Periodic Reporting for period 2 - Plasma-PEPSC (Plasma Exascale-Performance Simulations CoE - Pushing flagship plasma simulations codes to tackle exascale-enabled Grand Challenges via performance optimisation and codesign)
Berichtszeitraum: 2024-01-01 bis 2025-06-30
The project's overall vision is to push flagship plasma simulation codes (BIT, GENE, PIConGPU, and Vlasiator) to tackle exascale-enabled grand challenges via performance optimization and co-design.
In more detail, the specific goals of the Plasma-PEPSC project are the following:
1. Objective I: Enable unprecedented plasma simulations and associated extreme-data analytics to address grand challenges in plasma physics that are impossible to solve on current extreme-scale systems and require exascale computing. The four grand challenges that Plasma-PEPSC aims to address are
a. Controlling plasma-material interfaces
b. Optimising magnetically confined plasmas
c. Designing next-generation plasma accelerators
d. Predicting space plasma dynamics in the Earth’s magnetosphere
2. Objective II: This objective requires maximizing the performance of four European plasma codes (BIT, GENE, PIConGPU, Vlasiator) in terms of parallel performance and efficiency on European exascale and pre-exascale systems, building on algorithmic advances (regarding load balancing, data compression, resilience, etc.) as well as on programming model and library developments (Message Passing, accelerator, and data movement APIs and runtimes).
a. Ambition is to reach good parallel efficiency on the EuroHPC exascale systems for the identified exascale challenges.
3. Objective III: Establish and ensure an integrated HPC software engineering approach for deploying, verifying, and validating extreme-scale kinetic plasma simulations that can serve as a community standard.
4. Objective IV: Establish a continuous and integrated co-design methodology for the four plasma codes to provide/receive direct input to/from the design and development of the EPI Processor from SiPearl, the European accelerator (BSC and FORTH as one of the most important developers).
5. Objective V: Enable high-throughput analysis of the extensive simulation result datasets from the four high-fidelity kinetic plasma simulations with optimized and scalable parallel I/O, data compression techniques for kinetic codes, online data analysis building on efficient data streaming, and integrated AI-based data analysis.
In more detail, the specific goals of the Plasma-PEPSC project are the following:
1. Objective I: Enable unprecedented plasma simulations and associated extreme-data analytics to address grand challenges in plasma physics that are impossible to solve on current extreme-scale systems and require exascale computing. The four grand challenges that Plasma-PEPSC aims to address are
a. Controlling plasma-material interfaces
b. Optimising magnetically confined plasmas
c. Designing next-generation plasma accelerators
d. Predicting space plasma dynamics in the Earth’s magnetosphere
2. Objective II: This objective requires maximizing the performance of four European plasma codes (BIT, GENE, PIConGPU, Vlasiator) in terms of parallel performance and efficiency on European exascale and pre-exascale systems, building on algorithmic advances (regarding load balancing, data compression, resilience, etc.) as well as on programming model and library developments (Message Passing, accelerator, and data movement APIs and runtimes).
a. Ambition is to reach good parallel efficiency on the EuroHPC exascale systems for the identified exascale challenges.
3. Objective III: Establish and ensure an integrated HPC software engineering approach for deploying, verifying, and validating extreme-scale kinetic plasma simulations that can serve as a community standard.
4. Objective IV: Establish a continuous and integrated co-design methodology for the four plasma codes to provide/receive direct input to/from the design and development of the EPI Processor from SiPearl, the European accelerator (BSC and FORTH as one of the most important developers).
5. Objective V: Enable high-throughput analysis of the extensive simulation result datasets from the four high-fidelity kinetic plasma simulations with optimized and scalable parallel I/O, data compression techniques for kinetic codes, online data analysis building on efficient data streaming, and integrated AI-based data analysis.
In the project's first year, we identified and detailed the scientific grand challenges and associated use cases. In particular, we defined the figure of merit for each code in order to enable the solution of the challenge. These figures will allow us to monitor the progress of each grand challenge during the project. In addition, we established a performance baseline for parallel scaling, I/O performance, and accelerator usage to compare the new developments in the project. The progress towards this objective is detailed in deliverables D1.1–D1.8. We assessed parallel scalability and efficiency on different EuroHPC systems and clusters available in the consortium to provide an initial baseline for current development. We secured access to all the EuroHPC systems. We identified the necessary steps for enabling algorithmic advancements in the application, including load balancing, data compression, resilience, I/O, and portable programming systems (MPI, Alpaka). This work is detailed in D3.1 D4.1 and D5.1. We ensured that each Plasma-PEPSC developer is committed to following modern software engineering practices, including continuous integration and automated deployment on EuroHPC systems. All Plasma-PEPSC codes are now available as open-source software through various licensing schemes and remote repositories.
