Neko 0.9.99
A portable framework for high-order spectral element flow simulations
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User File

The user file is a fortran file where the user can implement their own functions to extend the capabilities of the default Neko executable. The user file can be used for setting advanced initial/boundary conditions, source terms, I/O operations, and interactions with the Neko framework.

Compiling and running

The user file is a regular Fortran .f90 file that needs to be compiled with makeneko, located in the bin folder of your neko installation. To compile a user file user.f90, run:

makeneko user.f90

If everything goes well, you should observe the following output:

N E K O build tool, Version 0.7.99
(build: 2024-02-13 on x86_64-pc-linux-gnu using gnu)
Building user NEKO ... done!

Compiling your user file with makeneko will create a neko executable, which you will need to execute with your case file as an argument. For example, if your case file is called user.case:

./neko user.case

Or in parallel using MPI:

mpirun -n 8 ./neko user.case

High-level structure

The current high-level structure of the user file is shown below.

module user
use neko
implicit none
contains
! Register user defined functions here (see user_intf.f90)
subroutine user_setup(u)
type(user_t), intent(inout) :: u
end subroutine user_setup
end module user
Master module.
Definition neko.f90:34

The user file implements the user module. The user modules contains a subroutine named user_setup, which we use to interface the internal procedures defined in src/common/user_intf.f90 with the subroutines that you will implement in your user file. Each user subroutine should be implemented under the contains statement, below user_setup.

Note
The above code snippet is the most basic code structure for the user file. Compiling it and running it would be equivalent to running the "vanilla" neko executable bin/neko in your local neko installation folder.

Default user functions

The following user functions, if defined in the user file, will always be executed, regardless of what is set in the case file:

  • user_init_modules: For initializing user variables and objects
  • user_finalize_modules: For finalizing, e.g freeing variables and terminating processes
  • user_check: Executed at the end of every time step, for e.g. computing and/or outputting user defined quantities.
  • material_properties: For computing and setting material properties such as rho, mu, cp and lambda.
  • user_mesh_setup: For applying a deformation to the mesh element nodes, before the simulation time loop.
  • scalar_user_bc: For applying boundary conditions to the scalar, on all zones that are not already specified with uniform dirichlet values e.g. d=1. For more information on the scalar, see the relevant section of the case file.

Initializing and finalizing

The two subroutines user_init_modules and user_finalize_modules may be used to initialize/finalize any user defined variables, external objects, or processes. They are respectively executed right before/after the simulation time loop.

! Initialize user variables or external objects
subroutine initialize(t, u, v, w, p, coef, params)
real(kind=rp) :: t
type(field_t), intent(inout) :: u
type(field_t), intent(inout) :: v
type(field_t), intent(inout) :: w
type(field_t), intent(inout) :: p
type(coef_t), intent(inout) :: coef
type(json_file), intent(inout) :: params
! insert your initialization code here
end subroutine initialize
! Finalize user variables or external objects
subroutine finalize(t, params)
real(kind=rp) :: t
type(json_file), intent(inout) :: params
! insert your code here
end subroutine initialize

In the example above, the subroutines initialize and finalize contain the actual implementations. They must also be interfaced to the internal procedures user_init_modules and user_finalize_modules in user_setup:

! Register user defined functions (see user_intf.f90)
subroutine user_setup(u)
type(user_t), intent(inout) :: u
u%user_init_modules => initialize
u%user_finalize_modules => finalize
end subroutine user_setup
Note
user_init_modules and user_finalize_modules are independent of each other. Using one does not require the use of the other.

Computing at every time step

The subroutine user_check is executed at the end of every time step. It can be used for computing and/or outputting your own variables/quantities at every time step.

! This is called at the end of every time step
subroutine usercheck(t, tstep, u, v, w, p, coef, param)
real(kind=rp), intent(in) :: t
integer, intent(in) :: tstep
type(coef_t), intent(inout) :: coef
type(field_t), intent(inout) :: u
type(field_t), intent(inout) :: v
type(field_t), intent(inout) :: w
type(field_t), intent(inout) :: p
type(json_file), intent(inout) :: param
! insert code below
end subroutine usercheck

In the example above, the subroutine usercheck contains the actual implementation, and needs to be registered by adding:

u%user_check => usercheck

to our user_setup.

