Concurrent and fail-safe replicated simulations on heterogeneous networks: An introduction to EcliPSe

This paper presents an overview of the ACESparallel software sysremand, in particular, an introduction to the EcliPSe layer of the system. The ACES system is a fault-tolerant, layered software system for heterogeneous-network based cluster computing. The EcliPSe toolkit, which resides on an upper layer, was constructed specifically for replication-based and domain-decomposition based simulation applications. Ir is not, however, restricted to simulations and supports any message-passing fonn of parallel processing. By raking advantage of networks of heterogeneous machines, generally "idle" workstations, EcliPSe programs can achieve supercomputer level perfonnance with little programming effort. This was a motivating factor in EcliPSe's design. We present an overview of key application-level features in EcliPSe, a new user interface, support for fault-toleram simulation, and perfonnance results for rhree simple bur large scale and representative experiments.