Supercomputing simplified
UPDATING THE SIMULATION PLATFORM
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UPDATING THE SIMULATION PLATFORMSPEOS lighting modeling software from OPTIS is integrated into the workbench environment in the CATIA computer-aided design (CAD) system V5 that serves as the foundation for computer-supported construction at Audi. In the past, SPEOS ran on individual 32-bit PCs. “But over time, more and more problems arose, and as the number of models grew, it led to more and more crashes in our CAD system,” reports Scheuchenpflug. For certain calculations, the amount of simulation data increased so much that processes were running up against the capacity of the 32-bit processors. “If we wanted to perform calculations with a sufficient level of detail, it could easily mean that more memory needed to be addressed than we had on the available 32-bit PCs. That meant that the next step we needed to take was to invest in 64-bit hardware with a 64-bit operating system,” says Scheuchenpflug. “Simulation software was already available in a 64-bit version long ago.” For hardware, the experts used support methodology development and process integration to decide to acquire a blade server equipped with 64-bit processors. Unlike the individual computers used earlier, it could be housed in a rack, saving Audi space in the data center. For a 64-bit operating system, Audi chose Windows HPC Server 2008. Scheuchenpflug explains the reasoning behind their choice: “It’s very easy to administer all the Windows computing cluster nodes via a graphical user interface. For example, I can set a few computers to complete a certain task, while the rest take care of completely different applications.” In general, deploying Windows HPC Server 2008 is very easy. Scheuchenpflug never considered using Linux as the operating system for the high-performance computing needed for lighting simulation, even though Audi uses Linux computing clusters almost exclusively for classical simulations, such as crash and flow analyses. “It’s simple—our CAD system, CATIA V5, is a Windows application,” he says. “And it was very important to us to be able to work in a seamless environment.” Optimizing the development processIn addition to increased reliability and simplified administration, Audi benefits from a Windows computing cluster that offers numerous additional advantages. The calculation jobs generated by simulation tasks are loaded to the head node and from there are distributed to individual computing nodes that execute those calculations and return results. “Depending on how many processors and kernels are calculating at the same time, we now get a result within a few hours,” says Scheuchenpflug. “We used to sometimes have to wait all night.” Increased computing power lets Audi’s engineers control the development of a new car far more closely, even during the concept phase—from the very beginning, long before it’s clear what the end result is supposed to look like. Because of the dramatic reduction in calculation time for lighting simulations, designers and production mangers have the opportunity to investigate more variations, where before they could only consider one or very few prototypes. “What this all means is that we can now test and evaluate considerably more prototypes for how they will work in a short period,” says Scheuchenpflug. And the simulation team also gets better support later on in the development process. For example, the Windows computing cluster helps avoid having to subsequently modify production tools. “When we receive data from subcontractors for parts that are intended for serial production, we can conduct corresponding simulations and use them to determine whether they will really provide the desired lighting result,” says Scheuchenpflug. If they don’t, they still have time to intervene before the tools needed for production—which are generally very expensive—have been finished. This means that Audi assumes an additional control role, working with subcontractors to ensure that a quality assurance pass happens during the development phase.
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