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Using Python's Multiprocessing module to execute simultaneous and separate SEAWAT/MODFLOW model runs

Asked 2012-03-26T14:29:07.190
20

I'm trying to complete 100 model runs on my 8-processor 64-bit Windows 7 machine. I'd like to run 7 instances of the model concurrently to decrease my total run time (approx. 9.5 min per model run). I've looked at several threads pertaining to the Multiprocessing module of Python, but am still missing something.

Using the multiprocessing module

How to spawn parallel child processes on a multi-processor system?

Python Multiprocessing queue

My Process:

I have 100 different parameter sets I'd like to run through SEAWAT/MODFLOW to compare the results. I have pre-built the model input files for each model run and stored them in their own directories. What I'd like to be able to do is have 7 models running at a time until all realizations have been completed. There needn't be communication between processes or display of results. So far I have only been able to spawn the models sequentially:

import os,subprocess
import multiprocessing as mp

ws = r'D:\Data\Users\jbellino\Project\stJohnsDeepening\model\xsec_a'
files = []
for f in os.listdir(ws + r'\fieldgen\reals'):
    if f.endswith('.npy'):
        files.append(f)

## def work(cmd):
##     return subprocess.call(cmd, shell=False)

def run(f,def_param=ws):
    real = f.split('_')[2].split('.')[0]
    print 'Realization %s' % real

    mf2k = r'c:\modflow\mf2k.1_19\bin\mf2k.exe '
    mf2k5 = r'c:\modflow\MF2005_1_8\bin\mf2005.exe '
    seawatV4 = r'c:\modflow\swt_v4_00_04\exe\swt_v4.exe '
    seawatV4x64 = r'c:\modflow\swt_v4_00_04\exe\swt_v4x64.exe '

    exe = seawatV4x64
    swt_nam = ws + r'\reals\real%s\ss\ss.nam_swt' % real

    os.sys
python multiprocessing
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1 Answer

18

I don't see any computations in the Python code. If you just need to execute several external programs in parallel it is sufficient to use subprocess to run the programs and threading module to maintain constant number of processes running, but the simplest code is using multiprocessing.Pool:

#!/usr/bin/env python
import os
import multiprocessing as mp

def run(filename_def_param): 
    filename, def_param = filename_def_param # unpack arguments
    ... # call external program on `filename`

def safe_run(*args, **kwargs):
    """Call run(), catch exceptions."""
    try: run(*args, **kwargs)
    except Exception as e:
        print("error: %s run(*%r, **%r)" % (e, args, kwargs))

def main():
    # populate files
    ws = r'D:\Data\Users\jbellino\Project\stJohnsDeepening\model\xsec_a'
    workdir = os.path.join(ws, r'fieldgen\reals')
    files = ((os.path.join(workdir, f), ws)
             for f in os.listdir(workdir) if f.endswith('.npy'))

    # start processes
    pool = mp.Pool() # use all available CPUs
    pool.map(safe_run, files)

if __name__=="__main__":
    mp.freeze_support() # optional if the program is not frozen
    main()

If there are many files then pool.map() could be replaced by for _ in pool.imap_unordered(safe_run, files): pass.

There is also mutiprocessing.dummy.Pool that provides the same interface as multiprocessing.Pool but uses threads instead of processes that might be more appropriate in this case.

You don't need to keep some CPUs free. Just use a command that starts your executables with a low priority (on Linux it is a nice program).

ThreadPoolExecutor example

concurrent.futures.Th

answered 2012-03-26T14:55:34.190

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