Highly optimized simulations on single- and multi-GPU systems of the 3D Ising spin glass model

• Published in: Computer physics communications Vol. 196; pp. 290 - 303
• Main Authors: Lulli, M., Bernaschi, M., Parisi, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.11.2015
• Subjects: Computer simulation; Dynamic tests; Dynamical systems; Dynamics; GPU; Ising model; Lattice; Message passing; Multi-GPU; Multispin coding; Random numbers; Spin glass; Stores; Three dimensional models; Multispin coding; Random numbers; Spin glass; GPU; Lattice; Multi-GPU
• ISSN: 0010-4655; 1879-2944
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cpc.2015.06.019

We present a highly optimized implementation of a Monte Carlo (MC) simulator for the three-dimensional Ising spin-glass model with bimodal disorder, i.e., the 3D Edwards–Anderson model running on CUDA enabled GPUs. Multi-GPU systems exchange data by means of the Message Passing Interface (MPI). The chosen MC dynamics is the classic Metropolis one, which is purely dissipative, since the aim was the study of the critical off-equilibrium relaxation of the system. We focused on the following issues: (i) the implementation of efficient memory access patterns for nearest neighbours in a cubic stencil and for lagged-Fibonacci-like pseudo-Random Numbers Generators (PRNGs); (ii) a novel implementation of the asynchronous multispin-coding Metropolis MC step allowing to store one spin per bit and (iii) a multi-GPU version based on a combination of MPI and CUDA streams. Cubic stencils and PRNGs are two subjects of very general interest because of their widespread use in many simulation codes.