Is Parallel Processing available in AUTODYN?


Parallel processing is available in AUTODYN.
For AUTODYN 6.1, a regular AUTODYN 3D license has 2 tasks, so 2 CPUs can be used for parallel processing - for more than 2 CPUs, the AUTODYN license must have the same number of tasks as the number of CPUs to run in parallel (i.e., customer must purchase additional tasks).
For AUTODYN 11.0, a new "ANSYS AUTODYN HPC" license is required to run jobs in parallel.

The document explaining parallel setup can be found in the following location (on Windows):
C:AUTODYNDOCparallel_v61.pdf

To set up parallel licensing for AUTODYN on Windows (32-bit), please ensure that the following steps have been completed:

1) Download WMPI software from Critical Software website (http://www.criticalhpc.com/). Note that a 30-day evaluation license is available from Critical Software. The latest version of WMPI at the time of this writing is version 1.6.1. (Do not download WMPI II.)

2) Install WMPI 1.6.1 on the PC(s). Do not forget to install the WMPI license server on the PC designated as the WMPI license server.

3) Use "Start Menu > Programs > WMPI > WMPI Setup" to specify the WMPI license key obtained from Critical Software as well as register the username and password so that the WMPI process can run on the PC(s).

4) In Windows services, ensure that the WMPI daemon (and WMPI license manager on the license server PC) are running. (Task Manager will show the "wmpi_service.exe" and "wmpi1_license_server.exe" processes running.) If MPICH, MPICH2, or other MPI programs are also installed on the PC, verify that the WMPI bin directory is listed first in the PATH environment variable, so that "mpiexec.exe" is called correctly. (System environment variables are set under "Start Menu > Settings > Control Panel > System: Advanced tab > Environment Variables.)

5) To test the WMPI installation and setup, go to the "bin" subdirectory of the WMPI installation directory (typically C:Program FilesWMPIbin). Edit "wmpi.clusterconf" and put the hostname(s) there, then run "wmpitestconf.exe" in a DOS prompt. The output should verify that setup and licensing are OK.

6) For debugging purposes, verify the setting of WMPI_MASTER_ERROR_OUTPUT
and WMPI_SLAVE_ERROR_OUTPUT system environment variables. The location of the two files can be changed, if desired. If any WMPI problems occur, consult those 2 text files for debugging information.

7) Modify "wmpi.clusterconf" file as noted in the "parallel_v61.pdf" PDF file described above. For AUTODYN 6.1, the "wmpi.clusterconf" should reside in theAUTODYN program directory ("adv61," "adv61dp," "adv61_intel," or "adv61_intel_dp"). For version 11.0, it should reside in C:Documents and Settings<USER>Application DataAnsysv110AUTODYN directory for the current <USER>. For version 11.0, also be sure to set the environment variable WMPI_CLUSTER_CONF_FILE to point to this file.

8) The WMPI.dll supplied with AUTODYN may be older than the version of WMPI installed. If this is the case, go to the program directory (C:AUTODYNadv61 or related directory for 6.1, C:Program FilesANSYS Incv110AISOLAUTODYNintel for 11.0) and rename "WMPI.DLL" to "WMPI.DLL.OLD".

9) Launch AUTODYN and set up a simple model for parallel processing per the instructions in the "parallel_v61.pdf" PDF file. This includes creating the "Host Configuration Sets" and "Decomposition Sets" in the "Parallel" panel. Once this is done, two files should automatically be created: "parallel.cfg" and "autodynv6.pg" (6.1 in the program directory) or "autodyn.pg" (11.0 in the user's directory). For version 11.0, also define the environment variable WMPI_PG_FILENAME to point to the "autodyn.pg" file created in C:Documents and Settings<USER>Application DataAnsysv110AUTODYNautodyn.pg.

10) Run the parallel solution. In Task Manager, the user should see additional 'slave' processes being run during solution ("adv6slave.exe" for 6.1 or "adslave.exe" or "adslaveDP.exe" for 11.0), confirming that the parallel solution is working as expected.

Note that not all features of AUTODYN may support parallel processing, so please consult the AUTODYN online help for details on supported features.





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