Parallel methods for the flight simulation model
The Advanced Computer Applications Center (ACAC) has been involved in evaluating advanced parallel architecture computers and the applicability of these machines to computer simulation models. The advanced systems investigated include parallel machines with shared. memory and distributed architectures consisting of an eight processor Alliant FX/8, a twenty four processor sor Sequent Symmetry, Cray XMP, IBM RISC 6000 model 550, and the Intel Touchstone eight processor Gamma and 512 processor Delta machines. Since parallelizing a truly efficient application program for the parallel machine is a difficult task, the implementation for these machines in a realistic setting has been largely overlooked. The ACAC has developed considerable expertise in optimizing and parallelizing application models on a collection of advanced multiprocessor systems. One of aspect of such an application model is the Flight Simulation Model, which used a set of differential equations to describe the flight characteristics of a launched missile by means of a trajectory. The Flight Simulation Model was written in the FORTRAN language with approximately 29,000 lines of source code. Depending on the number of trajectories, the computation can require several hours to full day of CPU time on DEC/VAX 8650 system. There is an impetus to reduce the execution time and utilize the advanced parallel architecture computing environment available. ACAC researchers developed a parallel method that allows the Flight Simulation Model to be able to run in parallel on the multiprocessor system. For the benchmark data tested, the parallel Flight Simulation Model implemented on the Alliant FX/8 has achieved nearly linear speedup. In this paper, we describe a parallel method for the Flight Simulation Model. We believe the method presented in this paper provides a general concept for the design of parallel applications. This concept, in most cases, can be adapted to many other sequential application programs.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Department of Defense, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 10158447
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/DIS/CP-81788; CONF-940784-1; ON: DE94013330
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: ACM/IEEE/SCS workshop on parallel and distributed simulation,Edinburg (United Kingdom),6-8 Jul 1994; Other Information: PBD: [1994]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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