Setting material properties

material_properties allows for more complex computations and setting of various material properties, such as rho, mu for the fluid and cp, lambda for the scalar. The example below is taken from the rayleigh-benard-cylinder example.

subroutine set_material_properties(t, tstep, rho, mu, cp, lambda, params)
real(kind=rp), intent(in) :: t
integer, intent(in) :: tstep
real(kind=rp), intent(inout) :: rho, mu, cp, lambda
type(json_file), intent(inout) :: params
real(kind=rp) :: re
call json_get(params, "case.fluid.Ra", ra)
call json_get(params, "case.scalar.Pr", pr)
re = sqrt(ra / pr)
mu = 1.0_rp / re
lambda = mu / pr
rho = 1.0_rp
cp = 1.0_rp
end subroutine set_material_properties

And of course not forgetting to register our function in user_setup by adding the following line:

u%material_properties => set_material_properties

Runtime mesh deformation

This user function allows for the modification of the mesh at runtime, by acting on the element nodes of the mesh specified in the case file. This function is only called once before the simulation time loop. The example below is taken from the tgv example.

! Rescale mesh
subroutine user_mesh_scale(msh)
type(mesh_t), intent(inout) :: msh
integer :: i, p, nvert
real(kind=rp) :: d
d = 4._rp
! original mesh has size 0..8 to be mapped onto -pi..pi
! will be updated later to a method giving back the vertices of the mesh
nvert = size(msh%points)
do i = 1, nvert
msh%points(i)%x(1) = (msh%points(i)%x(1) - d) / d * pi
msh%points(i)%x(2) = (msh%points(i)%x(2) - d) / d * pi
msh%points(i)%x(3) = (msh%points(i)%x(3) - d) / d * pi
end do
end subroutine user_mesh_scale

The registering of the above function in user_setup should then be done as follows:

u%user_mesh_setup => user_mesh_scale

Scalar boundary conditions

This user function can be used to specify the scalar boundary values, on all zones that are not already set to uniform Dirichlet or Neumann values e.g. d=1 or n=0. For more information on the scalar, see the relevant section of the case file. The example below sets the scalar boundary condition values to be a linear function of the z coordinate (taken from the rayleigh-benard example).

subroutine set_scalar_boundary_conditions(s, x, y, z, nx, ny, nz, ix, iy, iz, ie, t, tstep)
real(kind=rp), intent(inout) :: s
real(kind=rp), intent(in) :: x
real(kind=rp), intent(in) :: y
real(kind=rp), intent(in) :: z
real(kind=rp), intent(in) :: nx
real(kind=rp), intent(in) :: ny
real(kind=rp), intent(in) :: nz
integer, intent(in) :: ix
integer, intent(in) :: iy
integer, intent(in) :: iz
integer, intent(in) :: ie
real(kind=rp), intent(in) :: t
integer, intent(in) :: tstep
! This will be used on all zones without labels
s = 1.0_rp - z
end subroutine set_scalar_boundary_conditions

This function will be called on all the points on the relevant boundaries. The registering of the above function in user_setup should be done as follows:

u%scalar_user_bc => set_scalar_boundary_conditions

User defined simulation components

In addition to the case-specific user functions, the user can also define their own simulation components. This can be done by writing a new type which extends the simulation_component_t type, and implementing the necessary functions for the new type. The user can then specify the component in the list of simulation components in the case file. The setting is_user should be set to true in the JSON object for the new simulation component. The typename is used to extract the settings for the simulation component from the JSON file.

{
"type": "my_comp",
"is_user": true,
// other settings
}
subroutine user_simcomp(params)
type(json_file), intent(inout) :: params
type(user_simcomp_t), allocatable :: my_simcomp
type(json_file) :: simcomp_settings
! Allocate a simulation component
allocate(my_simcomp)
simcomp_settings = simulation_component_user_settings("my_comp", params)
call neko_simcomps%add_user_simcomp(my_simcomp, simcomp_settings)
end subroutine user_simcomp

In the example above, the subroutine user_simcomp contains the actual implementation, and needs to be registered by adding:

u%init_user_simcomp => user_simcomp

A full example of a user-defined simulation component can be found in the examples.

