TOPS: Towards Optimal Petascale Simulations
The focus of TASCS-TOPS collaboration is the development of scalable TOPS linear/nonlinear solver components, with particular emphasis on the needs of beam dynamics applications in the SciDAC COMPASS accelerator project and core-edge plasma applications in the SciADC FACETS fusion project. Also, the selection and parameterization of TOPS solver components in long-running scientific simulations motivate work on computational quality of service (CQoS), a TASCS component technology initiative.
Collaboration Status: Active
TASCS Contact: Lois Curfman McInnes, ANL, curfman@mcs.anl.gov
Collaboration Summary: The complexity and scale of todays high-fidelity, multidisciplinary scientific simulations create ever more challenging demands for high-performance numerical solvers that are flexible, extensible, and interoperable. Component-based design can help to manage such complexity by combining object-oriented design with the powerful features of well-defined common interfaces, programming language interoperability, and dynamic composability.
We have developed language-independent components for the scalable solution of large linear and nonlinear algebraic systems arising from either structured or unstructured meshes. These components, compliant with the CCA and written using the Scientific Interface Definition Language (SIDL) and Babel software, can interface to underlying solvers provided by a large variety of libraries developed at various institutions, including hypre (LLNL), SuperLU (LBNL), and PETSc (ANL).
The common interfaces employed by TOPS solver components enable easy access to suites of independently developed algorithms and implementations. The challenge then becomes how, during runtime, to make the best choices for reliability, accuracy, and performance. TASCS researchers are addressing this challenge by developing tools for Computational Quality of Service (CQoS), or the automatic selection and configuration of components to suit a particular computational purpose and environment. CQoS work with TOPS components focuses on the automation of appropriate choices for algorithms and parameters of TOPS linear and nonlinear solver components.
Collaboration Notes: Initial prototype TOPS solver components are available. We are currently extending these based on the needs of motivating applications in fusion and accelerator simulations.
Collaboration Image URLs: n/a
Software Involved: hypre, PETSc, SuperLU, CCA tools
Collaboration URL: http://www-unix.mcs.anl.gov/scidac-tops/solver-components/tops.html
Partner Project URL: external-linkhttp://www.scalablesolvers.org/
Partner Project Sponsorship: SciDAC CET
Sponsorship Details: Applied Mathematics CET funded by ASCR
