Newer
Older
## What is OpenMP?
OpenMP is an industry standard API of C/C++ and Fortran for shared memory
parallel programming. The [OpenMP](http://openmp.org/) Architecture Review
Board (ARB) consists of major compiler vendors and many research institutions.
Common architectures include shared memory architecture (multiple CPUs sharing
global memory with Uniform Memory Access (UMA) and a typical shared memory
programming model of OpenMP or pthreads), distributed memory architecture (each
CPU has its own memory with Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA) and the typical
Message Passing Interface (MPI), and hybrid architecture (UMA within
one node or socket, NUMA across nodes or sockets, and the typical hybrid
programming model of hybrid MPI/OpenMP). The current architecture trend needs a
hybrid programming model with three levels of parallelism: MPI between nodes or
sockets, shared memory (such as OpenMP) on the nodes/sockets, and increased
vectorization for lower-level loop structures.
OpenMP has three components: compiler directives and clauses, runtime
libraries, and environment variables. The compiler directives are only
interpreted when the OpenMP compiler option is turned on. OpenMP uses the "fork
and join" execution model: the master thread forks new threads at the beginning
of parallel regions, multiple threads share work in parallel; and threads join
at the end of parallel regions.
<img style="float: center;" alt="OpenMP fork and join model" src="./OpenMPforkjoin.png">
In OpenMP, all threads have access to the same shared global memory. Each
thread has access to its own private local memory. Threads synchronize
implicitly by reading and writing shared variables. No explicit communication
is needed between threads.
<img style="float: center;" alt="OpenMP memory model" src="./OpenMPmemorymodel.png">
The thread that executes the implicit parallel region that surrounds
the whole program executes on the host device. OpenMP supports other
devices (e.g., GPUs) besides the host device (i.e., CPUs). On
Perlmutter, GPUs are available to the host device for offloading
code and data. Each device has its own threads that are distinct
from threads that execute on another device, and threads cannot
migrate from one device to another device. For info on how to offload
code and data, please see the
[OpenMP quickstart guide](../../../performance/readiness.md#openmp)
and [HPCSDK OpenMP notes](../../../performance/readiness.md#openmp_1) on the
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
Major features in OpenMP 3.1 include:
* Thread creation with shared and private memory
* Loop parallelism and work sharing constructs
* Dynamic work scheduling
* Explicit and implicit synchronizations
* Simple reductions
* Nested parallelism
* OpenMP tasking
New features in OpenMP 4.0 (released in July 2013) include:
* Device constructs for accelerators
* SIMD constructs for vectorization
* Task groups and dependencies
* Thread affinity control
* User defined reductions
* Cancellation construct
* Initial support for Fortran 2003
* `OMP_DISPLAY_ENV` for all internal variables
New features in OpenMP 4.5 (released in November 2015) include:
* Significantly improved support for devices
* Support for doacross loops
* New taskloop construct
* Reductions for C/C++ arrays
* New hint mechanisms
* Thread affinity support
* Improved support for Fortran 2003
* SIMD extensions
## OpenMP 4.0/4.5 Support in Compilers
* **GNU compiler**
* From gcc/4.9.0 for C/C++ and OpenMP 4.0
* From gcc/4.9.1 for Fortran with OpenMP 4.0
* From gcc/6.0 and most OpenMP 4.5 features
* From gcc/6.1 and full OpenMP 4.5 for C/C++ (not Fortran)
* **Intel compiler**
* From intel/15.0 with most OpenMP 4.0 features
* From intel/16.0 with full OpenMP 4.0
* From intel/16.0 Update 2 and some OpenMP4.5 SIMD features
* **Cray compiler**
* From cce/8.4.0 with full OpenMP 4.0
For more information on compiler support for OpenMP, please see the
[OpenMP compiler support webpage](http://openmp.org/wp/openmp-compilers/).
More details of using OpenMP can be found in the OpenMP training and resources
sections below.
## OpenMP Support in Python
Python users can use OpenMP directly in Python via a new project called
[PyOMP](../../languages/python/parallel-python.md#pyomp).
