HPC cluster question

[jvbrad]

Hi all

  I've been asked to look into the possibility of setting up a small cluster using Windows HPC Server 2008R2, and running Autodesk Simulation CFD on it.

  Apologies for the simple question (I'm from the IT side, not the engineering side!) - please could someone explain how an end-user would interact with such a system. Can they have the GUI of Simulation CFD on their workstation, and submit jobs to the cluster without having to log in to the head node itself? Or does a user have to remote-desktop (or physically) log in to the headnode and run Simulation CFD from there?

Many thanks,

James.

[derrek.cooper · Accepted solution]

Hi James.. Most users setup and review their models on a laptop/workstation and "submit" the computation to a cluster. Alternatively, you could remote desktop if you wish, but graphics performance will not be great. So, the preferred is to set it up as it was intended via a client-server relationship. Here are some instructions on how to set it up

http://www.cfdesign.com/Support/CustomerPortal/AnswerSystem/KnowledgeBase.aspx?solutionid=5013000000...

[jvbrad]

Hi Derrek

  Thanks for your reply, and for that document - it's extremely useful.

  If I may, I do have a follow-up question. In the case of submitting a model for computation on a remote resource (eg: a cluster), what are the licensing implications? Do both the cluster and the engineer's workstation need separate licenses, even though the engineer's workstation will not actually be running CFdcalc? Again, sorry for the simplistic questions! 

Thanks again,

James.

[derrek.cooper]

good question.. CFD 2012, it is all one license. In previous releases, an "HPC module" was required

[jvbrad]

Thanks Derrek.

That's interesting about the HPC module - the "Simulation CFD Brochure" on the website still says that the HPC module is required. Either way, many thanks for your help.

James.