Case-specific user functions

As explained in the case file page, certain components of the simulation can be set to be user defined. These components and their associated user functions are:

Description User function JSON Object in the case file
Fluid initial condition fluid_user_ic case.fluid.initial_condition
Scalar initial condition scalar_user_ic case.scalar.initial_condition
Fluid inflow boundary condition fluid_user_if case.fluid.inflow_condition
Scalar boundary conditions scalar_user_bc (user function is always called)
Fluid source term fluid_user_f_vector or fluid_user_f case.fluid.source_terms
Scalar source term scalar_user_f_vector or scalar_user_f case.scalar.source_terms
Fluid and Scalar boundary conditions field_dirichlet_update case.fluid.boundary_types and/or case.scalar.boundary_types

Note that scalar_user_bc is included for completeness but is technically not case-specific.

Fluid and Scalar initial conditions

Enabling user defined initial conditions for the fluid and/or scalar is done by setting the initial_condition.type to "user" in the relevant sections of the case file, case.fluid and/or case.scalar.

"case": {
"fluid": {
"initial_condition": {
"type": "user"
}
}
}

See the relevant sections on the fluid and scalar initial conditions in the case file page for more details.

The associated user functions for the fluid and/or scalar initial conditions can then be added to the user file. An example for the fluid taken from the advecting cone example, is shown below.

subroutine set_velocity(u, v, w, p, params)
type(field_t), intent(inout) :: u
type(field_t), intent(inout) :: v
type(field_t), intent(inout) :: w
type(field_t), intent(inout) :: p
type(json_file), intent(inout) :: params
integer :: i, e, k, j
real(kind=rp) :: x, y
do i = 1, u%dof%size()
x = u%dof%x(i,1,1,1)
y = u%dof%y(i,1,1,1)
! Angular velocity is pi, giving a full rotation in 2 sec
u%x(i,1,1,1) = -y*pi
v%x(i,1,1,1) = x*pi
w%x(i,1,1,1) = 0
end do
if (neko_bcknd_device .eq. 1) then
call device_memcpy(u%x, u%x_d, u%dof%size(), &
host_to_device, sync=.false.)
call device_memcpy(v%x, v%x_d, v%dof%size(), &
host_to_device, sync=.false.)
call device_memcpy(w%x, w%x_d, w%dof%size(), &
host_to_device, sync=.false.)
end if
end subroutine set_velocity
Note
Notice the use of the NEKO_BCKND_DEVICE flag, which will be set to 1 if running on GPUs, and the calls to device_memcpy to transfer data between the host and the device. See Running on GPUs for more information on how this works.

The same can be done for the scalar, with the example below also inspired from the advecting cone example:

subroutine set_s_ic(s, params)
type(field_t), intent(inout) :: s
type(json_file), intent(inout) :: params
integer :: i, e, k, j
real(kind=rp) :: cone_radius, mux, muy, x, y, r, theta
! Center of the cone
mux = 1
muy = 0
cone_radius = 0.5
do i = 1, s%dof%size()
x = s%dof%x(i,1,1,1) - mux
y = s%dof%y(i,1,1,1) - muy
r = sqrt(x**2 + y**2)
theta = atan2(y, x)
! Check if the point is inside the cone's base
if (r > cone_radius) then
s%x(i,1,1,1) = 0.0
else
s%x(i,1,1,1) = 1.0 - r / cone_radius
endif
end do
if (neko_bcknd_device .eq. 1) then
call device_memcpy(s%x, s%x_d, s%dof%size(), &
host_to_device, sync=.false.)
end if
end subroutine set_s_ic
Note
Notice the use of the NEKO_BCKND_DEVICE flag, which will be set to 1 if running on GPUs, and the calls to device_memcpy to transfer data between the host and the device. See Running on GPUs for more information on how this works.

We should also add of the following lines in user_setup, registering our user functions set_velocity and set_s_ic to be used as the fluid and scalar initial conditions:

u%fluid_user_ic => set_velocity
u%scalar_user_ic => set_s_ic

Fluid inflow condition

Enabling user defined inflow condition for the fluid is done by setting the case.fluid.inflow_condition.type to "user":

"case": {
"fluid": {
"inflow_condition": {
"type": "user"
}
}
}

See the the relevant section in the case file page for more details. The associated user function for the fluid inflow condition can then be added to the user file. An example inspired from the lid-driven cavity example is shown below.

