CloudSMECloud-based Simulation Platform for Manufacturing and Engineering SMEs

* Simulation software is widely used in manufacturing and engineering today.

* Simulation can be used to analyse a wide range of physical and chemical processes, manufacturing systems, logistics, transportation networks and supply chains.

* Take-up of simulation software by SMEs has been low until now due to high barriers of entry, including:

* hardware prices

* software costs

* time investment to create simulation

* skills and technical expertise

* low awareness of technology

Simulation software at manufacturing and engineering SMEs

* using cloud HPC for running simulation

* new licensing models via cloud

* creating templates for large groups of similar SMEs

* designing automated scenario analysis

* marketing of niche applications with specific benefits

How can you create…

Cloud-based simulation applications that are:*Implemented as a service

*Easy to use

*Can run on different Clouds using different cloud middleware

*Can use HPC

*Easily reconfigurable and interoperable

It’s not simple!

• Funded by the European Commission FP7 programme• July 2013 – December 2015• EUR 4.5 million overall funding• Coordinated by the University of Westminster• 16 initial project partners – including 12 SMEs• 13 new partners (12 SMEs) are joining in January 2015 as result of an Open Call

The CloudSME projectCloud-based Simulation platform for

Manufacturing and Engineering

* The CloudSME project develops a cloud-based, one-stop-shop solution providing a scalable platform for small or larger scale simulations, and enable the wider take-up of simulation technologies in manufacturing and engineering SME’s. 

The CloudSME projectCloud-based Simulation platform for

Manufacturing and Engineering

* CloudSME builds a simulation platform that allows seamless access to multiple heterogeneous cloud resources and provides a high level of abstraction to users when accessing these resources for simulations in a one-stop-shop solution.

* Provides a Platform as a Service (PaaS) solution to build customised cloud applications

* Enables simulation software providers to offer Software as a Service (SaaS) simulation solutions

* Enables SMEs in the manufacturing and engineering domain to access simulation services

* Provides seamless access to HPC resources in order to speed up the simulations on-demand

* Defines generic and concrete business models for SMEs in the manufacturing/engineering sector to facilitate the take-up of cloud-based simulation solutions

The CloudSME partnershipDominated by SMEs at all levels

Cloud infrastructure

providers

Academic and commercial cloudsCommercial: CloudSigma (CH),Academic: SZTAKI (H), UoW (UK) and Unizar (E)

Cloud Platform provider

Provide seamless access to potentially heterogeneous cloud platforms: CloudBroker (CH), Scaletools (CH)

Simulation platforms providers

Utilise PaaS based on their software packages to build custom simulation solutions for end-users – Ascomp (CH), Simul8 (UK), INGECON (E), 2MoRO (F), CMCL (UK), Simsoft (TR), DHCAE (D), Outlandish + TBEL (UK)

End users

Utilise SaaS solution based on the CloudSME Simulation Platform - Podoactiva (E), Saker Solutions (UK), Eurobios (F), Cutting Tools (UK), PROYFE (E), Hobsons (UK), Base Pro + IOR(I), Ozdekan (TR), Gokdokan (TR), ProcEng (CH), GVOL (UK), TBEL (UK)

Gateway provider

Provide customised gateway as the basis for the PaaS solution: MTA-SZTAKI (H)

Develop m

ent of end-use r case s tudies – B

run

el Un

iversi ty (UK

), Uo

W (U

K)

Dissem

in ation an d Marke ting - U

nizar ( E

), S

and

erwerb

un

g (D

)

Project c oordina tion - U

oW

(UK

)

Targeted application areas

*Infrequent smaller scale simulations for very large number of end-users*use of multiplier entities (e.g. consultant companies) and technologies

(e.g. templates)

*although smaller in scale, still computationally intensive, typically parameter sweep

* target group is typically new to simulation

*examples: business process simulation, individualised product design

*Classical HPC applications, e.g. CFD (computational fluid dynamics)* relatively small number of end-users with high computation demand

*many used simulation before

*enable software vendors to extend their product with cloud support

A representative CloudSME business scenario 1

Simulation one-stop shop for microbreweries

*Large breweries are long standing clients of simulation - ~50 large breweries around Europe use simulation

* Application areas: brewing, packing, distribution, supply chain

* In contrast there are approximately 1,350 UK Craft brewers (microbrewers) and an estimated 15,000 across the EU - significant SME manufacturing sector

* Approach:

* develop a simulation template that can be used my multiple microbreweries from a simulation one-stop-shop

* offer on a pay as you go basis as SaaS

Simulation end-users

Specialised one-stop-shop

CloudSMEsimulation platform

IaaS Cloud provider

e. g. Micro-breweries Domain specific marketing channels

saker solutions

CloudSME AppCenter

WS-PGRADE/gUSE

CloudBroker Platform

Customer support for simulation end-users

Customer support for specialised one-stop-shop operator

Charge for simulation

Charge for platform

Charge for resources

Customer support for platform provider

A representative CloudSME business scenario 1

Simulation one-stop shop for microbreweries

A representative CloudSME business scenario 2

Cloud extended simulation software

Simulation software vendor

CloudSMEsimulation platform

IaaS Cloud providers

CloudSME AppCenter

WS-PGRADE/gUSE

CloudBroker Platform

Customer support for simulation software

Customer support for cloud based simulation execution

Charge for platform

Charge for resources

Customer support for platform provider

E.g.

Simulation end-usersE.g.

Cloud-enabled simulation application, e.g.

SW license fee

How is it supported by our technology stack?

The overall architecture

© CloudBroker GmbHAll rights reserved.

How is it supported by our technology stack?

The CloudBroker platform

User ToolsUser Tools

Java Client Library*Java Client Library*

CloudBroker Platform*CloudBroker Platform*

…Cloud

ChemistryAppli-cations

BiologyAppli-cations

PharmaAppli-cations

WebBrowser

UI*

…Appli-cations

REST Web Service API*

End Users, Software Vendors, Resource ProvidersEnd Users, Software Vendors, Resource Providers

CLI*CLI*

EngineeringAppli-

cations

EngineeringAppli-

cations

Euca-lyptusCloud

Open-NebulaCloud*

Open-StackCloud*

AmazonCloud*

CloudSigma Cloud*

WS-PGRADE/gUSE workflowsOrchestration of complex user scenarios

*Each box describes a task

*Each arrow describes information flow such as input files and output files

*Special node describes parameter sweeps