Optional: Testing the NetSolve 'sparse_direct_solve' interface

The NetSolve 'sparse_direct_solve' interface to MA28 and SuperLU can only be tested if the user has enabled sparse_direct_solve in the $NETSOLVE_ROOT/server_config file and has configured NetSolve with the respective paths to the SuperLU and MPI libraries. The MA28 library is distributed with NetSolve in $NETSOLVE_ROOT/src/SampleNumericalSoftware/MA28/ as a small modification to the library was necessary to enable its use in NetSolve. The SuperLU library is not included as default numerical software for the server, and must be installed separately (as well as MPI). Refer to the section called Enabling Sparse Direct Solvers (SuperLU and MA28) in Chapter 13 for further details.

This interface can be tested most effectively by using sparse matrices generated from collections such as the Harwell Boeing test collection on the Matrix Market homepage. Refer to the section on the webpage entitled Software, where the test matrices are available in C, Fortran, and Matlab. For ease of testing, several of the test matrices from this collection are included in the distribution of NetSolve.

After Matlab has been invoked, the user can then call the test scripts ma28_test.m and superlu_test.m in the $NETSOLVE_ROOT/src/Testing/matlab/ directory, by typing

>> ma28_test

and

>> superlu_test

These scripts invoke the MA28 and SuperLU interfaces and check the validity of the computed solution.

Alternatively, the user can generate a series of Harwell Boeing matrix types (1-5), using the generate.m script. To see a list of Harwell Boeing matrix types that can be generated, type

>> generate(0);

And then call the functions ma28.m and/or superlu.m by typing

>> [A,rhs] = generate(1); >> [x1] = ma28(A,rhs); >> [x2] = superlu(A,rhs);

Note that the user can query for the list of arguments in the calling sequence to the routine by using the NetSolve tool routine.

>> netsolve('direct_solve_serial')