The HyTeG finite-element software framework for scalable multigrid solvers

ABSTRACT

In this article, a new generic higher-order finite-element framework for massively parallel simulations is presented. The modular software architecture is carefully designed to exploit the resources of modern and future supercomputers. Combining an unstructured topology with structured grid refinement facilitates high geometric adaptability and matrix-free multigrid implementations with excellent performance. Different abstraction levels and fully distributed data structures additionally ensure high flexibility, extensibility, and scalability. The software concepts support sophisticated load balancing and flexibly combining finite-element spaces. Example scenarios with coupled systems of partial differential equations show the applicability of the concepts to performing geophysical simulations.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Simulation framework design
• finite elements
• structured refinement
• matrix-free
• scalable parallel solvers
• supercomputing

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was partly supported by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft) through the Priority Programme 1648 ”Software for Exascale Computing” (SPPEXA) and by [grant number WO671/11-1].