The FlowGrid client allows CFD users to set-up a simulation, submit it, and run it on the grid. It is a Windows-based application, which has been developed from two components: the APUS-CFD interface and the so-called Remote Manager'. The APUS-CFD, used for defining the CFD simulations, perform the pre-processing, mesh partitioning and activating user-code was created by adapting and extending an existing CFD package written in C++. APUS-CFD provides advanced visualisation and solution monitoring tools for the post-processing of the results following execution on the grid.
The Remote Manager, a very thin client used for accessing grid resources and submitting/running the jobs on these resources, was created for the project. This is a stand-alone application, spawned from the APUS-CFD component when a CFD user wants to connect to FlowServe (the FlowGrid middleware) and access grid resources. It provides functionality for resource discovery and job management. The Remote Manager communicates with FlowServe via secure (SSL) SOAP messages. All the authentication is done during the message exchange between the Remote Manager and FlowServe. The data transfer takes place using the HTTPS protocol.
The FlowGrid Client has been used extensively by the industrial users during testing, evaluation and validation of the FlowGrid system