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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 1,387 records · Page 77

Then and Now: Improving Software Portability, Productivity, and 100× Performance

The US Exascale Computing Project (ECP) has succeeded in preparing applications to run efficiently on the first reported Exascale supercomputers in the world. To achieve this, it modernized the whole leadership software stack, from libraries to simulation codes. In this article, we contrast selected leadership software before and after ECP. We discuss how sustainable research software development for leadership computing can embrace the conversation with the hardware vendors, the leadership computing facilities, the software community, and the domain scientists who are the application developers and integrators of software products. We elaborate on how software needs to take portability as a central design principle and to benefit from interdependent teams; we also demonstrate how moving to programming languages with high momentum, like modern C++, can help improve the sustainability, interoperability, and performance of research software. Finally, we showcase how cross-institutional efforts can enable algorithm advances that are beyond incremental performance optimization.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Software Dependability

The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief introduction of Software Dependability and a summary of lessons learned. The components of Software Dependability vary among standards, however there is agreement among the standards that reliability, availability and maintainability are some the main components of dependability. Safety is also a main component is safety systems. Although reliability and safety are similar there is an additional difference, safety can withstand some level of fault tolerance. For the purposes of this discussion Software Dependability includes reliability, availability, maintainability and safety. Software Dependability: Trustworthiness of a computer system such that reliance can be justifiably placed on the service it delivers. Reliability, availability, and maintainability are aspects of dependability. Reliability: The ability of a system or component to perform its required functions under stated conditions for a specified period of time. Availability: The degree to which a system or component is operational and accessible when required for use. Often expressed as a probability. Maintainability: Speed and ease with which a program can be corrected or changed. Safety: a measure of the length of time the software system can be expected to run before failing in such a way as to cause a system hazard. (author)

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Poster — Thur Eve — 74: Distributed, asynchronous, reactive dosimetric and outcomes analysis using DICOMautomaton

Many have speculated about the future of computational technology in clinical radiation oncology. It has been advocated that the next generation of computational infrastructure will improve on the current generation by incorporating richer aspects of automation, more heavily and seamlessly featuring distributed and parallel computation, and providing more flexibility toward aggregate data analysis. In this report we describe how a recently created — but currently existing — analysis framework (DICOMautomaton) incorporates these aspects. DICOMautomaton supports a variety of use cases but is especially suited for dosimetric outcomes correlation analysis, investigation and comparison of radiotherapy treatment efficacy, and dose-volume computation. We describe: how it overcomes computational bottlenecks by distributing workload across a network of machines; how modern, asynchronous computational techniques are used to reduce blocking and avoid unnecessary computation; and how issues of out-of-date data are addressed using reactive programming techniques and data dependency chains. We describe internal architecture of the software and give a detailed demonstration of how DICOMautomaton could be used to search for correlations between dosimetric and outcomes data.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Generic Discretization Library

The GenDiL library is a collection of C++ software abstractions designed to discretize and solve partial differential equations (PDEs) for high-performance computing (HPC) applications. Its primary focus is on modern C++ generic programming, which helps ensure portability across various hardware architectures. The central idea behind the library is to provide building blocks for numerical algorithms-such as discretization methods and iteration patterns-so that domain experts can focus on the math, rather than the low-level details of hardware or implementation. By defining abstractions for data types, iteration over computational grids, and scheduling of operations, the library isolates the high-level PDE algorithms from the platform-specific optimizations needed to achieve efficient performance.

Dudouit, Yohann [Lawrence Livermore National Labor↗

Management and Storage of Scientific Data

Scientific discoveries rely heavily on efficient access, search, and management of massive data sets. Data management technologies have, for decades, provided foundational capabilities for scientific computing. Just as storage, input/output (I/O), and data management have been fundamental to simulation-based science for many years, so too are capable data-management technologies key to the success of today’s scientific workflows utilizing data intensive and machine learning (ML) techniques. The Department of Energy, Office of Science, Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) program has invested broadly in data-management research focused on high-performance computing (HPC) systems, from parallel file systems that store data to application software that makes these systems more productive. Still, advances in technology combined with growing diversity of supported science strongly motivate continued investment in this area. In January 2022, ASCR convened a workshop to identify priority research directions in the area of data management for high-performance and scientific computing. Attendees were challenged to identify promising approaches that would support the breadth of the DOE mission, including the explosion of artificial intelligence (AI) uses and the growing needs of experimental and observational science. Technological and science drivers were identified and considered as they relate to key aspects of data management such as interfaces, architectural design, and FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable). The thoughts of the workshop participants were distilled into a set of four priority research directions with the potential for high impact on DOE science. These research directions are summarized in the following pages.

96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION↗

The Importance of Scientific Visualization on Novel Hardware

Innovation in HPC hardware and adoption of heterogeneous systems has led to a variety of unique programming models. This has led to a challenge for scientific visualization software (and indeed all HPC software) to take full advantage of recent generations of supercomputing. Edge computing, where hardware is specialized for the needs of the particular application, exacerbates the problem. VTK-m has had many successes on this front by providing device-agnostic algorithms that compare favorably to implementations written to specific devices as shown in Table 1. However, VTK-m has focused mostly on GPU and traditional CPU multicore technology. There are numerous processor technologies, both existing and potential future, that are not being addressed by current R&D efforts.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Thermal radiation analysis system (TRASYS)

The Thermal Radiation Analysis System, TRASYS, is a digital computer software system with generalized capability to solve the radiation-related aspects of thermal analysis problems. When used in conjunction with a generalized thermal analyzer program any thermal problem that can be expressed in terms of a lumped parameter R-C thermal network can be solved. The function of TRASYS is twofold. It provides: (1) internode radiation interchange data; and (2) incident and absorbed heat rate data from environmental radiant heat sources. Data of both types is provided in a format directly usable by the thermal analyzer programs. One of the primary features of TRASYS is that it allows the user to write his own executive or driver program which organizes and directs the program library routines toward solution of each specific problem in the most expeditious manner. The user also may write his own output routines, thus the system data output can directly interface with any thermal analyzer using the R-C network concept.