! user-defined boundary condition
subroutine user_bc(u, v, w, x, y, z, nx, ny, nz, ix, iy, iz, ie, t, tstep)
real(kind=rp), intent(inout) :: u
real(kind=rp), intent(inout) :: v
real(kind=rp), intent(inout) :: w
real(kind=rp), intent(in) :: x
real(kind=rp), intent(in) :: y
real(kind=rp), intent(in) :: z
real(kind=rp), intent(in) :: nx
real(kind=rp), intent(in) :: ny
real(kind=rp), intent(in) :: nz
integer, intent(in) :: ix
integer, intent(in) :: iy
integer, intent(in) :: iz
integer, intent(in) :: ie
real(kind=rp), intent(in) :: t
integer, intent(in) :: tstep
real(kind=rp) lsmoothing
lsmoothing = 0.05_rp ! length scale of smoothing at the edges
u = step( x/lsmoothing ) * step( (1._rp-x)/lsmoothing )
v = 0._rp
w = 0._rp
end subroutine user_bc

We should also add of the following line in user_setup, registering our user function user_bc to be used as the fluid inflow conditions:

u%fluid_user_if => user_bc

Fluid and scalar source terms

Enabling user defined source terms for the fluid and/or scalar is done by adding JSON Objects to the case.fluid.source_terms and/or case.scalar.source_terms lists.

"case": {
"fluid": {
"source_terms":
[
{
"type": "user_vector"
}
]
}
}

See the relevant sections on the fluid and scalar source terms in the case file page for more details.

Attention
There are two variants of the source term user functions: _user_f and _user_f_vector. The former is called when setting "user_pointwise" as the source term type, while the latter requires the use of the "user_vector" keyword in the case file. The pointwise variant, fluid_user_f is not supported on GPUs. In general, fluid_user_f_vector is the prefered variant, and is the one which will be use in our examples below. The same applies for the scalar source term user functions.

The associated user functions for the fluid and/or scalar source terms can then be added to the user file. An example for the fluid, taken from the rayleigh-benard-cylinder example, is shown below.

! Sets the z-component of the fluid forcing term = scalar
subroutine set_bousinesq_forcing_term(f, t)
class(fluid_user_source_term_t), intent(inout) :: f
real(kind=rp), intent(in) :: t
! Retrieve u,v,w,s fields from the field registry
type(field_t), pointer :: u, v, w, s
u => neko_field_registry%get_field('u')
v => neko_field_registry%get_field('v')
w => neko_field_registry%get_field('w')
s => neko_field_registry%get_field('s')
if (neko_bcknd_device .eq. 1) then
call device_rzero(f%u_d,f%dm%size())
call device_rzero(f%v_d,f%dm%size())
call device_copy(f%w_d,s%x_d,f%dm%size())
else
call rzero(f%u,f%dm%size())
call rzero(f%v,f%dm%size())
call copy(f%w,s%x,f%dm%size())
end if
end subroutine set_bousinesq_forcing_term
Note
Notice the use of the neko_field_registry to retrieve the velocity and scalar fields. See Registries for more information about registries in neko.
Notice the use of the NEKO_BCKND_DEVICE flag, which will be set to 1 if running on GPUs, and the use of device_ functions. See Running on GPUs for more information on how this works.

The same can be done for the scalar, with the example below also taken from the scalar_mms example:

subroutine set_source(f, t)
class(scalar_user_source_term_t), intent(inout) :: f
real(kind=rp), intent(in) :: t
real(kind=rp) :: x, y
integer :: i
do i = 1, f%dm%size()
x = f%dm%x(i,1,1,1)
y = f%dm%y(i,1,1,1)
! 0.01 is the viscosity
f%s(i,1,1,1) = cos(x) - 0.01 * sin(x) - 1.0_rp
end do
if (neko_bcknd_device .eq. 1) then
call device_memcpy(f%s, f%s_d, f%dm%size(), &
host_to_device, sync=.false.)
end if
end subroutine set_source
Note
Notice the use of the NEKO_BCKND_DEVICE flag, which will be set to 1 if running on GPUs, and the call to device_memcpy to transfer data between the host and the device. See Running on GPUs for more information on how this works.

