1. Simulation as a Service: A Cloud-Based Framework to Support the Educational Use of Scientific Software
Tom Bitterman, Da Cai, Dave Hudak, Rajiv Ramnath, Jay Ramanathan, Belinda Zhang
Larger companies can afforrd…eg GM Crash Testing
In operation for 6 mths
Courses are currently being offered through the Polymer Portal, providing invaluable user feedback. Access methods have varied, as users have employed both on-site classes and remote learning experiences through the portal. User feedback has been instructive - we have received positive feedback on the way the Moodle site and the simulation software combine to support instruction, but many users were unclear about whether software purchased as part of a training opportunity would continue to work after the class was over. This is only the initial version of the Polymer Portal and growing pains were expected. An important component of deployment has been the ability to gather user feedback and incorporate it into future versions. 1

2. Introduction Simulation as a Service Polymer Portal Overview
Polymer Portal Requirements and Challenges
Polymer Portal Architecture and Implementation
Evaluation and Conclusions

3. Simulation as a Service
Simulation software is
expensive to purchase
difficult to install and maintain
complicated to run
Potential users need
to train on the software before purchase
to be able to buy just as much as they need
Offering simulation software as a service is a good fit
Many industrial processes are amenable to simulation. Simulating these processes allows for optimization of time, cost, energy, quality and other process parameters.
Simulation software is very expensive and hard to use. Even the hardware required to run it is beyond the reach of most small- and medium-sized companies. Many potential users cannot justify paying such a high up-front cost for such an uncertain payoff. It would be nice if they could learn how to use the software before they bought it, so a better judgement could be made about its worth.
High cost can also be a barrier once the software is mastered. Companies can often go long stretches between needing to use such software, time in which the money paid for the software is wasted. They could cut costs by just “renting” the software when they need it.
The upside of all this trouble is that proper use of a simulation can yield substantial benefits.

4. Users and Uses
Academic Use
Industrial Use
Training
Courses
Seminars
Simulation
Class Project
Research
Product Development
Testing
We were required to support both academic and industrial users
There were both similarities and differences in how each group wanted to use the system
Academic and industrial users had a lot in common. We will talk about their overlapping requirements next.
The primary difference was in the scale of problems each wanted to address. We will talk about that when we get to the cloud portion.

5. Common Requirements Support for a variety of packages Remote access
Ease of use
Ability to handle large-scale simulations
Secure
Reasonable cost
Our target audience consists of both academics and industrial users, but they have common ground in that they are subject matter experts (e.g. polymer scientists, materials scientists) and not computer experts. They needed a system that was simple to use, but gave them access to a wide variety of software. This meant that more “powerful”, flexible options were discarded in favor of interface and functional elements that would be familiar to the casual computer user.

6. Solution Features E-Catalog - provided Single sign-on - enabled
User-friendly interface metaphor
Collaboration (forums, wikis)
Educational and training resources
Access to purchased services
E-commerce capability
Single sign-on - enabled
simplified user experience
single point of entrance
Users are familiar with a catalog model (e.g. Amazon.com) so it was used as the overarching interface metaphor. Users could approach the site from a site point of entry, browse through available software packages and purchase them. The big difference was that users could also use portal to actually use the software/training that they had purchased (sort of like a Kindle).
Single sign-on tied otherwise disparate subsystems together into a cohesive whole that would make sense to the user. Once the user was signed-in, they could use any part of the portal that they were authorized to without re-authenticating.

7. Solution Features (contd.)
Cloud environment – support for
heterogeneous environments (Windows, Linux)
scaling to large problems
uneven load schedules
wide variety of software
interface to HPC environment
A cloud allowed OSC, a typical HPC environment running Linux on a cluster in batch mode, to support a wide variety of operating systems (all the different versions of Windows, the Linux and Unix variants) without disrupting normal operations. It became possible for us to support one user running a simulation on Linux-based software while another ran a Windows-based visualization program at the same time.
In addition, we could easily accommodate transient spikes in usage (such as a large class) without letting valuable resources stand idle during periods of low use.

8. Architecture E-Catalog OSC cloud services Own web content
Drupal, Moodle
External account
OSC cloud services
Data transfer
SSH and VNC to HPC
RDP to Windows
Common storage
Common authentication
Common accounting
Users can log in through Polymer Portal home page, and we use Windows Active Directory to implement user authentication and product authorization.
There is a service list (Tools Inventory) which includes available simulation services for polymer users.
Moodle is a web-based learning solution that enables on-line learning.
VNC – virtual network computing.

9. Polymer Portal Application Services
Provides polymer companies with software and training for modeling and simulation
Established with Polymer Ohio as part of the NIST MEP grant
Takes advantage of educational materials created under an NSF grant
Application Services
Windows GUI applications: Moldex 3D, Ludovic, Avercast
Web applications: PFAST, Polymer Properties Predictor
We implemented the above-described system for the polymer field. The polymer industry is predominately composed of small- and medium- sized businesses that currently rely on hard-earned expertise to design their products and manufacturing processes. There is great potential in offering affordable, accessible simulation services to this audience. We worked in conjunction with Polymer Ohio, an Ohio-based industry consortium, to develop the site.

10. Results We have offered training courses
they have been well attended
user feedback has been positive
support for both industrial and academic users
Industrial use is just beginning
Currently expanding software offerings
We have working software and people like it.
Industry take-up has been slow, but Polymer Ohio is currently advertising the service to its members.
We hope to expand our base by offering more, different applications.

11. Application Service Case Study: PFAST
Production Flow Analysis and Simulation Tool
Dr. Irani, Industrial, Welding and Systems Engineering, OSU
Industrial Engineering
design of manufacturing cells and facility layout design
Original application: Microsoft Visual C++
OSC services provides
Web-based user interface
E-catalog access
Secure access for multiple users
Optional slide – if we want to talk about an example application that we offer.