RE: Does inter-CPU variability exist in NONMEM??

From: Bob Leary Date: February 17, 2011 technical Source: mail-archive.com
It is fairly common to use the compiler optimization level '-O3 -ffast-math' with gfortran . The 'fast-math' option turns off compliance with the IEEE floating point arithmetic standard in order to get faster floating point computation. While computational speed is increased, it comes at a price - different processors can get different results with fast-math turned on depending on the specifics of the floating point hardware.
Quoted reply history
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Kevin Dykstra Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2011 11:52 AM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: [NMusers] Does inter-CPU variability exist in NONMEM?? Dear Chungam - You are not alone. A few years ago, I ran into a similar problem in comparing results (probably with NONMEM V at that time) from different computers. I was using an identical compiler on each, as well as identical compile settings (this is worth checking in your situation). Even the operating system was the same (Windows XP Professional), as I recall. Still I was getting subtle and not so subtle differences, including convergence vs. non-convergence. The only difference I could identify was, in fact, the machine on which the problem was run. I assumed at the time that the differences were down to small differences in the way each CPU handled floating point calculations (both were Intel, however; one was a laptop, the other a desktop). I also suspect that the model I was working on was not super robust, so that small differences translated into successful or non-successful convergence. Anyway, what you are seeing is not unheard of. Good luck! __________________________________________ Kevin Dykstra, PhD, FCP President/CEO [cid:[email protected]] +1 978.655.1943 (O) +1 978.289.2987 (M) [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> | http://qPharmetra.com __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ This e-mail communication is confidential and is intended only for the individual(s) or entity named above and others who have been specifically authorized to receive it. If you are not the intended recipient, please do not read, copy, use or disclose the contents of this communication to others. Please notify the sender that you have received this e-mail in error by replying to the e-mail or by telephoning 978-655-1943. Please then delete the e-mail and any copies of it. Thank you. From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of ???, Chungam Choi Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2011 10:55 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [NMusers] Does inter-CPU variability exist in NONMEM?? Dear all I'm a newbie in this field practicing NONMEM using a few sets of bioavailabilty data. 2days before, I managed to make a model and got to get some parameters. Though I couldn't sure about it due to my poor background, they(parameters) were quite similar to those in a paper. Anyway, the thing was, the results were not constant in a single NMTRAN file. I've struggled for a few days figuring out what the problem was, but I couldn't get the first result. After I had run the same control file with the same data in another PC, surprisingly, I could find that the parameters were not the same as those from the prior PC. This had AMD X2 250/2G DDR2 DRAM(Samsung)/windows 7 32bit and that had Intel i870/8G DDR3 DRAM(Samsung)/windows vista 32bit. Both had NONMEM 7/gfortran(in NONMEM7 CD). My friend, a developer, said that It didn't look like the problem of the processors but of the compiler. Because I've had fairly good relationship with AMD for long, I want to believe he's right. Is anyone here who 've met a similar problem? _________________________________________________________________
Feb 17, 2011 Chungam Choi 최청암 Does inter-CPU variability exist in NONMEM??
Feb 17, 2011 Kevin Dykstra RE: Does inter-CPU variability exist in NONMEM??
Feb 17, 2011 Michael Fossler RE: Does inter-CPU variability exist in NONMEM??
Feb 17, 2011 Bob Leary RE: Does inter-CPU variability exist in NONMEM??
Feb 17, 2011 Bernd Meibohm RE: Does inter-CPU variability exist in NONMEM??
Feb 17, 2011 Luann Phillips Re: Does inter-CPU variability exist in NONMEM??
Feb 18, 2011 Rik Schoemaker RE: Does inter-CPU variability exist in NONMEM??