Problems on installing FE^2 in windows

[zhan.peng]

Dear FEAP_Admin,

    I am not familiar with how to install FE^2 of FEAP. I have read the manual of FE^2, it said to run FE^2, a MPI library is needed. Then I download an OpenMPI (OpenMPI_v1.6.2-2_win64.exe, from https://www.open-mpi.org/software/ompi/v1.6/), and installed MPI in my computer. The compiler I am using now is (Intel Fortran XE 2013 + Microsoft Visual Studio 2012). I have searched the internet to learn how to build Fortran with MPI library in Microsoft Visual Studio 2012, but i still didn't figure it out. For the makefile in the folder of .ver84 and .fe2, i tries some command, such as ./configure, make, to run the makefile , but it didn't work.

    Can I send me a installing tutorial (like the video FEAP Install Windows 7 with VS2010 and Intel XE Fortran 2011.mp4 tell us how to install FEAP in Windows) of FE^2 in FEAP? Sorry to ask you about this silly question. I have tried, but i still cannot figure it out.

Thanks,
Zhan Peng

[FEAP_Admin]

The parallel parts of FEAP (which includes parfeap and fe^2feap) have only been developed to run on unix-like systems (Linux, Unix, MacOSX).  So, it will be hard for us to tell you what you need to do.  Notwithstanding the basic steps should be something like (a) install an MPI library (MPICH or OPENMPI should both be fine), (b) compile the files in the fe2 folder into a library, (c) build a new executable using main/feap84.f, the main FEAP archive/library, your fe2 library, and the mpi libraries.   This should build you an executable.  Then you will have to run the executable using the mpirun facility that your MPI environment provides for you.

Perhaps someone on the forum has done this under windows and can provide you with more precise steps.

[Prof. S. Govindjee]

I have never compiled MPI programs on Windows but Intel does have a manual that tells you how to do this.  See
https://software.intel.com/en-us/get-started-with-mpi-for-windows

[zhan.peng]

Dear Prof. S. Govindjee and FEAP_Admin,

    Thanks for your kind reply!

    I have read the link provided by Prof. S. Govindjee, the website said that the Intel MPI Library can help run with multiple processors, I haven't tried that, sounds that additional Intel MPI Library should be installed.

    I also tried the suggestions provided by FEAP_Admin,

(a) install an MPI library (MPICH or OPENMPI should both be fine), (b) compile the files in the fe2 folder into a library, (c) build a new executable using main/feap84.f, the main FEAP archive/library, your fe2 library, and the mpi libraries.

I followed the steps by mimicking the tutorial about how to install FEAP in windows. Then I use the command in windows DOS

Code: [Select]

mpiexec -np 2 ...feappath\feap.exeIt popped out 2 windows of FEAP. For the first FEAP window, I input the Iblk3 as the first input file, and ran it, then the FEAP window closed itself. For the second FEAP window, I input the Iblk3.01 as the second input file, and ran it, then the FEAP window closed itself. When I opened the output file of Iblk3, it said:

     T h r e e   D i m e n s i o n a l   S o l i d   E l e m e n t

  *ERROR* Use RVE material only for np > 1

When I opened the output file of Iblk3.01, it said:

feap * * Test on file input for fine scale.                                   

     Solution Commands       Variable 1  Variable 2  Variable 3
       noprint               0.0000E+00  0.0000E+00  0.0000E+00
       print     off         0.0000E+00  0.0000E+00  0.0000E+00

  Inconsistency occurred from PMACIO in data file solve_mpi                                                                                                                       
  at or near record number     5.  Input record is:

    fe2  start sw              ! Compute projection array (sw = isw parameter) 

  If this record is correct error may result from
  missing blank record before new command type.

Looks like I still ran the FEAP with only ONE processor.
Did I succeed installed FE^2 of FEAP in my computer (Windows system)?
Did I use the wrong command of mpiexec?
Did I input the input the wrong input files for the FEAP?
Can you help me figure it out?

Thanks,
Zhan Peng

[FEAP_Admin]

No, I think what you describe is probably a limitation of the parallel parts of FEAP in terms of how it handles windows.  I would suggest not spending time trying to get this to work under Windows.  The parallel parts of FEAP have only been tested under unix-like environments.  You should install something like Cygwin on your computer, add a Linux partition, or find a Mac then and run FE^2 Feap.