Running Parallel GENESIS


  1. Create a script to run parallel genesis. If you don't have one of your own yet, there are examples in the Scripts subdirectory of pargenesis.

  2. Start the PVM console by typing "pvm". At the prompt type "quit".

  3. Execute a script with "pargenesis scriptfile" or "parnxgenesis scriptfile".

  4. Terminate the PVM demon. Start the PVM console and at the prompt type "halt".


The rest of this document discusses some of the trickier points in running parallel Genesis. You may need to read this if the example scripts do not run.

Your PVM environment

GENESIS environment

Running a script

The executables are in

  /afs/psc/biomed/neural/genesis/parallel/bin/$PVM_ARCH

These should be linked to ~/pvm3/bin/$PVM_ARCH and this directory should be on your path. If this is the case, you can execute parallel Genesis using pargenesis, parnxgenesis or parmingenesis. All nodes look on the SIMPATH for script files. The initial working directory for the master is wherever you execute it from, and for the workers is your home directory. Thus it is NOT SUFFICIENT to start the master from the directory containing the script file. That directory must also be in the SIMPATH set in ~/.parnxsimrc.

You can use the pvm console to see what pvm process exist. Start the console as described above (it should tell you it is already running). Type "help" for a list of commands. "ps -a" will show you all running processes (should be one per node, except some multiprocessor systems). may have more.

See the PVM manual for more details.