Title: SiMon: Simulation Monitor for Computational Astrophysics,
Abstract: Scientific discovery via numerical simulations is important in modern
astrophysics. This relatively new branch of astrophysics has become possible
due to the development of reliable numerical algorithms and the high
performance of modern computing technologies. These enable the analysis of
large collections of observational data and the acquisition of new data via
simulations at unprecedented accuracy and resolution. Ideally, simulations run
until they reach some pre-determined termination condition, but often other
factors cause extensive numerical approaches to break down at an earlier stage.
In those cases, processes tend to be interrupted due to unexpected events in
the software or the hardware. In those cases, the scientist handles the
interrupt manually, which is time-consuming and prone to errors. We present the
Simulation Monitor (SiMon) to automatize the farming of large and extensive
simulation processes. Our method is light-weight, it fully automates the entire
workflow management, operates concurrently across multiple platforms and can be
installed in user space. Inspired by the process of crop farming, we perceive
each simulation as a crop in the field and running simulation becomes analogous
to growing crops. With the development of SiMon we relax the technical aspects
of simulation management. The initial package was developed for extensive
parameter searchers in numerical simulations, but it turns out to work equally
well for automating the computational processing and reduction of observational
data reduction.