HP Scalable Visualization Array Software - Manual (Page 14)

as model size, and match them to the visualization nodes your application needs to yield the desired
performance and resolution.
Application Support
This section introduces software support for application developers. Chapter 3 contains more information
on the software tools available for application developers.
HP recognizes that a key capability of the SVA is to make it possible for serial applications to run without
extensive recoding. To that end, HP works with both commercial ISVs and the open source community to
ensure solutions are available for the SVA.
Figure 1-3 illustrates the layers of software support and their hierarchical interrelationships that are part of
the SVA. These include:
•
Cluster management software (HP XC) and visualization resource management software (SVA Software
Utilities).
•
Visualization toolkits and libraries.
•
User and third-party visualization applications.
Figure 1-3 also shows the tasks carried out by the SVA Software Utilities (part of the Visualization System
Software (VSS)). These tasks — allocate, launch, initialize, cleanup — are aligned alongside the software
layers they impact.
Figure 1-3 Software Support for Application Development and Use
Visualization
Libraries
(optional)
Applications
X Servers
HP XC Linux
Allocate
Launch
Initialize
Cleanup
SVA
Software
Utilities
OpenGL
Cluster Nodes and Displays
Visualization and graphics toolkits are provided by third party vendors and the open source community. ISV
applications and applications written by end users can run on the SVA, taking full advantage of the various
toolkits and libraries. The SVA uses standards such as OpenGL, Linux, InfiniBand, and Gigabit Ethernet for
portability and interoperability.
To achieve maximum performance scaling when running on the SVA, an application must be parallel and
distributed. There are two main pathways to this state: applications made parallel by design and serial
applications made parallel automatically through middleware libraries or toolkits; for example, Chromium
or other middleware.
OpenGL Applications
If your application is already parallel and distributed, you can use OpenGL directly.
Most visualization applications support OpenGL directly or through graphics toolkits. Autoparallel toolkits
such as Chromium, enable standard OpenGL applications to run on an SVA with increased resolution,
although without the performance advantages of a true parallel application.
14 Introduction