[tyw7]

My University has an HPC but sadly their technical support is a bit abysmal. This is my first time using an HPC and they told me that they can't offer me one to one help.

I would like to know:

• What files do I need to copy to the HPC server?
• What files do I need to copy back to my CFX workbench?

I am assuming I need just the .def file? And the HPC will produce a result file? How do I need to import that result file?

[Stel]

Maybe your question doesn't have much relation with the HPC itself but actually reading CFX files in a LINUX platform. Is that your doubt?
Anyway, CFX runs the exact same file extensions in Windows or LINUX. This means that, a def file you save in a Windows PC will work fine in the CFX Solver installed in LINUX, and the results file saved in LINUX can be opened in the Windows CFD Post. You may have compatibility issues if the ANSYS versions on both platforms are not the same, but still that would be only because of the software version, not because of compatibility between the platforms themselves.

[tyw7]

Well I don't know what files do I need to copy over to the HPC.

And how to merge back the results? Do I just copy it back to the same folder?

[Stel]

Originally Posted by tyw7

Well I don't know what files do I need to copy over to the HPC.

And how to merge back the results? Do I just copy it back to the same folder?

You can define your case as usual in your PC. Once you are done, save the def file in your PC and copy that file to the HPC. Open the CFX Solver there, and in the solver open the def file you have copied to the HPC. Set the other desired configurations in the run definition window and run your case. After the run is finished, copy back to your PC the .res and .out files. Use CFD Post in your PC to open it and do all the post processing as usual.

If your run depends on a initial values file, copy the .res file you want to use to initialize your case together with your def file to the HPC as you are going to need it in the runtime.

[tyw7]

What do you mean by initial values? Like inlet speed?

Also, how do you export a def file? I can't find a setting to export it.

[Stel]

Originally Posted by tyw7

What do you mean by initial values? Like inlet speed?

Also, how do you export a def file? I can't find a setting to export it.

Hmmm... How familiar are you with ANSYS? Maybe you should have a look first in ANSYS CFX Tutorials, especially the first ones explaining how to use CFX in Standalone mode.

[tyw7]

I have used CFX on my own computer and not using a HPC server.

I have tried googling but couldn't find anything relevant. If you have a good reference, can you link it here?

[tyw7]

Edit: It seems that the .def file is in the dp0/CFX folder since I used Workbench to set up the experiment.

[Stel]

Originally Posted by tyw7

Edit: It seems that the .def file is in the dp0/CFX folder since I used Workbench to set up the experiment.

I'm still not sure if I understand your doubt, but based on the above reply I assume that your problem is: "If I set my problem on Workbench on My PC, how do I inform Workbench using its flow diagram structure to direct the problem to be solved on the HPC instead of my PC?".

If that is the case, it will depend on how the HPC is configured in your University, but usually, you'll not be able to do that. That's why I was telling you to use CFX in Standalone mode. Standalone mode means "using CFX as a separate software, without Workbench". The second CFX Tutorial provided in the ANSYS Portal teaches you how to do that. This way, you will prepare your case in your PC as usual using CFX Pre, save a def file (see the Tutorials to learn how to do that), and then you will copy the def file to your working folder to the HPC. Then open the CFX Solver in the HPC, open the def file there and solve your problem. A .res will be generated when the job is finished. Use the Standalone version of CFD Post to post process it (see the Tutorials to learn how to do that!).

Another way is to do your entire Workbench job directly on the HPC. Most server administrators won't let you to do that, but you will have to check that yourself. Try talking to someone who have used ANSYS in the HPC from your university in the past and ask them how they managed it.