A distributed simulation management engine for ordinary differential equations

Abstract

The Internet is quickly evolving into a global computing platform. Internetworking of computers means that computing resources available for personal use need not be confined to the users' local environment. Instead, the Internet provides a delivery channel where remote computing resources are easily accessible. Computer simulations often require High Performance Computers (HPC) for fast number crunching. However, HPCs remain inaccessible to ordinary users due to the high cost involved. The aim of this project is to develop a Web-based simulation architecture where users can input a simulation model, based on the European Space Agency Simulation Language (ESL), through a Java graphical front-end application, and letting backend HPCs to perform intensive computation on behalf of the user. We have successfully implemented this system within an intranet environment, with the possibility of actual implementation on the World Wide Web. In this report, we discuss the architectural merits of this framework, our design philosophy and proposals for improvements and future development.