Remote runtime steering of integrated terascale simulation and visualization

ABSTRACT

We have developed a novel analytic capability for scientists and engineers to obtain insight from ongoing large-scale parallel unstructured mesh simulations running on thousands of processors. The breakthrough is made possible by a new approach that visualizes partial differential equation (PDE) solution data simultaneously while a parallel PDE solver executes. The solution field is pipelined directly to volume rendering, which is computed in parallel using the same processors that solve the PDE equations. Because our approach avoids the bottlenecks associated with transferring and storing large volumes of output data, it offers a promising approach to overcoming the challenges of visualization of petascale simulations. The submitted video demonstrates real-time on-the-fly monitoring, interpreting, and steering from a remote laptop computer of a 1024-processor simulation of the 1994 Northridge earthquake in Southern California.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.6 SIMULATION AND MODELING
      I.6.8 Types of Simulation
          Subjects: Parallel

Additional Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.5 COMPUTER SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION
      C.5.1 Large and Medium ("Mainframe") Computers
          Subjects: Super (very large) computers

  D. Software
  D.1 PROGRAMMING TECHNIQUES
      D.1.3 Concurrent Programming
          Subjects: Parallel programming

  G. Mathematics of Computing
  G.1 NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
      G.1.8 Partial Differential Equations

General Terms:
Design, Performance