machineRegularExp = re.compile( '^(?P<queueName>[^@]+)@(?P<machineName>[^.]+)[^ ]+[ ]+(?P<queueTypeString>[^ ]+)[ ]+(?P<numReservedSlots>[^/]+)/(?P<numUsedSlots>[^/]+)/(?P<numTotalSlots>[^ ]+)[ ]+(?P<cpuLoad>[^ ]+)[\s]+(?P<archName>[^ ]+)[\s]+(?P<queueMachineStatus>[^\s]*)' )
 		pendingJobsHeaderRegularExp = re.compile( '^ - PENDING JOBS - PENDING JOBS - PENDING JOBS - PENDING JOBS - PENDING JOBS[?]*' )
 		while( len(line) > 0 ):
 			# print line
@@ -137,7 +152,8 @@ class QstatParser:
 						if strCpuLoad != '-NA-':
 							queueMachine.setCpuLoad( float(strCpuLoad) )
 						
-						
+						strQueueMachineState = matchObj.group('queueMachineStatus')
+						queueMachine.setState( self.parseQueueMachineState( strQueueMachineState ) )
 						#log('QstatParser::parseQstatOutput : queueName = "'+matchObj.group('queueName')+'"')
 						#log('QstatParser::parseQstatOutput : machineName = "'+matchObj.group('machineName')+'"')
 						currentQueueMachine = queueMachine
diff --git a/ClusterController/QueueMachine.py b/ClusterController/QueueMachine.py
index 72ac86e..d281131 100644
--- a/ClusterController/QueueMachine.py
+++ b/ClusterController/QueueMachine.py
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
 
+class QueueMachineStateFlags: # 
+	DISABLED=1	# the queue machine is disabled
+	ALARM=2	# the queue machine is in alarm state (see man qstat) 
+	UNKNOWN=4 # the queue machine is in unknown state because sge_execd cannot be contected (see man qstat)  
+	ERROR=8 # the queue is in error state
+
 class QueueMachine:
 	"""
 		a QueueMachine instance represents a given SGE queue on a given machine (eg allintel.q@simpatix10)
@@ -36,4 +42,14 @@ class QueueMachine:
 	def getCpuLoad( self ):
 		assert( self.m_fCpuLoad != None )
 		return self.m_fCpuLoad
-
+	def setState( self, state ):
+		self.m_stateFlags = state
+	def isDisabled( self ):
+		return self.m_stateFlags & QueueMachineStateFlags.DISABLED
+	def isInErrorState( self ):
+		return self.m_stateFlags & QueueMachineStateFlags.ERROR
+	"""
+	def getStateAsString( self ):
+		assert( self.m_strState != None )
+		return self.m_strState
+	"""
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