We should also add of the following lines in user_setup, registering our user functions set_boussinesq_forcing_term and set_source to be used as the fluid and scalar source terms:

u%fluid_user_f_vector => set_boussinesq_forcing_term
u%scalar_user_f_vector => set_source

Complex fluid and/or scalar boundary conditions

This user function can be used to specify dirichlet boundary values for velocity components u,v,w, the pressure p, and/or the scalar s. This type of boundary condition allows for time-dependent velocity profiles (currently not possible with a standard user_inflow) or non-uniform pressure profiles to e.g. impose an outlet pressure computed from another simulation.

The selection of such boundary condition is done in the case.fluid.boundary_types array for the velocities and pressure, and in the case.scalar.boundary_types array for the scalar. The case file outlines which keywords can be used for such purpose:

  • d_vel_u for the u component of the velocity field
  • d_vel_v for the v component of the velocity field
  • d_vel_w for the w component of the velocity field
  • d_pres for the pressure field
  • d_s for the scalar field (cannot be combined with the above)

The separator "/" can be used to combine the keywords related to u,v,w and p. For example, if one wants to only apply u,v and p values on a given boundary, one should use "d_vel_u/d_vel_v/d_pres". In this case, the w component would be left untouched (not zeroed!). An example of case file from the cyl-boundary-layer example is shown below.

"case": {
"fluid": {
"boundary_types": [
"d_vel_u/d_vel_v/d_vel_w",
"d_vel_u/d_vel_v/d_vel_w/d_pres",
"sym",
"w",
"on",
"on",
"w"
]
}
"scalar": {
"boundary_types": [
"d_s",
"d_s",
"",
"",
"",
""
]
}
}

In this example, we indicate in case.fluid.boundary_types that we would like to apply a velocity profile on all three components u,v,w on the boundary number 1 (in this case, the inlet boundary). On boundary number 2 (the outlet boundary), we also indicate the three velocity components, with the addition of the pressure. In case.scalar.boundary_types, we indicate the same for the scalar on boundaries 1 and 2 (inlet and outlet).

Attention
Do not confuse the d_s and d=x boundary conditions for the scalar. The latter is to be used to specify a constant Dirichlet value x along the relevant boundary.

Once the appropriate boundaries have been identified and labeled, the user function field_dirichlet_update should be used to compute and apply the desired values to our velocity/pressure/scalar field(s). The prefix "field" in field_dirichlet_update refers to the fact that a list of entire fields is passed down for the user to edit.

The fields that are passed down are tied to the boundary_types keywords passed in the case file. The function field_dirichlet_update is then called internally, one time in the fluid solver and one time in the scalar solver (if enabled).

Finally, depending on which boundary labels were input, the fields given to the user are copied onto the solution field boundaries.

The header of the user function is given in the code snippet below.

subroutine dirichlet_update(field_bc_list, bc_bc_list, coef, t, tstep, which_solver)
type(field_list_t), intent(inout) :: field_bc_list
type(bc_list_t), intent(inout) :: bc_bc_list
type(coef_t), intent(inout) :: coef
real(kind=rp), intent(in) :: t
integer, intent(in) :: tstep
character(len=*), intent(in) :: which_solver

The arguments and their purpose are as follows:

  • field_bc_list is the list of the field that can be edited. It is a list of field_t objects.
    • The field i contained in field_bc_list is accessed using field_bc_list%items(i)%ptr and will refer to a field_t object.
    • If which_solver = "fluid", it will contain the 4 fields u,v,w,p. They are retrieved in that order in field_bc_list, i.e. u corresponds to field_bc_list%items(1)%ptr, etc.
    • If which_solver = "scalar", it will only contain the scalar field s.
  • bc_bc_list contains a list of the bc_t objects to help access the boundary indices through the boundary mask.
    • The boundary i contained in bc_bc_list is accessed with bc_bc_list%bc(i)%bcp.
    • The boundary mask of the i-th bc_t object contained in bc_bc_list is accessed with bc_bc_list%bc(i)%bcp%msk. It contains the linear indices of each GLL point on the i-th boundary facets.
      Note
      msk(0) contains the size of the array. The first boundary index is msk(1).
    • If which_solver = "fluid", it will contain the 4 bc_t objects corresponding to d_vel_u, d_vel_v, d_vel_w, and d_pres. They can be retrieved in that order, in the same way as for field_bc_list.
    • If which_solver = "scalar", it will only the 1 bc_t object corresponding to d_s.
  • coef is a coef_t object containing various numerical parameters and variables, such as the polynomial order lx, derivatives, facet normals...
  • t, tstep are self-explanatory.
  • which_solver takes the value "fluid" when the user function is called in the fluid solver. It takes the value "scalar" when it is called in the scalar solver.

