ComsolGrid - a Framework for Performing Large-scale Parameter Studies Using Comsol Multiphysics and BOINC

BOINC (Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing) is an open-source framework for solving large-scale and complex computational problems by means of public resource computing (PRC). In contrast to massive parallel computing, PRC applications are distributed onto a large number of heterogeneous client computers connected by the Internet where each computer is assigned an individual task that can be solved independently without the need of communication upon the clients. Here, we present a new approach for performing large-scale parameter studies using COMSOL Multiphysics based on the BOINC technology. The only requirement for using these resources is that COMSOL Multiphysics is installed on each machine. Based on our approach we provide a tool and a user interface, respectively that allows the COMSOL Multiphysics user to define a high-level description of the parameter study that needs to be performed. The tool then automatically performs, monitors, and optimizes the complete parameter study using the existing computer resources.