A web-based distributed problem-solving environment for engineering applications

In this study, a prototype of web-based distributed problem-solving environment (W-DPSE) is presented to facilitate computer aided engineering (CAE) technologies. This system provides an effective approach to distributed modeling and simulation, and in addition, to support networked collaboration such that scientists around the world could interactively, visually and experimentally explore their daily design work through the proposed system. The W-DPSE system is constructed as a three-tiered architecture, consisting of three major layers: a web client presentation interface (WCPI), computing solver servers (CSS), and a system management server (SMS). All the components within this architecture are implemented with an object-oriented approach—Java while transparent communication across these three layers is attained through the remote method invocation (RMI) technology. To generalize the applicability of the system so as to accommodate interdisciplinary and diversified applications, a novel and efficient interface is developed for wrapping legacy computation codes, including C and FORTRAN etc., as a Java component. Note that in the interface, the communication mechanisms between Java objects and legacy codes are implemented by way of java native interface (JNI) and Unix inter-process communication (IPC) provided by OS. At last, the applicability of the W-DPSE system is extensively confirmed through the practices of two engineering applications: topology optimization of structures and pollutant transport simulations of coastal waters.