HP Scalable Visualization Array Software - Manual (Page 59)

Your site administrator must define multi-tile Display Surfaces using the Display Surface
Configuration Tool. The Display Surface Configuration Tool also can list all the named Display
Surfaces for the cluster. Entering specific Display Surfaces to the script to access the display
resources of the cluster.
Because this example routes the display output to your local desktop, its display device is the
one you use to manipulate any image. Display output simultaneously appears on the display
device in the SVA as determined by the Display Surface you chose when you started the launch
script.
See the SVA System Administration Guide for details on setting up Display Surfaces, display nodes,
and display devices.
6.2.6 Launch Script Template
The SVA Software Kit installs a script template that you can use as a guide to create your own
site-specific script to run ParaView. It is called /opt/sva/bin/sva_paraview.sh. Follow
the procedure described in
Section 6.2.3 . Chapter 5 and the SVA Visualization System Software
Reference Guide describe how to use launch templates to run applications, including the underlying
functions and commands contained in the script.
6.3 Running a Workstation Application Using a Multi-Tile Display
This section describes how to run a serial workstation application on the SVA using Chromium
and DMX.
6.3.1 Assumptions and Goal
This example assumes you have a visualization application that currently runs on a single
workstation. It also assumes that you have not specifically modified it to take advantage of the
parallel features of a cluster.
This example also assumes that your goal is to run the application on the SVA and to take
advantage of the multi-tile capabilities of the cluster.
6.3.2 Chromium Overview and Usage Notes
Chromium creates a way for many programs using the OpenGL standard to take advantage of
cluster technology by automatically distributing OpenGL. Chromium provides a common parallel
graphics programming interface to support clusters such as the SVA. In addition, it enables many
existing applications to display on multiple tiles without modification.
Chromium provides the following features:
• A method for synchronizing parallel graphics commands.
• Streaming graphics pipeline based on the industry standard OpenGL API.
• Support for multiple physical display devices clustered together, such as powerwall displays.
• Support for aggregation of the output of multiple graphics cards to drive a single display
at higher levels of performance and capability.
Chromium is automatically installed and configured on the SVA in several ways of interest to
application developers:
• Autostart is not used.
• CR-Servers and CR Mothership are launched by the SVA launch script. See Section 6.3.7 .
• Tile information is taken from the SVA Configuration Data Files, which eliminates the need
to hard code this information in the Chromium configuration files.
• Chromium uses tilesort and TCP/IP over the SI for DMX and Chromium connections.
• There is a ten second delay between the time that the Mothership and Clients launch. This
adds a brief delay to the startup time.
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