The OpenSees Web Portal App

The OpenSees Web Portal App#

The DesignSafe Web Portal app provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for running OpenSees and OpenSeesPy jobs without writing code or job scripts.

It is especially valuable for:

  • Exploring and understanding app inputs

  • Validating execution settings

  • Testing small or first-time runs

  • Learning how an app is structured before automating it

This means you can:

  • Focus on your structural or geotechnical model — not on cluster commands.

  • Submit jobs through a simple browser interface (or later, programmatically through Tapis or Python).

  • Get consistent, optimized performance on TACC hardware without fighting with compilers, environment modules, or manual SLURM scripts.

For many users, the Web Portal is the first and most intuitive entry point into OpenSees on DesignSafe.

What the Web Portal Does Well#

The Web Portal excels as an interactive configuration and validation tool:

  • Every input field is clearly labeled and documented.

  • Required vs optional inputs are explicit.

  • Default values are visible and editable.

  • Resource requests are constrained to valid ranges.

  • Execution mode choices are clearly presented.

This makes the portal an excellent way to:

  • Understand what an app expects

  • Catch input errors early

  • Confirm that a workflow runs correctly before scaling

  • Learn by inspection rather than trial-and-error

In practice, many users rely on the Web Portal to prototype a job before moving to scripted or programmatic submission.

Why the Web Portal Does Not Scale#

While the Web Portal is extremely useful, it is not designed for scalable or automated workflows.

Limitations include:

  • Jobs must be submitted manually, one at a time

  • Repetitive parameter studies require repeated clicking

  • No native support for:

    • parametric sweeps

    • batch generation

    • programmatic control

    • integration with external pipelines

  • Difficult to reproduce complex workflows exactly

  • Not suitable for version-controlled workflows

As studies grow in size and complexity, these constraints become limiting.

How the Web Portal Fits into the Bigger Picture#

The Web Portal should be viewed as:

A configuration and learning interface — not a workflow engine

A very effective pattern is:

  1. Use the Web Portal to:

    • explore inputs

    • read documentation

    • validate a small run

  2. Transition to Tapis or Python:

    • once inputs are understood

    • when scaling or automation is required

This pattern works equally well for:

  • legacy OpenSees apps

  • OpenSeesPy

  • the agnostic app

Relationship to the Agnostic App#

The Web Portal remains extremely valuable even with the agnostic app:

  • The agnostic app exposes more flexibility and options

  • The Web Portal helps users understand those options visually

  • Once validated, the same inputs can be:

    • reused

    • scripted

    • parameterized

    • automated

In other words:

The Web Portal is often the best place to start, but not the place to stay for large or repeatable workflows.

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