Algorithm 897

Abstract

VTDIRECT95 is a Fortran 95 implementation of D. R. Jones' deterministic global optimization algorithm called DIRECT , which is widely used in multidisciplinary engineering design, biological science, and physical science applications. The package includes both a serial code and a data-distributed massively parallel code for different problem scales and optimization (exploration vs. exploitation) goals. Dynamic data structures are used to organize local data, handle unpredictable memory requirements, reduce the memory usage, and share the data across multiple processors. The parallel code employs a multilevel functional and data parallelism to boost concurrency and mitigate the data dependency, thus improving the load balancing and scalability. In addition, checkpointing features are integrated into both versions to provide fault tolerance and hot restarts. Important algorithm modifications and design considerations are discussed regarding data structures, parallel schemes, error handling, and portability. Using several benchmark functions and real-world applications, the software is evaluated on different systems in terms of optimization effectiveness, data structure efficiency, parallel performance, and checkpointing overhead. The package organization and usage are also described in detail.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Jul 01, 2009
Source ID
10.1145/1527286.1527291

Entities

People

  • Jian He
  • Layne T. Watson
  • Masha Sosonkina

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory
  • Ames National Laboratory
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences
  • National Science Foundation
  • United States Department of Energy
  • Virginia Tech

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Computer science

Readers

  • Distributed Systems and Data Platform Development
  • Parallel and Distributed Computing.