October 2014 Summaries

The new user interface introduces several features aimed at enhancing the job setup process, including job type visualization, core-to-instance mapping, improved file transfer experience, and better license selection. Users can now visualize each job type and navigate through setup steps using multiple UI elements such as icons, sidebar navigation, and next/back buttons, allowing flexibility in the order of input. The new UI offers a more desktop-like experience with quicker response times, and the hardware settings page provides a visual aid for core comparison. Users can upload input files, choose software from a consolidated view with tutorial links, and define commands within the software settings. The platform supports transferring multiple files simultaneously and displays transfer progress on the navigation bar. The review page summarizes the setup, and the new "Status" page includes a Gantt chart and live tailing window for tracking job progress. Upon completion, the Results page allows for viewing and managing output files, while the Charts page facilitates data plotting for Design of Experiments jobs. Users can share jobs with support, including messages to detail issues, enhancing communication and problem-solving.

Rescale is a vital partner for engineering consultancies worldwide, offering critical computational support across various industries, including aerospace, automotive, and energy. The company provides immediate assistance to engineers with demanding simulation needs, helping them configure computing resources to meet tight deadlines. Rescale's expertise in cloud simulation, combined with its strong affiliations with software vendors, enables consultancies to offer reliable solutions within their services. The company has validated hundreds of CAE applications, addressing the challenges consultancies face in reconciling application and CPU requirements. By collaborating with Rescale, consultancies can enhance their capabilities and scale their operations efficiently, thereby serving a broader range of demanding customer needs. Rescale's services are particularly beneficial for consultancies that have grown from academic origins into successful enterprises, providing them with the tools to expand their simulation workloads and adopt new licenses effectively.

Rescale, Inc. and Next Limit Dynamics S.L. have formed a technology partnership to offer XFlow users the ability to run MPI simulations on Rescale’s on-demand cloud simulation platform, providing access to extensive HPC resources. Launched commercially in 2011, XFlow is a next-generation Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software developed to overcome the limitations of traditional mesh-based CFD approaches, such as challenges with mesh quality and handling complex problems like moving parts or fluid-structure interactions. XFlow utilizes a unique particle-based kinetic algorithm, eliminating the need for classic fluid domain meshing and significantly enhancing solution quality and time efficiency. This advancement, along with Large Eddy Simulation (LES) modeling and non-equilibrium wall models, allows for higher fidelity in turbulence simulations. The partnership emphasizes the strategic shift from capital expenses to operational expenses by adopting on-demand cloud-based HPC solutions, making advanced CFD simulations more accessible and affordable for startups, SMEs, and niche companies. Rescale’s platform supports this shift by offering scalable, secure, pay-per-use HPC resources, crucial for meeting the growing computational demands of increasingly complex simulations.

Rescale has introduced enhanced user account job settings that enable secure connections to remote clusters, facilitating direct monitoring and management of simulations. This feature is particularly useful for addressing common issues such as solver crashes or missing input files during high-performance computing (HPC) simulations. Users can configure their accounts by generating an SSH key pair, adding the public key to their Rescale account, disabling automatic cluster termination, and logging into running clusters. Instructions detail generating SSH keys on both *nix and Windows systems, with tools like ssh-keygen and PuTTY, and emphasize safeguarding private keys. Once configured, users can log into clusters to troubleshoot simulations, with guidance provided for both command-line and GUI methods. Users are advised to manually terminate clusters to avoid extra charges and ensure proper data transfer post-simulation.

In an office setting where the thermostat often becomes a point of contention, a study was conducted using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to explore optimal air conditioning configurations that could satisfy the majority of occupants. The research, utilizing the Rescale platform and OpenFOAM 2.3, examined airflow and temperature distributions under five different vent configurations. The analysis involved adjusting vent flow velocities to either 0.1 m/s or 1 m/s while maintaining a constant temperature, resulting in 64 potential scenarios narrowed down to five key cases. The study found that Cases 2 and 3 offered better temperature distributions across the office compared to the other configurations, where Case 1 was the coldest and Cases 4 and 5 represented extreme temperature polarizations. While the study does not conclude with an implemented solution, it suggests that Cases 2 and 3 hold promise for achieving a more balanced and agreeable office climate, marking a preliminary step towards resolving the ongoing thermostat disputes.