Tutorial for New Users

This section provides a simple guide for compiling and running an example parameter file for the Einstein Toolkit.

One complexity of high performance computing is the heterogeneous environments presented by different resources with different core software installations and local setups. For example, Einstein Toolkit codes necessitate compiling with MPI and then running the resulting application in a batch queue. As much as possible of this complexity is hidden in Cactus and accompanying tools such as the Simulation Factory.

This worked example assumes that you are using the NSF TeraGrid resource Queen Bee. If you don't have an existing account on Queen Bee you can [request.php request an account] to use for these examples.

Prepare some Tools

On Queen Bee (qb.loni.org), the git client will not be in your path by default. To add this type:

soft add +git

Download the GetComponents script which will checkout all the components of the Einstein Toolkit and ensure it is executable:

wget http://cactuscode.org/download/GetComponents
chmod 755 GetComponents

Download, Configure, and Build

Checkout the Einstein Toolkit using anonymous authentication (this may take a few minutes):

./GetComponents -a https://svn.einsteintoolkit.org/manifest/einsteintoolkit.th													 

This checks out Cactus, the Einstein Toolkit thorns, the Simulation Factory and example parameter files into a directory named Cactus.

Configure the Simulation Factory

cd Cactus
cp simfactory/udb.example.pm simfactory/udb.pm 
vi simfactory/udb.pm													

Edit udb.pm and replace

• YOUR_LOGIN with your username on Queen Bee
• YOUR@EMAIL.ADDRESS with your usual email address
• YOUR_ALLOCATION with your project allocation on Queen Bee

Compile Executable

./simfactory/sim  build --thornlist=manifest/einsteintoolkit.th

This may take a few minutes. You may receive an error message that building the utilities failed. This is fine as long as the main executable has been built correctly. You can check this with the command ls exe; if this shows a file cactus_sim, then you are fine.)

Run a Simulation

From the Einstein Toolkit directory, create a batch queue script and submit it to queue an example simulation:

./simfactory/sim create-submit static_tov --parfile=par/static_tov.par --procs=32 --walltime=8:0:0

To check the status of the simulation, use

./simfactory/sim list-simulations

Look at Results

When the simulation is complete, move to the output directory (XXXX). You should see output files with the extension XXXX. These are 1D plots of the different grid variables. These can be plotted using e.g. gnuplot. An example plot of the XXXX is shown below.

Any Problems?

This example should work smoothly on the TeraGrid machines Queen Bee, Ranger, Kraken and Abe. If you have any problems, please send details to users@einsteintoolkit.org.