The Modern Engineering Challenge: Data Abundance and AI Integration

In the dynamic landscape of modern engineering, computer-aided engineering (CAE) – the use of computer software to aid in various stages of engineering design and analysis, from creating digital models to running complex simulations and optimizing designs – has become a powerful catalyst for innovation. Backed by the increasing power of high-performance computing (HPC) systems now augmented with artificial intelligence (AI), CAE is not only transforming the industry, but also pushing the boundaries of science itself.

A leader in computational science and artificial intelligence, Altair’s HyperWorks platform offers easy-to-learn, effective workflows that enable CAE from model-based systems design and early geometry creations to detailed multi-physics simulations and optimizations. These solution- and domain-specific workflows span across a growing number of engineering applications including computational fluid dynamics (CFD), concept design optimization, fatigue analysis, and crash and safety.

The design of three-dimensional products often requires highly complex 3D computer-aided design (CAD) models, finite element analysis (FEA) meshes consisting of thousands or millions of elements, high-fidelity simulation of multiple physics, and optimization runs exploring multiple variants of a design. Fueled by the advancements in the fields of AI and machine learning (ML), combined with the increased availability of robust simulation, testing, and field data sets, engineering data science has become a critical component of the modern product development lifecycle.

However, the convergence of these technologies has introduced a significant challenge: users with a superabundance of data but little understanding of how to best utilize it, share it, and save it. Due to the volume and nature of data required, it’s no wonder that product design and engineering historically has found itself behind other industries in terms of AI/ML adoption.

In this solution brief, we’ll cover the synergy between the Altair^® HyperWorks^® platform and Panasas^® data storage solutions powered by PanFS^® to show how these technologies revolutionize engineering processes and turn data challenges into opportunities for innovation and growth.

Altair HyperWorks CFD Solvers and Design Explorer

A dedicated, optimized CFD simulation environment is part of Altair HyperWorks, offering a consistent interface for all the Altair CFD solvers. End-to-end workflows streamline model setup with advanced geometric modeling and editing, extensive physics coverage, as well as automated meshing with light memory footprint. Altair Libraries, along with easy-to-use direct solver execution and post-processing, are included to enable seamless distribution of tasks and collaboration between teams both local and remote.

Using HyperWorks Design Explorer, users can quickly and efficiently evaluate design changes, perform designs of experiments, and run optimizations. Design Explorer enables the integration of AI into the product design process, with a particular focus on how it can help in decision making, reduce human error, and even inspire new inventions. Advanced ML techniques can be used to train exploration-generated data, making the Design Explorer a natural environment for the convergence of simulation and AI.

ML can also be applied to aid in a range of other engineering applications, from faster finite-el-ement model building to optimizing manufacturing processes and obtaining more accurate results from physics-based simulations. From simulation-driven design, AI-powered simulation and generative design to high-performance visualization and reporting of simulations results, Altair HyperWorks provides the best platform to visualize, process, and report data.

Panasas PanFS and ActiveStor Data Storage Solutions

A pioneer in scale-out NAS and parallel file systems, Panasas created PanFS as the first storage system designed with the parallel file system architecture that is the de facto dominant HPC storage architecture to this day. Over 20 years later, PanFS continues to not only deliver exceptionally high but also very consistent performance for workloads that include a wide range of file sizes and access patterns such as CFD simulation and AI/ML training environments, and especially mixed AI-augmented simulation workloads.

PanFS is an integrated portable storage platform that combines a high-performance distributed and clustered parallel file system, volume manager, patented per-file object-based erasure cod-ing to provide up to tens to hundreds of gigabytes per second (GB/s) of data being read and written by CAE applications. PanFS also automates key workflows such as new storage discovery and load balancing to streamline performance, and offers enterprise data services such as reporting, snapshots, and user quota enforcement.

The Panasas storage solution of PanFS running on ActiveStor^® data storage and metadata director nodes, together with the DirectFlow^® client on cluster systems, allows parallel direct access to files stored on Panasas systems. PanFS and ActiveStor allows multiple product designers and engineers to efficiently analyze, store, and share large volumes of data simultaneously within different workflows.

To help designers, engineers, and IT staff better understand how to best utilize, share, and save storage, the PanFS software suite includes Pan-View™ for holistic data analytics and PanMove™ for scalable data management and protection. PanView provides a clear, consolidated, and customizable vision of your data to help reduce storage costs and time. PanMove is an easy-to-use yet comprehensive data mobility, backup, archiving, and retrieval tool for use between local and remote HPC data centers, at the edge, and with private and public clouds.

As the standard for HPC storage, PanFS and ActiveStor continue to be instrumental in computer-aided engineering such as designing the latest aircraft, jet engines, racing cars, and consumer goods, as well as climate modeling, energy exploration, and autonomous vehicles. Together with Altair HyperWorks, Panasas PanFS and ActiveStor are delivering ideal solutions for today’s modern CAE and optimized AI-powered designs.

For more details, visit www.altair.com/hyperworks and www.panasas.com/products.

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