ACTS -- Advanced Computational Testing and Simulation

The Advanced Computational Testing and Simulation (ACTS) Toolkit will provide an integrated set of software tools, algorithms, and environments that accelerate the adoption and use of advanced computing by DOE programs for mission-critical problems. The toolkit will include capabilities for

  • representing complex geometries,
  • solving diverse numerical equations,
  • simplifying multilanguage parallel execution,
  • evaluating and enhancing code performance, and
  • dynamically steering calculations during execution.
  • Strategy

    The strategy for building this toolkit is to select a base set of existing successful tools, provide support to make them interoperable, and then add new tools and interfaces to make the entire toolkit robust for diverse application needs.

    Currently, investigators are working closely with selected DOE Defense Program and ER Grand Challenge applications to demonstrate enhanced problem-solving capabilities on specific computing platforms, that is, machines acquired under the Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative (ASCI). As new funds become available, the ACTS Toolkit will expand to fit the needs of a wider range of DOE applications and to run on a broader set of computing platforms.

    SciTL

    The initial FY 97 Toolkit development is called the Scientific Template Library (SciTL). Involving 14 ongoing projects among five DOE laboratories, the SciTL is a prototype library meant to provide immediate utility to applications developers and to promote feedback for further project development.

    The SciTL focuses on three major aspects of the ACTS Toolkit: software frameworks, numerical kernels, and runtime support.

  • The frameworks portion will enhance existing capabilities and provide a common support infrastructure for POOMA, Overture, and POET. These application-driven software infrastructures, based on object-oriented technologies, are currently in use (or selected for use) for several ASCI applications.

  • The numerics portion will build a prototype numerical interface for the solution of nonlinear optimization, ODEs, and linear and nonlinear equations. Specifically, this work will provide greater access to and interoperability of five major numerical components: AZTEC, PVODE, PETSc, preconditioners from the various labs, and OPT++.

  • The run-time portion will provide new capabilities and enhanced performance needed to support both the Frameworks and the applications.
  • All portions of the SciTL stress the need to bring together the best components of individually developed capabilities into one unified scheme for meeting DOE 2000 objectives.

    Key Benefits

  • Application programmers will be able to easily use and combine components from different libraries.

  • Software frameworks will provide interoperable interfaces to numerical libraries, to their own components, and to runtime facilities.

  • Runtime support software will enable portable, high-performance parallel execution for applications on large-scale systems of interest.
  • Call for Proposals

    Applications are solicited for proposals to contribute to the ACTS Toolkit development in FY 98 and beyond.

    Academic or industrial scientists, click here.

    Scientsts at national laboratories, click here.