designsafe-agnostic-app

designsafe-agnostic-app#

Agnostic Tapis App for General Execution: Python as well as OpenSees, OpenSeesMP, OpenSeesSP, and OpenSeesPy

  • Version: 1.0.1

  • Author: Silvia Mazzoni, DesignSafe

  • Date: January 18, 2026

Platform: DesignSafe / TACC Stampede3 Runtime: ZIP (HPC Batch) Execution System: Stampede3 Queue (default): skx-dev

1. Purpose and Design Philosophy#

designsafe-agnostic-app is a general-purpose, HPC-oriented Tapis application designed to support many computational workflows without baking assumptions into the app itself.

Instead of creating separate apps for:

  • OpenSees vs OpenSeesMP

  • Tcl vs Python

  • Serial vs MPI

  • Small vs large output jobs

this app acts as a configurable execution driver.

All behavior is controlled by:

  • app inputs

  • environment variables

  • wrapper logic

This makes the app:

  • reusable

  • transparent

  • automatable

  • easy to fork and extend

Tapis orchestrates the job. SLURM executes it. The wrapper enforces semantics and safety.

2. High-Level Execution Model#

At runtime, the following happens:

  1. Tapis stages inputDirectory

  2. A SLURM batch job is submitted

  3. tapisjob_app.sh executes on the first node

  4. The wrapper:

    • prepares the environment

    • stages inputs

    • selects MPI vs non-MPI execution

    • runs the main executable

    • manages outputs

    • produces structured logs

The minimum mental model for the app is:

[UseMPI?] BINARYNAME INPUTSCRIPT ARGUMENTS

Detailed Execution Mode

  1. Tapis stages your Input Directory to the job working directory.

  2. SLURM starts the batch job on Stampede3.

  3. tapisjob_app.sh runs on the first allocated node and:

    • sets up summary and full environment logs

    • cds into the Input Directory

    • prepares inputs (optional copy-in, optional unzip)

    • loads modules (optional file + optional list)

    • normalizes Python (python → python3)

    • installs Python packages (optional file + optional list)

    • optionally injects TACC-compiled OpenSeesPy (opensees.so)

    • optionally runs pre/post hooks

    • chooses MPI launcher (ibrun) or direct run

    • runs your executable + script + args

    • optionally zips output and/or moves results inside the exec system

    • records timers and exits with clear error handling

3. Logs you should look at first#

Every job produces:

  • SLURM-job-summary.log (compact “what happened”)

  • SLURM-full-environment.log (full env | sort dump)

The summary log also records:

  • launcher decision

  • module/pip actions

  • timers (run-only and total)

4. Summary#

designsafe-agnostic-app provides a single, well-instrumented execution interface for:

  • OpenSees (Tcl), OpenSeesMP/SP (MPI), OpenSeesPy

  • general Python workflows

  • reusable HPC job patterns (copy-in, unzip, hooks, packaging, output movement)

It is designed to be debuggable, reproducible, and extensible, and to serve as a template for future apps.

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