cloud computing

Dear Imechanicians, I hope this turns out to be useful for some of you who are interested in sharing their computer codes. We are working on a free platform, cdmHUB.org, to allow users to quickly turn your scripts into Apps connected with HPC power in the cloud. Currently, the system can easily handle Linux or Windows executables. We are developing new functionalities so that other typical scripts such as Abaqus UMATs, Python scripts, matlab scripts can also be disseminated as launchable Apps in cloud.

I am currently recruiting new PhD students to join my research group at The School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering at the University of Manchester. The core focus of the group is advanced computing for engineering simulation. My research interests centre on extreme scale parallel computing, cloud computing and virtual reality simulation platforms, applied to scientific and engineering problems involving complex processes.

I thought this might be of interest for some imechanicans, particularly those who work on composites (anisotropic and/or heterogeneous materials). Sorry if it sounds a bit infomercial. 

Imagine a youtube-like environment for you to deploy a cloud version of your code without any change to your original code. Your research code can be immediately shared with the global community. 

How many organisations are using Cloud Computing? Is the use of High Performance Technical Computing in engineering simulation set to grow in the next 5 years? Will Tablet PCs be powerful enough to run my application? What do my peers think?

These are typical questions asked by the engineering simulation community. Wouldn't it be great if we could take a snapshot of the type of computing platform we're using today and also predict where we will be in the next 5 years? 

New version of Fidesys Online is released.
Fidesys Online is a Cloud Computing platform for Finite Element Analysis
of Structures.

http://online.cae-fidesys.com/en/welcome

The Fidesys Online web service allows to carry out deformation mode
analysis for articles under static loads. You will need only web browser
and Internet connection. Now it's easier than ever.

I have funding for software development to provide a UMAT interface in the parallel versions of the code from Smith I.M. and Griffiths D.V. "Programming the Finite Element Method", 4th Edition, Wiley, 2004.

I would be interested to hear about any open source UMATs available for download. I'd also like to hear from anyone who might like to use their closed source UMATs in a parallel environment.

The funding has been awarded by the UK National HPC Service HECToR to encourage the greater use of HECToR for Structural Engineering.