pvm_spawn_independent

Arguments

task:

string, which is the executable file name of the PVM process to be started. The executable must already reside on the host on which it is to be started. The name may be a file in the PVM search path or an absolute path. The default PVM search path is $HOME/pvm3/bin/$PVM_ARCH/ .

ntask:

integer, specifying the number of copies of the executable file to start.

where:

string (optional), can be a host name such as ``tequila.ens-lyon.fr'' or a PVM architecture class such as ``SUN4''.

numt:

integer, the actual number of tasks started. Values less than zero indicate a system error.

tids

row of integers, array of the tids of the PVM processes started by this pvm_spawn_independent call.

Description

pvm_spawn_independent starts ntask copies of the executable named task.

On systems that support environment variables, pvm_spawn_independent passes selected variables from parent environment to children tasks. If set, the envar PVM_EXPORT is passed. If PVM_EXPORT contains other names (separated by ':') they will be passed too. This is useful for e.g.:

setenv DISPLAY myworkstation:0.0
setenv MYSTERYVAR 13
setenv PVM_EXPORT DISPLAY:MYSTERYVAR

The hosts on which the PVM processes are started are determined by the where arguments. On return the array tids contains the PVM task identifiers for each process started. If pvm_spawn_independent starts one or more tasks, numt will be the actual number of tasks started. If a system error occurs then numt will be < 0. If numt is les than ntask then some executables have failed to start. The last locations in the tids array will contain error codes (see below for meaning). Note that the first tids in the array are always valid.

When the argument where is omitted an heuristic (round-robin assignment) is used to distribute the ntask processes across the virtual machine.

In the special case where a multiprocessor is specified by where. pvm_spawn_independent will start all copies on this single machine using the vendor's underlying routines.

See Also

• pvm — communications with other applications using Parallel Virutal Machine
• pvm_spawn — Starts new Scilab processes.