Faster

The WarmWorld Module Faster officially started on 01.09.2022 and is coordinated by DKRZ. Its main responsibility is to deliver a first release of ICON-consolidated: a free and open source software implementation of the fully (land, ocean, atmosphere) coupled ICON system refactored to enable its scalable development. Further, Faster will work together with Better to deliver the desired throughput for the model configuration defined in Better: An ICON based coupled model configuration capable of being run with an acceptable simulation quality on km scales (2.5 km global grids or finer) and with a throughput of >0.5 SYPD (simulated years per day) at the start of phase 2 (planned 2026).

The Roadmap

The ambitious goals in Faster will be pursued in four activity groups, which are named for the different phases of a spaceship launch:

  • AG 1: Mission Control
  • AG 2: Ignition
  • AG 3: Lift-off
  • AG 4: Stage Separation

Mission Control will organize and monitor the overall ICON development for WarmWorld and connect to the other modules (and also external projects with similar focus on ICON). Ignition will prepare the short term necessary modifications for the ICON code such that: i) the simulations in Better are possible on current HPC systems; and ii) more generic refactoring of ICON will be enabled. Lift-Off will enlarge the capabilities for simulations in Better by opening ICON for next-generation HPC systems and scalable development. Stage Separation will eventually introduce an ICON version that is able to extend its development to other programming languages, event-driven programming and external model components by using the principle of a modular design.

Project partners: