Re: Interoperability

0 Bradley_Pete x9338 b-000 (bradlepc@pweh.com)
Fri, 12 Jul 1996 08:44:56 -0400

I think Margaret makes a good point that we don't fully understand
what the user's requrements will be. On the other hand, we must
provide for enough capabilities to make MPI-IO attractive to users.

In this environment, we run the same cases (CFD analyses) on DEC Alphas,
Suns (and other big-endian workstations), and Crays. Currently our
users don't have to think about the output file format, as it's the
same on all of them. Since our users are not really computer gurus,
I think requiring knowledge of the file format and/or offline conversion
would be at best unpalatable.

I think we have to provide the capability to transparently read/write a
portable file in order to be viable.

Pete Bradley
Pratt & Whitney