13.3. Command-Line Samples

Here are some examples to help clarify the use of the command line:

Start CFX-Solver

To start CFX-Solver running from the CFX-Solver input file model.def, enter the command:

cfx5solve -def model.def

If the input file is for a multiple configuration (.mdef file), enter the command:

cfx5solve -mdef model.mdef

Start CFX-Solver Manager

To start CFX-Solver Manager, passing it the name of the CFX-Solver input file, enter the command:

cfx5solve -interactive -def model.def

Produce a Partition File

To produce a partition file with the MeTiS partitioning method and seven partitions, but not run CFX-Solver to solve for the solution, enter the command:

cfx5solve -def model.def -partition 7

This command will produce a file named model_001.par in the local run directory.


Note:  If the file model.par exists in the working directory, then the partition type (MeTiS, RecCoordBis or SpecDir) is read from this file, even if you have not specified the file model.par. Because this could potentially be confusing, you are advised to use the CFX-Solver Manager to set up a partitioning run, unless you are certain that either there is no file model.par or that the partitioning method specified in the model.par file is what you require.


Start CFX-Solver in Local Parallel

To run CFX-Solver in parallel, starting from the CFX-Solver input file model.def and running only on the local machine with two partitions, enter the command:

cfx5solve -def model.def -par-local -partition 2

If you have already created a file model.par (for instance, by using the command cfx5solve -def model.def -partition 7), then you can run the parallel CFX-Solver by entering the command:

cfx5solve -def model.def -par-local -parfile-read model.par 

To run the CFX-Solver in parallel for the configuration named <config> and in serial for other configurations in a multi-configuration simulation, enter the command:

cfx5solve -mdef model.mdef -config "<config>" -par-local -partition 2

Start CFX-Solver in Distributed Parallel


Note:  To ensure that the following example works, define the hosts hosta, hostb and hostc in the central hostinfo.ccl file. (cfx5solve attempts to automatically detect hosts that are not listed in hostinfo.ccl, but this is not guaranteed to work.)


To run CFX-Solver in distributed parallel, starting from the CFX-Solver input file model.def, and using one partition on hosta, two partitions on hostb, and four partitions on hostc, for a total of seven partitions, enter the command:

cfx5solve -def model.def -par-dist 'hosta,hostb*2,hostc*4'

Start CFX-Solver in Parallel

To start the CFX-Solver in parallel with four partitions on two hosts, enter the command:

cfx5solve -def file.def -par-dist 'hosta*2,hostb*2'

If you have already created a partitioning file, say model.par (for instance, by using the command cfx5solve -def model.def -partition 7), then you can execute the distributed parallel run as follows:

cfx5solve -def model.def -parfile-read model.par -par-dist \
   'hosta,hostb*2,hostc*4'

The number of partitions specified using the -par-dist command-line flag must be the same as that in the partitioning file, model.par, or the run will fail.

Start CFX-Solver in Parallel with Cray MPI

To start the CFX solver in parallel on a system running the Cray Linux Environment, having reserved the required processing elements via the built-in batch queuing system:

cfx5solve -def model.def -start-method "Cray MPI Distributed Parallel"

Preprocess Incomplete Configuration Files

Configuration definition (.cfg) files that are created in conjunction with a multi-configuration simulation file (.mdef) are incomplete; they do not contain global information like equation and material definitions.

To preprocess the configuration files so that they are complete and can be run independently of the multi-configuration simulation, enter the command:

cfx5solve -mdef model.mdef -norun 

To preprocess the configuration definition file corresponding to the configuration name <config>, enter the command:

cfx5solve -mdef model.mdef -config "<config>" -norun

Stopping the CFX-Solver from the Command Line

After CFX-Solver is running, stop it by using cfx5stop from the command line.

Suppose a run is called mixer_001 in the current directory. There will be a temporary directory called mixer_001.dir in the current directory while that run is actually running. To stop the run, enter the following command line:

cfx5stop -directory mixer_001.dir