1566695 : How to run Lumerical on Maxwell

Created: 2026-01-13T09:41:20Z - current status: new

Here’s the anonymized and summarized version of the reported issue, along with a suggested solution:

Summary of Issue

A user is attempting to run Lumerical FDTD simulations on the Maxwell cluster but encounters the error: "The simulation failed to run". The workflow involves: - Using an .lsf script to define structures, monitors, and simulation parameters. - Running simulations via a batch script (unspecified format). - Uncertainty about how to: - Submit the .lsf file directly to the batch system. - Check results post-simulation (GUI or script-based).

The user is using Lumerical 2023 and has configured resources (e.g., MPI settings) as per attached screenshots (details not provided).

Suggested Solution

1. Batch Submission for .lsf Files

  • Lumerical .lsf files are typically used for interactive design (via the GUI) and cannot be directly submitted to the batch system. Instead:
    • Option A: Convert the .lsf script into a standalone .fsp project file (FDTD Solutions project) and submit it via a SLURM batch script (see example below).
    • Option B: Use the .lsf script to generate the .fsp file interactively, then submit the .fsp file to the cluster.

Example SLURM Script (for .fsp files): ```bash #!/bin/bash #SBATCH --partition=short # Adjust based on runtime needs #SBATCH --time=0-02:00 # Max runtime (DD-HH:MM) #SBATCH --job-name=lumerical_fdtd #SBATCH --nodes=1 # Single-node job unset LD_PRELOAD # Required for Maxwell

source /etc/profile.d/modules.sh module load maxwell lumerical/2023 # Load Lumerical 2023

# Number of physical cores per node N=$(( $(nproc) / 2 ))

# Run FDTD engine (adjust paths for Lumerical 2023) /software/lumerical/2023/mpich2/nemesis/bin/mpiexec -ppn $N \ /software/lumerical/2023/bin/fdtd-engine-mpich2nem -t 1 $PWD/simulation.fsp `` - Replacesimulation.fspwith your project file. - Submit via:sbatch script.sh`.

2. Checking Results

  • Post-Simulation:

    • The FDTD engine generates output files (e.g., .fsp, .ldf, .mat) in the working directory.
    • Use the Lumerical GUI (on a login node) to open the .fsp file and visualize results: bash module load maxwell lumerical/2023 fdtd-solutions # Launch GUI
    • For script-based analysis, use Lumerical’s MATLAB/Python APIs or tools like h5py to parse .ldf/.mat files.

  • Debugging Failures:

    • Check SLURM output logs (slurm-<JOBID>.out) for errors.
    • Verify MPI settings (e.g., use_mpich=0 vs. use_mpich=1 in the script).
    • Ensure the .fsp file is compatible with the Lumerical version on Maxwell.

3. Key Notes

  • License: Confirm the license server (zitlic10.desy.de) is accessible (see Using Lumerical on Maxwell).
  • Resource Limits: Adjust --time and --partition in the SLURM script based on simulation size.
  • MPI Performance: For better performance on EPYC nodes, use use_mpich=1 (OpenMPI variant).

References

  1. Lumerical in batch (Maxwell Docs)
  2. Using Lumerical on Maxwell (Maxwell Docs)