October 22, 2015

pSeven Runner as a New Licensing Option

Updated on 28.02.2018

pSeven user interface has four separate screens, or interface modes, each of which serves different purposes. These screens represent the four general stages in a typical pSeven usage scenario:

  1. Create a project and prepare required resource files. Depending on the task, these files can include data samples, models, input and output templates for integrated applications, scripts, and other resources. In pSeven, such files are usually gathered into the project to simplify further collaboration, but in general, this is not necessary - that is, files can be stored at different locations. Projects and their contents are managed on the Workspace screen.
  2. Create and configure a workflow that automates data processing and collects results. Workflows are edited on the Edit screen. Workflow configuration is a set of features that allow to add parameters to the workflow and specify what data can be collected (monitored) during its run. Parameter values and monitoring settings can then be changed quickly without editing the workflow.
  3. Specify workflow parameters, select which data to save, and run the workflow. This part of the workflow setup is done on the Run screen. When creating a new workflow, you will usually switch between Edit and Run several times to test how it works, add error handling where needed, fix errors and warnings and so on. However note that once the workflow is tested and configured properly, it can be used as a ready tool for some specific (even if complex) task. The Run screen can also show brief results or status information so they can be accessed fast without analyzing the collected data in detail.
  4. Post-process the data collected from the workflow. Results are managed on the Analyze screen which provides a number of tools for interactive data analysis and visualization. Results analysis can be finalized by saving a report - a special pSeven document that complements a workflow or even consolidates data from multiple workflows, representing it in an easily comprehensible form.

In practice, a disadvantage of this general usage scenario is that the third stage (that is, the final workflow run) can actually take much time. Indeed, if the workflow integrates various CAD and CAE tools, even one simulation run can last several minutes. And since such tasks as optimization or sensitivity analysis commonly require tens (if not hundreds) of simulations, total run-time will be measured in hours. During this time the pSeven process remains active and consumes a license while certain features, like workflow editing or switching to another project, are disabled for safety reasons. You can, however, switch to the Analyze screen while the workflow runs to begin with post-processing, but this option is useful only if you want to monitor new results as they appear.

To help keeping work processes steady, pSeven now offers a new licensing option, the pSeven Runner. Using pSeven Runner does not require a full license: this feature is available as an add-on to any of the pSeven editions and can reduce pSeven usage costs for up to 25% depending on your design practices. pSeven Runner provides a limited environment intended for working with existing projects and preconfigured workflows. It allows managing project contents (for example, adding new source data), running workflows with different parameter settings, and collecting their results.

You can use pSeven Runner as the workflow execution engine and switch to the full version only when you need to make major changes in your workflow or to post-process the collected data. Thus pSeven Runner enables the alternative usage scenario like the following:

  1. Use pSeven full version to create a project, make and test a new workflow.
  2. Use pSeven Runner to add resource data to the project and specify workflow run settings such as parameter values and paths to data or model files. Run the workflow one or more times, allowing pSeven to collect and store results for further analysis. While pSeven Runner executes the workflow, you can continue using the full version of pSeven to work on another project or to analyze data from previous runs.
  3. Use pSeven full version to post-process the data collected by pSeven Runner and prepare a report with final results.

Note that pSeven Runner can also be used as a simplified interface for users with less knowledge of pSeven and those software tools that are integrated into the workflow: effectively it opens workflows in read-only mode, so you can avoid the risk of accidentally changing the workflow structure or corrupting the project.

To summarize, the following table provides a comparison of features available in the pSeven Ultimate edition and in the pSeven Runner add-on.

Feature

Functions

pSeven Ultimate

pSeven Runner

 BASIC FUNCTIONALITY

Platform

Create projects and manage their contents. Edit and configure workflows: add run parameters, workflow inputs and outputs, set up data monitoring.

YES

NO

Runner

Run existing workflows in the graphical user interface or from the command line. Specify different run parameters, adjust monitoring settings. Collect and store workflow results.

YES

YES

Post-processing

Analyze results data with various interactive tools. Visualize results of optimization and other computations.

YES

NO

CORE ALGORITHMS AND RUN-TIME COMPONENTS

Optimization

Optimization problem solver powered by pSeven Core GT Opt. Support for single- and multiobjective problems, including multidisciplinary optimization methods; mixed-integer problems; robust optimization; surrogate-based optimization; intelligent automatic selection of the best optimization algorithm for a given problem.

YES

YES

Approximation (model training and evaluation)

Approximation powered by pSeven Core GT Approx. Model training and evaluation; cross-validation and reference validation; intelligent automatic selection of the best approximation technique based on analyzing the input data.

YES

YES

Approximation model export

Approximation model export to Matlab and C code. Models exported to C can be compiled and used without pSeven.

YES

YES

Design of experiments

Design generation powered by pSeven Core GT DoE. Support for batch and sequential generation methods, adaptive DoE, various classic and modern DoE techniques.

YES

YES

Sensitivity analysis

Feature ranking and output sensitivity analysis powered by pSeven Core GT SDA. Sample-based and simulation-based modes, support for various sensitivity measures and analysis algorithms.

YES

YES

Data fusion

Approximation powered by pSeven Core GT DF. Enables using data samples of different fidelity in model training.

YES

YES

Dimension reduction

Data compression and decompression powered by pSeven Core GT DR. Reduce the complexity of high-dimensional tasks and lower dimension of optimization problems.

YES

YES

Reliability analysis

Estimate the influence of input uncertainties on model outputs, perform simulation studies to analyze model reliability and robustness.

YES

YES

INTEGRATION

CAD & CAE

Direct integration support for various CAD tools including SolidWorks, Siemens NX, PTC Creo, CATIA V5 and more.

YES

YES

Generic

General-purpose components enabling third-party tool integration based on input/output file manipulation.

YES

YES

HPC

HPC cluster integration: automatic job submit, file upload and download, job monitoring. Support for the LSF, TorquePBS and Slurm managers.

YES

YES

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