Workstation

Hi,

Consider cloud computing if you need a machine for running some scripts once. There is a tutorial on how to use Yade with Amazon EC2 [1].

Cheers,
Karol

[1] https://yade-dem.org/doc/amazonEC2.html?highlight=amazon

Hi,

The fact that you are far away from your workstation doesn't mean that you can't use it. You have at least a couple possibilities to connect to use it remotely:

 1) with SSH (Secure SHell protocol) [1]. Basically, from a computer you have at home (can be linux, macOS or Windows), you open a terminal and type something like "ssh ${username-on-lab-worksation}@${lab-workstation-ip-address}". It logs you onto your lab's workstation user account, giving you access to your lab's workstation through a terminal. To set it up, I'd advice to ask the technical support of your lab (you probably need a VPN to access your lab's network), but you can also find a lot of help with google (keywords: "ssh remote terminal, ssh ${your-os} to linux, ...").

2) with a "remote desktop tool", e.g. x2go [2]. Basically, it opens on your computer at home a window with your lab's workstation Desktop interface, allowing you to use it just like if you were in front of it. Of course, a lot more informations have to be transported between your two computers so it requires a larger network speed than the solution 1). Here again, you should ask the technical support of your lab to help you set it up.

Regarding your original question, the computer you need completely depends on the simulation you want to run. It would be easier for other users to help you if you give us some informations about your simulation, at least:
 - the number of discrete elements you need to model
 - the shape and contact models you are using

Other users who are using the same (or similar) models would then be able to tell you the speed (in terms of DEM iterations/second) they reach on their CPU, for a specific number of discrete elements. If you know approximately how much iterations you need to perform (I guess you do since you already ran your simulation), you would then be able to estimate a computation time for a given CPU (and thus the computer you need).

For instance, "yade -j8 --quickperformance" (4428 spheres with a basic visco-elastic contact model) gave approximately 4766 iterations/second on my computer (AMD Ryzen 7 5800X CPU with 16 GB of RAM). You could buy a ready-to-use computer with this CPU for less than 1000 euros, I think. If you can really go as far as 4500 euros, if I were you I would want a AMD Ryzen Threadripper CPU since they are on top of several benchmarks (e.g. [3]).

I hope you'll manage to rerun your simulation in time !

Sacha

[1]: https://www.ssh.com/academy/ssh
[2]: https://wiki.x2go.org/doku.php/doc:newtox2go
[3]: https://benchmarks.ul.com/compare/best-cpus

Hi Karol,

Thank you for your suggestion, I have been working on it in the past days.
However, I am getting an issue the ssh disconnect after few hours, and I am getting the message "client_loop: send disconnect: Broken pipe", even when I specify the ServerAliveInterval=60000.

Best regards,
Mithu

Thanks Robert Caulk, that solved my question.