Parallel Computation - running the "g-bcast" program and analyzing with PARAVER

Introduction

The programs for Gauss elimination problem are written in FORTRAN 77 using the MPI communication library. The g-bcast program will be run on the Data Star, by following the instructions given below.
If you are interested in more information regarding the use of the Data Star, it's recommended that you read the Data Star User Guide.

PARAVER has been introduced earlier with the etch module. Go over the previous instructions, if you don't feel comfortable from "using the PARAVER tool on the Data Star" for the etch module.

How to start

These programs can be run in the Linux environment. To start, you have two options:
- To use Linux machines. You have to start a terminal.
- To use the Windows NT machines. You have to use the "SSH" program. To start SSH, start from
Start-->Programs-->Network Applications-->SSH-->Secure Shell Client
Type "linux" as Host Name and click Connect. Don't be impatient if it doesn't immediately connect. Enter your CADLAB login and password. This will make a connection to one of the Linux machines in Engineering I. Now you are on your account via a Unix interface.

Login on the Data Star

To login on the Data Star you must use the secure shell command:

        % ssh -l UserID dslogin.sdsc.edu 

By this, you can login on the Data Star.

Transfer the files from the HPSS [High Performance Storage System] to the Data Star

To transfer the pge modules and auxiliary files to the Data Star, you have to use pftp. pftp is a ftp-like interface to HPSS. The following links and text below describe how to use the pftp utility:

        % pftp 
    pftp> cd /users/csb/u4078 
    pftp> get pge.tar 
    pftp> quit 
        %   

Compiling FORTRAN programs on the Data Star

In order to compile and run the pge module, you have to untar the file pge.tar:

        %tar xvf pge.tar

In the directory pgauss, the following files will be present:

        - Makefile
        - g-bcast.f

Change to the pgauss directory (type "ls" to see what is inside the directory). In file Makefile, we have to make a change to obtain the trace file of the parallel computation. For this, open Makefile with one of the easiest editors on Unix:Pico

        % cd pgauss
        % ls
        % pico Makefile

This will open the Makefile with Pico editor. Now you can add the link to the PARAVER library, to obtain the trace file after running the program. For this:

   
        add "-L${PARAVER_HOME}/lib -lompitrace\
       -L/usr/lpp/pmtoolkit/lib -lpmapi -lswclock"
 
       "$OMPITRACE_HOME/bin/ompitrace -counters poe bcast"

       "$OMPITRACE_HOME/bin/ompi2prv *.mpit -s *.sym -o bcast.prv"

        after the original third line:

        mpxlf -o bcast $(OBJS)
        
  

Now you can exit the Pico editor with "^X" aka "Control+X", note that the file name should stay the same.
The compilation of the pge module is achieved by running make.

        % make 

These will create a new executable bcast file by using g-bcast.f.

Running programs on the Data Star

To run the Gauss elimination module with the PARAVER tool, set the paths to the PARAVER tool:

        % set path = ($path /usr/local/apps/paraver/bin)
        % setenv PARAVER_HOME      /rmount/usr/local/apps/paraver
        % setenv OMPITRACE_HOME    $PARAVER_HOME
        % setenv OMPITRACE_BASE    $PARAVER_HOME

You can now obtain the trace files for the PARAVER tool.

Run the bcast program as described before. The only thing that is different this time is that, after the bcast program executes, it generates a trace file called bcast.prv.

Starting the PARAVER session

After the program has finished executing, start a PARAVER session:

         Set the DISPLAY variable to the name of the machine you are logged into
         [for example "ecipc004"]:
             % setenv DISPLAY ecipc004.engr.ucsb.edu:0.0
         Enter:   
             % paraver bcast.prv

The PARAVER Main window and the window open.

Open views to visualize the trace records

To interpret the information these windows present, see the PARAVER User Guide.

End the PARAVER session.

To do this, select:

        File --> Exit