During the second reporting period, Plasma-PEPSC delivered twelve deliverables and closed nine milestones, making progress from software readiness to co-design and dissemination. WP1 released the first consolidated set of plasma simulation codes with documentation at M24 and, by M30, provided updated performance assessments and refined scientific challenges for all four flagship applications- BIT1, GENE, PIConGPU, and Vlasiator, capturing both code evolution and scientific priorities. WP2 completed Phase-1 co-design on the European Processor Initiative stack and documented experiences with ARM and RISC-V, then reported initial Phase-2 results on the SiPearl ARM processor and the RISC-V accelerator. WP3 advanced algorithmic and library work across the suite, reporting improvements in MPI features, dynamic load-balancing, and resilience. WP4 progressed with parallel I/O, in-situ workflows, and compression schemes, while WP5 detailed the algorithmic changes and memory optimizations needed to run efficiently on accelerated and heterogeneous nodes. WP6 refreshed the dissemination, training, collaboration, and exploitation plan and documented community-building activities, and WP7 issued an updated Data Management Plan.
During the second reporting period, Plasma-PEPSC delivered twelve deliverables and closed nine milestones, making progress from software readiness to co-design and dissemination. WP1 released the first consolidated set of plasma simulation codes with documentation at M24 and, by M30, provided updated performance assessments and refined scientific challenges for all four flagship applications- BIT1, GENE, PIConGPU, and Vlasiator, capturing both code evolution and scientific priorities. WP2 completed Phase-1 co-design on the European Processor Initiative stack and documented experiences with ARM and RISC-V, then reported initial Phase-2 results on the SiPearl ARM processor and the RISC-V accelerator. WP3 advanced algorithmic and library work across the suite, reporting improvements in MPI features, dynamic load-balancing, and resilience. WP4 progressed with parallel I/O, in-situ workflows, and compression schemes, while WP5 detailed the algorithmic changes and memory optimizations needed to run efficiently on accelerated and heterogeneous nodes. WP6 refreshed the dissemination, training, collaboration, and exploitation plan and documented community-building activities, and WP7 issued an updated Data Management Plan.
Plasma is ubiquitous in nature and its advanced usage in devices impacts different areas of science, technology, society, and economy. In addition, plasma simulations are among the classes of simulations that clearly require exascale performance. We thus expect that the outcomes of our project will be very rapidly widespread in the plasma physics and HPC communities, in line with the ambitions of EuroHPC and with an impact well beyond EuroHPC. Expected impact are:
-Enabling the computational plasma research community to tackle their Grand Challenges on Exascale systems
- Knowledge and expertise on using and deploying extreme-scale plasma simulations for solving grand scientific challenges.
- International expertise and leadership on the use of pre-exascale and exascale systems for plasma simulations.
- Scientific publications from Plasma-PEPSC in these four scientific areas impact the advancement of knowledge in these four fields. We publish peer-reviewed articles in high-impact international conferences and journals, following the guidelines of Open Science. With the work in Plasma-PEPSC, we expect to achieve a high number of citations of our publications, an increase in the number of invited talks, and participation in scientific committees and chairs of academic gatherings, significantly impacting the scientific community.
- Improved collaboration between academia, HPC centers, and industry.
- Demonstration of the usage of pre-exascale and exascale technologies in plasma simulations.
- Promotion of recommendations for the development of the European processor and accelerator
-Enabling the computational plasma research community to tackle their Grand Challenges on Exascale systems
- Knowledge and expertise on using and deploying extreme-scale plasma simulations for solving grand scientific challenges.
- International expertise and leadership on the use of pre-exascale and exascale systems for plasma simulations.
- Scientific publications from Plasma-PEPSC in these four scientific areas impact the advancement of knowledge in these four fields. We publish peer-reviewed articles in high-impact international conferences and journals, following the guidelines of Open Science. With the work in Plasma-PEPSC, we expect to achieve a high number of citations of our publications, an increase in the number of invited talks, and participation in scientific committees and chairs of academic gatherings, significantly impacting the scientific community.
- Improved collaboration between academia, HPC centers, and industry.
- Demonstration of the usage of pre-exascale and exascale technologies in plasma simulations.
- Promotion of recommendations for the development of the European processor and accelerator