Cactus Facts

1. Cactus is a framework for generic applications, it is not an application itself. Applications which can have been developed to run in the Cactus framework include WaveToy (a simple example application), Numerical Relativity codes for evolving and analysing black holes, neutron stars and gravitational waves, Task Farming infrastructure (developed as a GridLab scenario).
2. The Cactus framework is highly portable and can compile and run just about anywhere. The portability of Cactus applications depends on how the applications themselves have been coded. Many real world applications required Fortran 90, some 3rd-party computational infrastructure thorns use platform dependent C++. Our simple WaveToy example application is highly portable.
3. Cactus is a framework designed and used for High Performance Computing. Cactus is not coupled in any way with the Grid, with Globus or with MPICH-G2. The Cactus framework was however designed and written with the knowledge that we would want the framework and the applications running in Cactus to be able to run in a Grid environment.

Software for compiling/running Cactus

A list of required and optional software for Cactus simulations, and why and when it is used.

Cactus Production Resources

Apart from the partners machines of the GridLab testbed, our applications need to run on production machines, used by physicists, in both Europe and the USA. These machines are typically outside of our direct administration and influence, and bring up problems such as firewalls, interoperability and authorization.

Typical Cactus Simulation for Numerical Relativity

This section tries to describe how users run typical Cactus simulations on these production machines.

Desired Ports to interact with Cactus Simulations

Each Cactus simulations needs open ports for steering, visualisation, monitoring, etc. And here we give a list of requirements. If ports are not available, the simulation will still run, it just won't include interactive features.