Fortran Interface Research Articles

JPVM: network parallel computing in Java

The JPVM library is a software system for explicit message-passing based distributed memory MIMD parallel programming in Java. The library supports an interface similar to the C and Fortran interface provided by the Parallel Virtual Machine (PVM) system, but with syntax and semantics modifications afforded by Java and better matched to Java programming styles. The similarity between JPVM and the widely used PVM system supports a quick learning curve for experienced PVM programmers, thus making the JPVM system an accessible, low-investment target for migrating parallel applications to the Java platform. At the same time, JPVM offers novel features not found in standard PVM such as thread safety, multiple communication end-points per task, and default-case direct message routing. JPVM is implemented entirely in Java, and is thus highly portable among platforms supporting some version of the Java Virtual Machine. This feature opens up the possibility of utilizing resources commonly excluded from network parallel computing systems such as Macintosh and Windows-NT based systems. Initial applications performance results achieved with a prototype JPVM system indicate that the Java-implemented approach can offer good performance at appropriately coarse granularities.

EMTP TACS-FORTRAN interface development for digital controls modeling

A FORTRAN interface to be used with TACS (transient analysis of control systems) in EMTP (electromagnetic transient program) has been developed at Hydro-Quebec to allow the use of FORTRAN language for simulating digital controls for power system components such as static compensators, DC transmission, and relays. The interface has been designed without any time delay between TACS and the FORTRAN subroutines and allows users to benefit from the flexibility of FORTRAN language to ease the task of modeling digital controls. The property of task cyclicity in digital controls can be exploited to reduce the CPU time of each EMTP run. The authors present details of the interface and provide results confirming its advantages for simulation of digital controls within EMTP.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Multi-axis NC postprocessor for machining centers

APL2 is applied to postprocessing CL (cutter location) datafiles output from CADCAM systems APT, CATIA, and CADAM NC. For MULTAX (multi-axis; XYZ with one or two rotary axes) applications, and APL PP (postprocessor) was found more convenient and expedient than commercially-available PPs. The availability of “source code” plus immediate response to user need outweigh higher cost of processing with an APL interpreter. The paper briefly reviews the concept of NC postprocessing and evolution of the subject PP from an earlier version marketed by IBM Germany. Implementation notes include use of ADRS to maintain NC machine characteristics and APL2 functions, a FORTRAN interface to CL-data, and WSSIZE minimization.

A role for relational databases in high energy physics software systems

This paper presents the design and initial implementation of software which uses a relational database management system for storage and retrieval of real and Monte Carlo generated events from a charm and beauty spectrometer with a vertex detector. The purpose of the software is to graphically display and interactively manipulate the events, fit tracks and vertices and calculate physics quantities. The INGRES database forms the core of the system, while the DI3000 graphics package is used to plot the events. The paper introduces relational database concepts and their applicability to high energy physics data. It also evaluates the environment provided by INGRES, particularly its usefulness in code development and its Fortran interface. Specifies of the database design we have chosen are detailed as well.

Database systems for HEP experiments

I review the role of commercial and home-made database systems in HEP experiments. I draw heavily on the qualitative and quantitative evaluations performed by the L3 offline computing group, but I also review some of the activities of other experiments. I consider to what extent features, such as query language, Fortran interface, efficiency, portability, robustness, security and cheapness, are needed for various applications and are offered by existing systems. The commercial systems ORACLE and SQL/DS, and the HEP-made ‘access methods’ KAPACK and ZEBRA-RZ will be discussed in some detail. Finally, I present a brief overview of the L3 database system.

Use of the ADAMO data management system within ALEPH

ADAMO is a data management system for defining data and manipulating them from FORTRAN programs. A form of the Entity-Relationship (ER) model and the data flow diagrams of structured analysis have been combined to provide a system suited to algorithmic work. The FORTRAN interface consists of calls to a subroutine package with a few data manipulation primitives. Data items are visible in variables carrying meaningful names; the code is compact and readable. The ER data structures, mapped onto tables, are compatible with a relational data base management system. Tools have been written to copy tables to and from a relational data base. The system has been used for several applications in the fields of event simulation and reconstruction, online systems, detector description, support tools and packages.

DIN-A-MIT: An adaptable, distributed computer-based message system

A distributed computer-based message system in a heterogenous local computer network is introduced. DIN-A-MIT — a system of the basic modules User-Agent, Post-Station, User-Record-Base and Message-Base — can be used for varied purposes such as a Mail, a (network-) Status and a Library service. So-called “user-records” which “float” in the system due to the mobility of the user contain the link information for messages stored on different computers. One-to-one and one-to-many messages are possible by assigning attributes which represent either a unique user-name or an interest group. In all cases only a single message copy is stored. Implementation takes place in a portable subset of PASCAL based on a standardized FORTRAN interface to the network.

Fortran interface to X.25 and transport service

The aim of this paper is to present a FORTRAN interface to the communication software developed by CREI for experimental purposes in a large mainframe, connected to Euronet. The paper first describes the environment in which the interface was designed; then details of the primitives are given. A survey of the local management problems related to this interface follows, together with the features inserted to ensure an easy and reliable use, even by unexperienced programmers.

A FORTRAN interface to the CODASYL database task group specifications

A FORTRAN interface to the CODASYL Data Base Task Group specifications is presented which incorporates the concepts of a common sub-schema framework for all host languages supplemented by specific sub-schema host languages interfaces. A central feature of the FORTRAN sub-schema specifications is the technique for mapping hierarchically structured schema records into non-hierarchically structured FORTRAN variables and arrays.