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Researchers Create A New Programming Environment The work of an international team, the Cactus project is a framework that enables scientists, researchers, and engineers to use several supercomputers at once, in a field called parallel computing. Parallel computing is mostly used for solving complex equations and problems in disciplines like numerical relativity, climate modeling, astrophysics, biological computing and chemical engineering. During its early stages, creators likened the framework to a cactus plant. The central core of the design is the "fleshy" part of the cactus, which connects to the "thorns," or application modules. These thorns essentially create and solve complex scientific or engineering applications—jobs too big for just one supercomputer to complete in a short amount of time. Other thorns from a standard computational toolkit provide a range of computational capabilities. This way, users can have their own, specialized application, or use those "thorns" provided by the Cactus designers, in the toolkit. The central part of the Cactus environment then provides the interface pathway for operation.
"Cactus can also help in applications like the study of black holes, neutron stars and gravitational waves," explains Gabrielle Allen, the Assistant Director for Computing Applications at CCT and one of the founders of the Cactus project.
The Cactus platform is unique in that it caters to its users. It is an open source, modular and portable programming environment. This means that its users do not have to pay to use the program, and they are not restricted by location, programming language or framework architecture in their use of the application. Because Cactus operates on many different architectures, it is more convenient for user operation. Applications can even be developed on home workstations or laptops, and then seamlessly run on supercomputers or clusters. "Several application communities around the world researching such subjects as climate modeling, biological computing and chemical engineering, use Cactus," CCT research associate Tom Goodale relates. "Also, Cactus is used for computing infrastructure projects in grid computing," he says. Cactus facilitates and manages the operations of countless users and compounds their assets in order to meet each user"s needs and goals.The programming environment provides easy access to many cutting edge software technologies being developed in the academic research community. This characteristic of the program has direct economic implications on LSU and the state. The development of new technologies like Cactus, draws industry to Louisiana and encourages new business development, and helps to solidify LSU"s reputation as a leading academic institution. Contact
Jesse Hoggard or Rebecca Pitre| CCT
| LSU
University Relations Related Links LSU CCT |
Most
couldn't imagine how a cactus could be used as an analogy for a
technological phenomenon. However, people all over the world are
connected because of this "cactus." What's a strange-looking
plant have to do with communication or technology? 
The framework was originally developed at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Potsdam, Germany, with many contributions from colleagues around the world, including Washington University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, and the University of Tuebingen. In 2003 much of the Cactus development moved to the frameworks research group at the Center for Computation & Technology, or CCT, at LSU. Researchers in Baton Rouge and Potsdam now work closely together to further enhance and support Cactus.
