There are several scenarios for running Abaqus on NFS-mounted file systems; the impact of using NFS-mounted file systems varies with the method of NFS use. The most common scenarios for running Abaqus on NFS-mounted file systems are as follows:

• Abaqus is installed on a remote file system. The CPU, save directory (see “Job variables,” Section 4.1.11), and scratch directory are local (on the computer where Abaqus will be run).

  In this scenario Abaqus executables and shared libraries are loaded into local memory as they are needed across the network from the file system where Abaqus is installed. Processing and output occur locally. If there is sufficient local memory to prevent frequent paging of the code, network traffic will be relatively light. When local memory is insufficient to prevent paging, performance will suffer and reliability may be impacted.

• Abaqus is installed on a remote file system. The save directory and/or scratch directory is/are not local to the CPU where Abaqus is executed.

  In this scenario program files and data used during execution are written across the network. Potentially large volumes of data will be transferred across the network, and performance may be impacted adversely. Abaqus performance may be extremely slow, and other users of the network may be affected because the network could become saturated. In addition, Abaqus does not trap file errors arising from NFS, so a failure in accessing NFS-mounted files, even temporary, will cause the Abaqus job to fail. The use of Abaqus in this configuration should be avoided whenever possible. If this configuration is required for an Abaqus/Standard job, the user should move the save directory to the NFS-mounted file system before moving the scratch directory.

This configuration is relevant only for Abaqus/CAE and Abaqus/Viewer. In this configuration Abaqus is installed on a remote file system and the CPU, save directory, and scratch directory are located on the same remote computer, which is accessed through remote login. All processing occurs on the remote computer, and only output messages or graphics are exported to the local computer and display. This method is known to cause performance problems. Minor incompatibilities between OpenGL and GLX libraries can introduce significant graphics problems and, in some cases, can prohibit Abaqus/CAE or Abaqus/Viewer from running. The use of Abaqus in this configuration is not supported and should be avoided whenever possible.