Expressing Workflow in the Cactus Framework

Abstract

The Cactus Framework [15, 73, 167] is an open-source, modular, portable, programming environment for collaborative HPC computing. It was designed and written specifically to enable scientists and engineers to perform the large-scale simulations needed for their science. From the outset, Cactus has followed two fundamental tenets: respecting user needs and embracing new technologies. The framework and its associated components must be driven from the beginning by user requirements. This has been achieved by developing, supporting, and listening to a large user base. Among these needs are ease of use, portability, the ability to support large and geographically diverse collaborations and to handle enormous computing resources, visualization, file IO, and data management. It must also support the inclusion of legacy code, as well as a range of programming languages. It is essential that any living framework be able to incorporate new and developing cutting edge computation technologies and infrastructure, with minimal or no disruption to its user base. Cactus is now associated with many computational science research projects, particularly in visualization, data management, and Grid computing [14].