Large-scale structural analysis by parallel multifrontal solver through Internet-based personal computers

Abstract

Internet supercomputing methodology is introduced, and the concept is realized for large-scale finite element analysis. This is enabled by an efficient out-of-core parallel solver, which is based on domainwise or elementwise multifrontal approach. The primary resources of Internet supercomputing are numerous idling personal computers connected by the Internet irrespective of their locations. The computing ability of hundreds or thousands personal computers connected by the Internet can be as powerful as that of supercomputer such as the IBM SP system if these personal computers are utilized for solving a problem simultaneously through an efficient parallel computing algorithm. Under the described concept, a virtual supercomputing system InterSup I is constructed and tested. To establish the InterSup I system, 64 personal computer nodes, which are located in several places and connected by the Internet, are conscripted. When the established InterSup I system is used, linear static analyses of a finite element model having around 2 × 10 6 degrees of freedom are done through the developed parallel multifrontal solver. Some numerical tests have been carried out to investigate the affordability and effectiveness of Internet supercomputing. The possibility of Internet supercomputing through Internet personal computers as an alternative supercomputing power for high-performance computing is provided in this research.