CAREER: Assessment of Open-Source Software for High-Performance Computing

Mississippi State University, Mississippi State MS

Investigators

Abstract

CCR-0132673 CAREER: Assessment of Open-Source Software for High-Performance Computing Edward B. Allen, P.I. ABSTRACT: This project will implement an integrated program of empirical software-engineering research and an exemplar of education in empirical methods for undergraduate and graduate students in software engineering. This will be achieved through research focused on assessing the quality of open-source software for high-performance computing, and through development of relevant courses and teaching modules. High-performance computing is the platform of choice in many fields of science and engineering that are critical to modern society. Off-the-shelf software packages in this category include tools to implement mathematical models, and middleware to manage parallel and distributed computation. The open-source approach of software development is becoming increasingly attractive in this field. Research activities of this program will employ empirical analysis methods to find ways to assess the quality of open-source software for high-performance computing, enabling scientific and engineering users to make better informed choices. Case studies of selected software products will validate the practicality and usefulness of obtaining such quality assessments. Software-engineering education in America is largely lacking instruction in empirical analysis methods. A spectrum of teaching materials targeted toward this need will be developed. Research results and instructional materials will be disseminated through publications and the NSF-sponsored Center for Empirically Based Software Engineering (CeBASE).