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This is how I Successfully Configured Remote Execution from my computer

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Message 1 of 3
PipePakPat
764 Views, 2 Replies

This is how I Successfully Configured Remote Execution from my computer

To successfully configure remote execution of analyses spawned from my computer to run on another computer, I needed to follow instructions provided from the HELP button in the bottom right of the image below.  This artical will be helpful in clarifying the existing help and to provide a direct working example.

 

The first step is to decide which remote execution software you are going to install to the computer from which the analyses will be spawn.  To re-iterate, I will open a model, access the Analysis window, then select a computer for which the analysis will be sent to for solving.  We will call this the "Remote" computer.  The computer from which we originally open the model to analyze, we will refer to as the "Local" computer.  The Local computer is the one for which we need to install the remote execution software, not on the Remote computer.  We have two choices as to the software we can install: Putty and PSTools.  The HELP link above provides the links so that you can download one of these software packages to the Local computer.  For this example, I chose to install the PSTOOLS, which provides "PSExec.exe".  Once a directory is created and these files are extracted, then we can continue.

 

The next step requires that the Simulation Mechanical (Algor) software is installed to the Remote computer.  If the Remote computer is Windows, then we install as we would normally.  If the operating system is other than Windows, then look at the HELP to learn how to install the processors only, since the UI will not operate on a non-Windows environment.  This example focuses on both the Local and the Remote computers as using Windows 7.

 

From the Local computer, this image illustrates the window accessed from the "Simulation Mechanical" software's "Tools|Application Options" ribbon command.   Access the "Analysis" tab and choose to uncheck "Automate Analysis" then choose "Configure Remote Execution..."

 

 

This brings the following window up, which has two tabs.  First we will define the parameters associated with the "Remote Exec Programs" tab. 

 

 

Choose the "Edit' button to define the details below:

 

 

The "Description" is not particularly important, so whatever you type is probably fine.  The "Path" is the path to the "PsExec.exe" file located on the Local computer which you downloaded and extracted to the Local computer.  The "Options Mask" is copied and pasted directly from the HELP link under "Remote Exec Programs Tab" depending on whether you downloaded Putty or PSTOOLS.  The instructions above are for PSTOOLS (PsExec).

 

Next, we choose "OK" then access the "Remote Hosts" tab and create a new or edit an existing entry:

 

 

 

Don't use these exact settings, because it won't work.  Your Remote computer is probably not named "PIT2UA0240GLW", nor do you have access to the Autodesk domain, nor do you have my password... Because of these limitations, I can share with you the exact details of this window so that you can transpose and interpolate the correct values for your setup.

 

When I define the Remote host name at the top of the window, I enter only the name, no forward slashes.  For the Username, I initially tried the username that I would enter when logging into my computer, but that did not work.  I needed to include the domain name and a backslash.  There were no obvious errors that highlighted this requirement.  I found this through experimentation.  "ADS" is the domain name for Autodesk.  For you, it is probably different than "ADS", so don't use "ADS"... Because it won't work.  Your password is probably like mine, in that it is case sensitive.  Type your password the exact way that you would when logging on to your computer.

 

The number of CPU's is of the Remote computer.  This number will appear from the Analysis screen when you choose the Remote computer name from the "Target Computer" pull-down combination box from the Analysis screen.

 

The processor type can either be Algor (Simulation Mechanical) or Nastran.  In this case, we set this to "Algor".  The processor path is the path on the Remote computer to the Autodesk Simulation Mechanical installation directory where the processors live.  If installed from the CD, then this value would typically read "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Simulation 2014\" if you are using the 2014 version software.

 

The command line mask is copied directly from the HELP as well under the "Remote Hosts Tab" heading.

 

The Work Path section can be tricky.  This is used to copy files from your Local computer to the Remote computer then back again once the analysis has completed.  The program already knows from where the model files come, because the analysis is spawned from the interface.  What the program does not know, is where these files go on the Remote computer.  For this reason, we must define this same path twice.  Once from the perspective of the Local computer, and once from the perspective of the Remote computer.  Looking at the path above next to "Local", we see there is a dollar sign to the right of the letter "c" indicating my Remote computer's C-drive.  My analysis did not work unless I put this dollar sign in there.  I received an error stating "An error occurred while copying the Autodesk Simulation model to the remote system."

 

After adding the dollar sign, this error no longer occurred.

 

When everything this is working as expected, then the following will occur when the analysis is submitted to a remote computer.

  • If the model was surface meshed, then the solid mesh will be generated on the Local machine
  • The pre-processor model will be decoded into a finite element model
  • The decoded finite element model files will be copied to a subdirectory named "1" within the "Work Path" directory on the Remote computer
  • The analysis processor will be spawned on the Remote computer which will run the analysis.
  • Once the analysis processor has finished, the files will be copied back to the appropriate Local design scenario directory
  • The "1" subdirectory and its files will be deleted from the "Work Path" directory.
Pat Tessaro, P.E.
Premium Support Specialist – Simulation

Autodesk, Inc.
6425 Living Place
Suite 100
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
2 REPLIES 2
Message 2 of 3

Hi Pat,

 

I can't view the images. Can you post it again? I am still having problem with remote solving.

 

I believe I have set the Remote Execution Program properly as I can see a cmd window pop up (there was a license agreement the first time) when I tell it to analyze on my remote machine. However, the analysis did not run properly. A few seconds after hitting analyze, a prompt of analysis did not finish came up and there was no result. I was monitoring the work path folder, no files were created.