Jensen, C. L.↗

The large scale microelectronics Computer-Aided Design and Test (CADAT) system

The CADAT system consists of a number of computer programs written in FORTRAN that provide the capability to simulate, lay out, analyze, and create the artwork for large scale microelectronics. The function of each software component of the system is described with references to specific documentation for each software component.

Gould, J. M.↗

Apple Image Processing Educator

A software system design is proposed and demonstrated with pilot-project software. The system permits the Apple II microcomputer to be used for personalized computer-assisted instruction in the digital image processing of LANDSAT images. The programs provide data input, menu selection, graphic and hard-copy displays, and both general and detailed instructions. The pilot-project results are considered to be successful indicators of the capabilities and limits of microcomputers for digital image processing education.

Gunther, F. J.↗

Computer software management, evaluation, and dissemination

The activities of the Computer Software Management and Information Center involving the collection, processing, and distribution of software developed under the auspices of NASA and certain other federal agencies are reported. Program checkout and evaluation, inventory control, customer services and marketing, dissemination, program maintenance, and special development tasks are discussed.

Source record↗

Review of the activities of COSMIC

The activities of the Computer Software Management and Information Center involving the collection, processing, and distribution of software developed under the auspices of NASA and certain other federal agencies are reported. Program checkout and evaluation, inventory control, customer services and marketing, dissemination, program maintenance, and special development tasks are discussed.

Carmon, J. L.↗

Design issues in the GCF Mark 4 development

Some of the major design problems facing the computer based Ground Communications Facility (GCF) Digital Communication System for the Mark 4 Network Consolidation Program are discussed. The solutions to each as implemented in the software of the GCF Operation Programs are proposed.

Crowe, R. A.↗

Design and implementation of a compliant robot with force feedback and strategy planning software

Force-feedback robotics techniques are being developed for automated precision assembly and servicing of NASA space flight equipment. Design and implementation of a prototype robot which provides compliance and monitors forces is in progress. Computer software to specify assembly steps and makes force feedback adjustments during assembly are coded and tested for three generically different precision mating problems. A model program demonstrates that a suitably autonomous robot can plan its own strategy.

Premack, T.↗

Interesting viewpoints to those who will put Ada into practice

Ada will most probably be used as the programming language for computers in the NASA Space Station. It is reasonable to suppose that Ada will be used for at least embedded computers, because the high software costs for these embedded computers were the reason why Ada activities were initiated about ten years ago. The on-board computers are designed for use in space applications, where maintenance by man is impossible. All manipulation of such computers has to be performed in an autonomous way or remote with commands from the ground. In a manned Space Station some maintenance work can be performed by service people on board, but there are still a lot of applications, which require autonomous computers, for example, vital Space Station functions and unmanned orbital transfer vehicles. Those aspect which have come out of the analysis of Ada characteristics together with the experience of requirements for embedded on-board computers in space applications are examined.

Carlsson, Arne↗

A real time microcomputer implementation of sensor failure detection for turbofan engines

An algorithm was developed which detects, isolates, and accommodates sensor failures using analytical redundancy. The performance of this algorithm was demonstrated on a full-scale F100 turbofan engine. The algorithm was implemented in real-time on a microprocessor-based controls computer which includes parallel processing and high order language programming. Parallel processing was used to achieve the required computational power for the real-time implementation. High order language programming was used in order to reduce the programming and maintenance costs of the algorithm implementation software. The sensor failure algorithm was combined with an existing multivariable control algorithm to give a complete control implementation with sensor analytical redundancy. The real-time microprocessor implementation of the algorithm which resulted in the successful completion of the algorithm engine demonstration, is described.

Delaat, John C.↗

A real time microcomputer implementation of sensor failure detection for turbofan engines

An algorithm was developed that detects, isolates, and accommodates sensor failures using analytical redundancy. The performance of this algorithm has been demonstrated on a full-scale F100 turbofan engine. The algorithm was implemented in real-time on a microprocessor-based controls computer which includes parallel processing and high order language programming. Parallel processing was used to achieve the required computational power for the real-time implementation. High order language programming was used in order to reduce the programming and maintenance costs of the algorithm implementation software. The sensor failure algorithm was combined with an existing multivariable control algorithm to give a complete control implementation with sensor analytical redundancy. The real-time microprocessor implementation of the algorithm, which resulted in the successful completion of the algorithm engine demonstration, is described.

Delaat, John C.↗

A PC-based bus monitor program for use with the transport systems research vehicle RS-232 communication interfaces

Experiment critical use of RS-232 data busses in the Transport Systems Research Vehicle (TSRV) operated by the Advanced Transport Operating Systems Program Office at the NASA Langley Research Center has recently increased. Each application utilizes a number of nonidentical computer and peripheral configurations and requires task specific software development. To aid these development tasks, an IBM PC-based RS-232 bus monitoring system was produced. It can simultaneously monitor two communication ports of a PC or clone, including the nonstandard bus expansion of the TSRV Grid laptop computers. Display occurs in a separate window for each port's input with binary display being selectable. A number of other features including binary log files, screen capture to files, and a full range of communication parameters are provided.

Easley, Wesley C.↗