software maintenance

Distributed Computing

Noise maps for huge cities require a lot of calculation time. If you want answers quicker than a single CPU can provide them, Distributed Computing is very useful. This module allows the master CPU (the CPU with the licensed SoundPLAN hardlock) to distribute the calculations to designated CPUs in a Windows TPC/IP based network.

When a distributed calculation run begins, SoundPLAN packs the data into an archive, sends the archive to all participating servers and unpacks it. The master program (client) assigns the servers fields of 9x9 receivers and they begin calculating. Once a 9x9 field is finished, the server returns the data to the client and gets another field to calculate. This process continues until the noise map is completed. The user is not involved in subdividing the noise map; this is done automatically.

Distributed Computing requires the same SoundPLAN version (or a demo copy of the same version) be installed on all the servers. A small communication program is also installed that listens to the calculation requests of the client, starts the data handling and starts the Calculation Core.

To use Distributed Computing, select Start Distributed Computing from the calculation menu. Then select the computers to participate in the calculations, and start the calculation.

Distributed Computing greatly increases the speed of all noise and air pollution calculations.

Grid Noise Map calculations are best suited to run parallel, because the administrative overhead is basically not measurable for this module.

Last modification: 15 January 2004