Links to the documentation to learn more about what the types mentioned above contain and how to use them: src/field/field.f90, src/bc/bc.f90, src/sem/coef.f90.

The user function should be registered in user_setup with the following line:

u%user_dirichlet_update => dirichlet_update

A very simple example illustrating the above is shown below, which is taken from the cyl_boundary_layer example

! Initial example of using user specified dirichlet bcs
! Note: This subroutine will be called two times, once in the fluid solver, and once
! in the scalar solver (if enabled).
! We apply u = (1,0,0) at the inlet/outlet, p = -1 at the outlet, and s(y,z) = sin(y)*sin(z)
! at the inlet/outlet.
subroutine dirichlet_update(field_bc_list, bc_bc_list, coef, t, tstep, which_solver)
type(field_list_t), intent(inout) :: field_bc_list
type(bc_list_t), intent(inout) :: bc_bc_list
type(coef_t), intent(inout) :: coef
real(kind=rp), intent(in) :: t
integer, intent(in) :: tstep
character(len=*), intent(in) :: which_solver
integer :: i
real(kind=rp) :: y,z
! Only do this at the first time step since our BCs are constants.
if (tstep .ne. 1) return
! Check that we are being called by `fluid`
if (trim(which_solver) .eq. "fluid") then
associate(u => field_bc_list%items(1)%ptr, &
v => field_bc_list%items(2)%ptr, &
w => field_bc_list%items(3)%ptr, &
p => field_bc_list%items(4)%ptr)
!
! Perform operations on u%x, v%x, w%x and p%x here
! Note that we are checking if fields are allocated. If a
! boundary type only contains e.g. "d_vel_u/d_pres", the fields
! v%x and w%x will not be allocated.
!
! Here we are applying very simple uniform boundaries (u,v,w) = (1,0,0)
! and pressure outlet of p = -1
!
if (allocated(u%x)) u = 1.0_rp
if (allocated(v%x)) v = 0.0_rp
if (allocated(w%x)) w = 0.0_rp
if (allocated(p%x)) p = -1.0_rp
end associate
! Check that we are being called by `scalar`
else if (trim(which_solver) .eq. "scalar") then
associate( s => field_bc_list%items(1)%ptr, &
s_bc => bc_bc_list%bc(1)%bcp)
!
! Perform operations on the scalar field here
! Note that we are checking if the field is allocated, in
! case the boundary is empty.
!
if (allocated(s%x)) then
do i = 1, s_bc%msk(0)
y = s_bc%dof%y(s_bc%msk(i), 1, 1, 1)
z = s_bc%dof%z(s_bc%msk(i), 1, 1, 1)
s%x(s_bc%msk(i), 1, 1, 1) = sin(y)*sin(z)
end do
end if
end associate
end if
end subroutine dirichlet_update

This example is applying constant dirichlet values at the selected boundaries for the velocity components and presure. The scalar is applied a function s(y,z) = sin(y)*sin(z) to demonstrate the usage of boundary masks.

Attention
The notation u = 1.0_rp is only possible because of the overloading of the assignement operator = in field_t. In general, a field's array should be accessed and modified with u%x.

Note that we are only applying our boundary values at the first timestep, which is done simply with the line if (tstep .ne. 1) return. This is a trick that can be used for time independent boundary profiles that require some kind of time consuming operation like interpolation or reading from a file, which would add overhead if executed at every time step.

Observe that we always check if the fields are allocated before manipulating them. This is to prevent accidental memory access if only part of the velocity components or pressure are given in case.fluid.boundary_types. Fields in the lists are only allocated if they are present in the case file.For example, if we removed the d_pres condition in the JSON case file code snippet above, the pressure field for our boundary condition would not be allocated ( in the example above, allocated(p%x) would never be true). "boundary_types": ["d_vel_u", "d_vel_v"] will allocate the two first fields in field_bc_list, which is the same behaviour as "boundary_types": ["d_vel_u/d_vel_v", ""].

Attention
All the rules for Running on GPUs apply when working on field arrays. Use device_memcpy to make sure the device arrays are also updated.

