Abaqus Tutorial to Restart Simulation

In this tutorial you will learn how an Abaqus simulation can be restarted on the Rescale platform.
You can use this tutorial in distributing your analysis into multiple steps to review the results and continue as needed.
Please contact us if you’re having trouble.

As part of this tutorial, we have split the analysis into two parts:

  1. Step 1: Performing the initial part of the analysis.
    • Input file of the analysis should have *restart command that prepares output files that are used to restart the simulation.
  2. Step 2: Using results from Step 1 to continue the analysis.
    • Clone new job with results obtained from Step 1
    • Modify input file to start analysis from the end-point of Step 1
    • Include Step 1 input file while running Step 2
    • Modify command line to instruct restart with job= and oldjob=

Create a New Job and Specify Input Files

Click the + New Job button at the top-left of the Rescale welcome screen

You can add input files from cloud storage or from your computer.

To Set Fields

  • Edit the job name to one of your choice – in this example, we will use Abaqus Restart Procedure – Step 1.
  • Click:
    • Use files from cloud storage to use a previously uploaded model file
    • Upload from this computer to select a file on your computer or a local network
  • Go to the location of your Input file and select it
  • Click Open/Add Selected Files

On completion, the Input Files setup page should look like that shown below.

Step1_NewJobButton.png
  • Ensure that you have *restart, write command in your input file, this would generate files .mdl, .res and .stt that are used to restart the simulation.

Note: *restart, write is a default option which writes a restart file at the end of each increment. Please refer to Abaqus Documentation if you want to use more options such as interval, frequency, etc.

  • For example, please look at the input file given as part of this tutorial.
** OUTPUT REQUESTS
*restart, write
*Output, field 
*Element Output, rebar, directions=YES 
 S, LE 
*Node output
U,
**
*Output, history, variable=PRESELECT
**
*Print, solve=YES
*END STEP
  • Click Next to move on to the Software Settings page

Software Settings

The next page allows you to select Abaqus software and configure its settings.

  • Select Abaqus from the list of available software – the Analysis and License Options page will open
  • Select a relevant Abaqus Version from the drop-down list
  • In the Command field add the input file name as shown below:
Step1_software_commandline.png
  • Select a relevant License Option:
    • On-demand license
    • Use Existing License
  • Click Next to move on to the Hardware Settings page

Specify Hardware Settings

  • Specify the Number of Cores you want to use, for this tutorial we have used 4.
  • Specify a Maximum Job Duration (Hours), for this case we have set it to under 2 hours.

Review and Submit

The Review page displays a summary of your job setup prior to submission, as shown below.

step1_Review.png

Ensure all of the settings are correct before submitting the job.

Results

The Results page allows you to view the output files and their contents.
The files of particular interest for this tutorial are:

  • process_output.log
  • .sta: the status file confirms the job completed step 1
  • .msg: the message file reports that it wrote a restart file
  • .res: restart file

The process_output.log file is created for every Rescale job, and contains all the terminal output from the command as it is executed.

Clone with the Results from Step 1

  • Go to the Results section of the job. Select all the files, by clicking on the check box.
  • From the drop down menu under Actions select Clone this job with selected files as input files (see below).
step2_clone_with_results.png

Restart Simulation using Cloned Job

  • Once cloned, please ensure that you have .inp, .res, .prt, .mdl, .stt and .odb files from Step 1 as inputs, as these files are important for the restart procedure.

Set Fields

  • Edit the job name to your choice – again in this example we will use Abaqus Restart Procedure – Step 2.
  • Add input file for continuation of the simulation Step 2. Here, as part of the tutorial we have s6mod-step2.inp.

On completion, the Input Files setup page should look like as shown below.

Step2_inputfile2_review.png
  • Make sure the first line in the input file has *RESTART, READ, STEP=1, END STEP. This would ensure that your simulation starts where Step 1 ended.
  • See below:
*HEADING
**Restart of interrupted run
*RESTART, READ, STEP=1, END STEP
**
** STEP: Step-2: Inflate
**
*Step, name=Step-2, nlgeom=YES,Convert Sdi=No
Inflate
*Static
0.025, 1., 1e-05, 1.
** BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
**
*Boundary
RoadRefPt, 3, 3, 7.
**
** LOADS
**
*Dsload
**TireInside, P, 190.
TireInside, P, 240.
**
*print, solve=yes
*END STEP

Software Settings

  • Review the input files and in the Command field, add the input file name from the previous simulation as shown below:

abaqus job=s6mod-step2 oldjob=s6mod

cpus=$RESCALE_CORES_PER_SLOT mp_mode=mpi interactive

  • Here job and oldjob= allows to include the input file for the current and the previous simulations.
    This ensures that you run the current simulation on the same modeling parameters as Step 1.
Step2_commandline_changes.png

Review and Submit

  • Review and Submit the job.
Step2_review_submit.png