A collaborative extensible user environment for simulation and knowledge management

In scientific simulation, scientists use measured data to create numerical models, execute simulations and analyze results from advanced simulators executing on high performance computing platforms. This process usually requires a team of scientists collaborating on data collection, model creation and analysis, and on authorship of publications and data. This paper shows that scientific teams can benefit from a user environment called Akuna that permits subsurface scientists in disparate locations to collaborate on numerical modeling and analysis projects. The Akuna application is built on the Velo software platform that provides a desktop client environment for conducting and analyzing simulations, a knowledge management server for project and data management, annotation, collaboration, job execution, and event-based communication, and a Tool Integration Framework for connecting any type of software application — from desktop tools to simulator codes — into the Velo framework. Akuna is a customized Velo deployment that is tailored for subsurface modeling and is designed to support any type of simulator. Simulator extensibility is achieved by providing a customizable suite of desktop tools for simulator setup and execution that utilize Velo's Tool Integration Framework and are based on data-driven user interface generation. This paper describes the collaborative aspects of the Velo platform, how Velo was customized for Akuna, and Akuna's extensible “toolset” framework that creates a collaborative research environment for subsurface modelers. A use case example is provided, which demonstrates creating and executing a 3D subsurface simulation.