Additional remarks and tips

Running on GPUs

When running on GPUs, special care must be taken when using certain user functions. The short explanation is that the device (GPU) has its own memory and cannot directly access the memory on the host (CPU). This means that data and more specifically arrays must be copied manually from the host to the device (see device::device_memcpy).

Attention
In some cases, data transfer via device_memcpy is avoidable. Neko has some device math functions implemented that operate directly on device arrays. If you can decompose whatever operations you are performing in a user function into a set of instructions from the math module (e.g. cadd, cfill, sub2, ...), you may use the corresponding device_math functions to offload work to the GPU. See the fluid forcing code snippet for a simple example. For more advanced examples, see the rayleigh-benard example or the tgv example.

To illustrate this, let us have a look at the fluid initial condition code snippet:

subroutine set_velocity(u, v, w, p, params)
type(field_t), intent(inout) :: u
type(field_t), intent(inout) :: v
type(field_t), intent(inout) :: w
type(field_t), intent(inout) :: p
type(json_file), intent(inout) :: params
integer :: i, e, k, j
real(kind=rp) :: x, y
!
! 1. Set the initial condition in fields u%x, v%x, w%x
!
do i = 1, u%dof%size()
x = u%dof%x(i,1,1,1)
y = u%dof%y(i,1,1,1)
! Angular velocity is pi, giving a full rotation in 2 sec
u%x(i,1,1,1) = -y*pi
v%x(i,1,1,1) = x*pi
w%x(i,1,1,1) = 0
end do
!
! 2. Copy the data set in u%x, v%x, w%x to the device arrays
! u%x_d, v%x_d, w%x_d.
!
if (neko_bcknd_device .eq. 1) then
call device_memcpy(u%x, u%x_d, u%dof%size(), &
host_to_device, sync=.false.)
call device_memcpy(v%x, v%x_d, v%dof%size(), &
host_to_device, sync=.false.)
call device_memcpy(w%x, w%x_d, w%dof%size(), &
host_to_device, sync=.false.)
end if
end subroutine set_velocity

The code above is used to set the fluid initial condition, by specifying the values of fields u,v,w (and p) at all points in the domain. Notice that we have divided the above code into two parts.

In the first part, we set the velocity components u=-y*pi*, v=x*pi*, and w=0, which updates the velocity field arrays u%x, v%x, w%x allocated on the host (CPU). If we were to run on GPUs, these lines of code would only act on the velocity arrays on the host (CPU), leaving the device (GPU) arrays untouched.

We take care of this in the second part, for all three velocity arrays. To update the device (GPU) arrays, we use device_memcpy to copy the data contained in a host (CPU) array to a device (GPU) array. Looking at the details of the device_memcpy calls, we note the following:

  • Device arrays are refered to by appending the suffix _d to the host array variable name (e.g. u%x and u%x_d). This is the standard in Neko.
  • We specify the direction of the data movement with the flag HOST_TO_DEVICE. Other flags can also be used to move data from device to host (DEVICE_TO_HOST) or device to device (DEVICE_TO_DEVICE). See the accelerators page for more details on this.
  • The sync argument is a non-optional argument which dictates wether or not to perform the data transfer synchronously.
Attention
Use asynchronous data transfers at your own risk! If you are unsure, use sync = .true. as a starting point.

Finally, observe that we use the flag NEKO_BCKND_DEVICE to check if we are indeed running on GPUs. In that case, NEKO_BCKND_DEVICE would be equal to 1.

Registries

Neko uses the concept of registry as a practical way to retrieve fields and point zones anywhere in the user file.

The field registry neko_field_registry is often used in user functions where certain fields are not directly accessible as arguments. One can retrieve any field in the registry by its name with neko_field_registry%get_field(name). Default fields that are added to the registry are u,v,w,p and s if running with the scalar enabled. For a practical example of usage, see the rayleigh benard example

Other fields may be added to the registry by various simulation components. For example:

  • If running with simulation_components.vorticity enabled, the fields omega_x, omega_y, omega_z will be accessible in the registry.
  • If running with simulation_components.lambda2 enabled, the field lambda2 will be accessible in the registry.
Note
You can add your own fields to the registry with neko_field_registry%add_field (see field_registry::field_add).

The point zone registry, neko_point_zone_registry, can be used to retrieve pointers to point_zone_t objects defined in the case file. See using point zones for detailed instructions.