-/*! \page platform %Model the underlying platform
+/*! \page platform Model the underlying platform
@tableofcontents
In order to run any simulation, SimGrid must be provided with three things:
-something to run (i.e., your code), a description of the platform on which you
-want to simulate your application and lastly information about the deployment
-process: Which process should be deployed to which processor/core?
+something to run (i.e., your code), a description of the platform on which you want to simulate your application, and
+information about the deployment of the application: Which process should be executed onto which processor/core?
-For the last two items, there are essentially two possible ways you can provide
+For the last two items, there are essentially three possible ways you can provide
this information as an input:
-\li You can program, if you're using MSG, some of MSG's platform and
- deployment functions (\ref msg_simulation). If you want to use this,
- check the particular documentation. (You can also check the section
- \ref pf_flexml_bypassing, however, this documentation is deprecated;
- there is a new, but undocumented, way to do it properly).
-\li You can use two XML files: one contains the platform description while
- the other contains the deployment instructions. The platform description
- can also be in Lua format.
-
-For more information on SimGrid's deployment features, please refer to
-the \ref deployment documentation.
-
-The platform description may be intricate. This documentation is all
-about how to write this file: The basic concepts are introduced. Furthermore,
-advanced options are explained. Additionally, some hints and tips on how to
-write a good platform description are given.
+\li You can program, if you're using MSG, some of the platform and
+ deployment functions. If you choose to follow this approach, check the dedicated documentation
+ (\ref msg_simulation).
+\li You can use two XML files: one for the platform description and the other for the deployment.
+\li You can program the description of your platform in Lua format.
+
+For more information on SimGrid's deployment features, please refer to the \ref deployment section.
+
+The platform description may be intricate. This documentation is all about how to write this file. First, the basic
+concepts are introduced. Then, advanced options are explained. Finally, some hints and tips on how to write a better
+platform description are given.
\section pf_overview Some words about XML and DTD
-We chose to use XML not only because it's extensible but also because many
-tools (and plugins for existing tools) are available that facilitate editing and
-validating XML files. Furthermore, libraries that parse XML are often already
+We opted for XML not only because it is extensible but also because many tools (and plugins for existing tools) are
+available that facilitate editing and validating XML files. Furthermore, libraries that parse XML are often already
available and very well tested.
-The XML checking is done based on the Document Type Definition (DTD) file,
-available at
-<a href="http://simgrid.gforge.inria.fr/simgrid/simgrid.dtd">http://simgrid.gforge.inria.fr/simgrid/simgrid.dtd</a>.
+The XML checking is done based on the [simgrid.dtd](http://simgrid.gforge.inria.fr/simgrid/simgrid.dtd) Document Type
+Definition (DTD) file.
If you read the DTD, you should notice the following:
-\li The platform tags contain a version attribute; the current version is 4.
- This property might be used in the future to provide backwards
- compatibility.
-\li The DTD contains definitions for the two files used by SimGrid (i.e.,
- platform description and deployment).
+\li The platform tag has a version attribute. The current version is <b>4</b>. This attribute might be used in the
+ provide backward compatibility.
+\li The DTD contains definitions for both the platform description and deployment files used by SimGrid.
\section pf_basics Basic concepts
~~~{.py}
PERIODICITY 10.0
- 1.0 -1.0
- 2.0 1.0
+ 1.0 0
+ 2.0 1
~~~
-A negative value means <b>down</b> (i.e., OFF) while a positive one means <b>up and
- running</b> (i.e., ON). From time 0.0 to time 1.0, the host is on. At time 1.0, it is
-turned off and at time 2.0, it is turned on again until time 12 (2.0 plus the
-periodicity 10.0). It will be turned on again at time 13.0 until time 23.0, and
+A zero value means <b>down</b> (i.e., OFF) while a positive one means <b>up and
+ running</b> (i.e., ON). From time 0.0 to time 1.0, the host is on as usual. At time 1.0, it is
+turned off and at time 2.0, it is turned on again until time 12 (2 plus the
+periodicity 10). It will be turned off again at time 13.0 until time 23.0, and
so on.
<prop id="host/model" value="compound"></prop>
<prop id="network/model" value="SMPI"></prop>
<prop id="path" value="~/"></prop>
- <prop id="smpi/bw_factor" value="65472:0.940694;15424:0.697866;9376:0.58729"></prop>
+ <prop id="smpi/bw-factor" value="65472:0.940694;15424:0.697866;9376:0.58729"></prop>
</config>
<AS id="AS0" routing="Full">
\li <b>Cluster</b>: Cluster routing, specific to cluster tag, should
not be used.
-\subsection pf_switch I want to describe a switch but there is no switch tag !
+\subsection pf_switch How to describe a switch given that is no switch tag?
Actually we did not include switch tag, ok. But when you're trying to
simulate a switch, the only major impact it has when you're using
(as a link is not an edge by a hyperedge, you can connect more than 2
other links to it).
+\subsection pf_multicabinets How to model multi-cabinets clusters?
+
+You have several possibilities, as usual when modeling things. If your
+cabinets are homogeneous and the intercabinet network negligible for
+your study, you should just create a larger cluster with all hosts at
+the same layer.
+
+In the rare case where your hosts are not homogeneous between the
+cabinets, you can create your cluster completely manually. For that,
+create an As using the Cluster routing, and then use one
+<cabinet> for each cabinet. This cabinet tag can only be used an
+As using the Cluster routing schema, and creating
+
+Be warned that creating a cluster manually from the XML with
+<cabinet>, <backbone> and friends is rather tedious. The
+easiest way to retrieve some control of your model without diving into
+the <cluster> internals is certainly to create one separate
+<cluster> per cabinet and interconnect them together. This is
+what we did in the G5K example platform for the Graphen cluster.
+
\subsection pf_platform_multipath How to express multipath routing in platform files?
It is unfortunately impossible to express the fact that there is more
