Simul Parallel File System Test Tool

(Updated: Dec 2009)

The simul test from LLNL consists of an MPI-coordinated set of parallel file system system calls and library functions that are designed to perform file system operations simultaneously from many nodes and processes to test the correctness and coherence of parallel file systems.

Many of the test processes require a setup and/or cleanup phase, e.g. the test of the open system call requires that a file first be created. In such cases, simul takes pains to make the setup and cleanup for each test as low-impact as possible. Normally the setup and cleanup phases are sequential, so setup/cleanup is performed one process at a time, or a single process performs setup and cleanup for a set of processes.

All of the tests that simul performs are numbered. A list of the tests can be displayed by using simul with the -h option.

The only required parameter when running simul is the "-d" option, which is used to tell simul the target directory in which all of the tests should be performed.

Simul Parameters
The simul test parameters are:

-d : (required) The directory in which the tests will run.

-h : Prints a help message

-f : The number of the first test to run (default: 0).


 * Example:
 * simul -d /test/directory -f 13


 * The test run will start with test number 13 and run all of the tests numbered greater than 13.

-l : The number of the last test to run (default: 39).


 * Example:
 * simul -d /test/directory -l 16


 * The test run will start with test number 0, and run all of the tests up to, and including, test 16.


 * Example:
 * simul -d /test/directory -f 5 -l 7


 * Tests 5, 6, and 7 will be run.

-i : A comma-separated list of tests to include.


 * Example:
 * simul -d /test/directory -i 12


 * Test number 12 will be run.


 * Example:
 * simul -d /test/directory -i 2,4,7,38


 * Tests 2, 4, 7, and 38 will be run.

-e : A comma-separated list of tests to exclude.

-s : Run in "single-step" mode. simul will prompt the user to hit a key to continue to the next test.

-n # : Repeat each test # times.

-N # : Repeat the entire set of tests # times.