 

I suspect that my work path is not typed in correctly for the local path. I simply copy pasted the path as I would access the shared folder from my local machine. I don't understand where your dollar sign should be without the image.

 

Remote System.png

 

T5600-PC is the name of my remote machine and Ilyas is the shared folder on that machine. I wonder if this is correct?

 

Regards

Ilyas

Message 3 of 3
PipePakPat
in reply to: PipePakPat

Sorry for the image problem:

 

To successfully configure remote execution of analyses spawned from my computer to run on another computer, I needed to follow instructions provided from the HELP button in the bottom right of the image below.  This artical will be helpful in clarifying the existing help and to provide a direct working example.

 

The first step is to decide which remote execution software you are going to install to the computer from which the analyses will be spawn.  To re-iterate, I will open a model, access the Analysis window, then select a computer for which the analysis will be sent to for solving.  We will call this the "Remote" computer.  The computer from which we originally open the model to analyze, we will refer to as the "Local" computer.  The Local computer is the one for which we need to install the remote execution software, not on the Remote computer.  We have two choices as to the software we can install: Putty and PSTools.  The HELP link above provides the links so that you can download one of these software packages to the Local computer.  For this example, I chose to install the PSTOOLS, which provides "PSExec.exe".  Once a directory is created and these files are extracted, then we can continue.

 

The next step requires that the Simulation Mechanical (Algor) software is installed to the Remote computer.  If the Remote computer is Windows, then we install as we would normally.  If the operating system is other than Windows, then look at the HELP to learn how to install the processors only, since the UI will not operate on a non-Windows environment.  This example focuses on both the Local and the Remote computers as using Windows 7.

 

From the Local computer, this image illustrates the window accessed from the "Simulation Mechanical" software's "Tools|Application Options" ribbon command.   Access the "Analysis" tab and choose to uncheck "Automate Analysis" then choose "Configure Remote Execution..."

 

RS_1.jpg

 

This brings the following window up, which has two tabs.  First we will define the parameters associated with the "Remote Exec Programs" tab. 

 

RS_2.jpg

 

Choose the "Edit' button to define the details below:

 

RS_3.jpg

 

The "Description" is not particularly important, so whatever you type is probably fine.  The "Path" is the path to the "PsExec.exe" file located on the Local computer which you downloaded and extracted to the Local computer.  The "Options Mask" is copied and pasted directly from the HELP link under "Remote Exec Programs Tab" depending on whether you downloaded Putty or PSTOOLS.  The instructions above are for PSTOOLS (PsExec).

 

Next, we choose "OK" then access the "Remote Hosts" tab and create a new or edit an existing entry:

 

RS_4.jpg

 

RS_5.jpg

 

Don't use these exact settings, because it won't work.  Your Remote computer is probably not named "PIT2UA0240GLW", nor do you have access to the Autodesk domain, nor do you have my password... Because of these limitations, I can share with you the exact details of this window so that you can transpose and interpolate the correct values for your setup.

 

When I define the Remote host name at the top of the window, I enter only the name, no forward slashes.  For the Username, I initially tried the username that I would enter when logging into my computer, but that did not work.  I needed to include the domain name and a backslash.  There were no obvious errors that highlighted this requirement.  I found this through experimentation.  "ADS" is the domain name for Autodesk.  For you, it is probably different than "ADS", so don't use "ADS"... Because it won't work.  Your password is probably like mine, in that it is case sensitive.  Type your password the exact way that you would when logging on to your computer.

 

The number of CPU's is of the Remote computer.  This number will appear from the Analysis screen when you choose the Remote computer name from the "Target Computer" pull-down combination box from the Analysis screen.

 

The processor type can either be Algor (Simulation Mechanical) or Nastran.  In this case, we set this to "Algor".  The processor path is the path on the Remote computer to the Autodesk Simulation Mechanical installation directory where the processors live.  If installed from the CD, then this value would typically read "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Simulation 2014\" if you are using the 2014 version software.

 

The command line mask is copied directly from the HELP as well under the "Remote Hosts Tab" heading.

 

The Work Path section can be tricky.  This is used to copy files from your Local computer to the Remote computer then back again once the analysis has completed.  The program already knows from where the model files come, because the analysis is spawned from the interface.  What the program does not know, is where these files go on the Remote computer.  For this reason, we must define this same path twice.  Once from the perspective of the Local computer, and once from the perspective of the Remote computer.  Looking at the path above next to "Local", we see there is a dollar sign to the right of the letter "c" indicating my Remote computer's C-drive.  My analysis did not work unless I put this dollar sign in there.  I received an error stating "An error occurred while copying the Autodesk Simulation model to the remote system."

 

After adding the dollar sign, this error no longer occurred.

 

When everything this is working as expected, then the following will occur when the analysis is submitted to a remote computer.

  • If the model was surface meshed, then the solid mesh will be generated on the Local machine
  • The pre-processor model will be decoded into a finite element model
  • The decoded finite element model files will be copied to a subdirectory named "1" within the "Work Path" directory on the Remote computer
  • The analysis processor will be spawned on the Remote computer which will run the analysis.
  • Once the analysis processor has finished, the files will be copied back to the appropriate Local design scenario directory
  • The "1" subdirectory and its files will be deleted from the "Work Path" directory.
Pat Tessaro, P.E.
Premium Support Specialist – Simulation

Autodesk, Inc.
6425 Living Place
Suite 100
Pittsburgh, PA 15206

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