* [Advanced OpenMP and CESM Case Study](https://www.nersc.gov/assets/Uploads/Advanced-OpenMP-CESM-NUG2016-He.pdf)
by Helen He, March 2016.
* [Nested OpenMP](http://www.nersc.gov/assets/Uploads/Nested-OpenMP-NUG-20151008.pdf)
by Helen He, October 2015.
* [Tutorial: Getting up to Speed on OpenMP 4.0](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL20S5EeApOSshYrRnuY3S3BUw4IY3LYTt)
* [OpenMP Basics and MPI/OpenMP Scaling](http://www.nersc.gov/assets/pubs_presos/hybridMPIOpenMP20150323.pdf)
Helen He. LBNL Computational Sciences Postdocs Training, March 2015.
* Intel OpenMP Training at NERSC ([part 1](http://www.nersc.gov/assets/For-Users/N8/0IntelThreadingIntroduction.pdf),
[part 2](http://www.nersc.gov/assets/For-Users/N8/1IntelThreadingMIC-OpenMP.pdf),
[part 3](http://www.nersc.gov/assets/For-Users/N8/2IntelMultiLevelOpenMP.pdf)
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
by Jeongnim Kim, Intel. March 2015.
* [Explore MPI/OpenMP Scaling on NERSC Systems](http://www.nersc.gov/assets/Training-Materials/NERSC-HybridMpiOpenmpOct2014.pdf)
by Helen He, NERSC Training, October 2014.
* [OpenMP and Vectorization Training](http://www.nersc.gov/assets/Training-Materials/NERSC-VectorTrainingOct2014.pdf)
by Jack Deslippe, Helen He, Harvey Wasserman, Woo-Sun Yang, October 2014.
* [Hybrid MPI/OpenMP Programming](http://www.nersc.gov/assets/Uploads/NUG2013hybridMPIOpenMP2.pdf)
by Helen He, NERSC User Group Training, February 2013.
* [Introduction to OpenMP](http://www.nersc.gov/assets/Uploads/IntroToOpenMP.pdf)
by Matt Cordery, NERSC User Group Training, February 2013.
## Other Useful OpenMP Resources and Tutorials
* [Official OpenMP website](http://www.openmp.org/): OpenMP standards, API
specifications, tutorials, forums, and a lot more other information and
resources.
* [OpenMP Affinity on KNL](http://www.nersc.gov/assets/26-TACC-milfeld-OpenMP-Affinity-on-KNL.pdf)
by Kent Milfield at IXPUG-ISC16 Workshop, June 2016.
* [ANL Training Program on Exascale Computing, August 2015](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGj2a3KTwhRZR9yvRG2f3F7svgYYs2GSa)
* [A "Hands On" Introduction to OpenMP: Part 1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MiXzs0d1eE&list=PLGj2a3KTwhRZR9yvRG2f3F7svgYYs2GSa&index=43)
by Bronis de Supinski, LLNL; Tim Mattson, Intel.
* [A "Hands On" Introduction to OpenMP: Part 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzzFLj9P-hw&list=PLGj2a3KTwhRZR9yvRG2f3F7svgYYs2GSa&index=44)
by Bronis de Supinski, LLNL; Tim Mattson, Intel.
* [A "Hands On" Introduction to OpenMP: Part 3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAJ-JD8eef4&list=PLGj2a3KTwhRZR9yvRG2f3F7svgYYs2GSa&index=45)
by Bronis de Supinski, LLNL; Tim Mattson, Intel.
* UC Berkeley ParLab Boot Camp, 2014
* [Hands-on](http://bebop.cs.berkeley.edu/bootcamp2014/index.html)
* Tim Mattson's (Intel) "[Introduction to OpenMP](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLX-Q6B8xqZ8n8bwjGdzBJ25X2utwnoEG)"
(2013) on Youtube; 27 video segments, 4 hours total. [Intro to OpenMP Slides]
(https://www.openmp.org/wp-content/uploads/Intro_To_OpenMP_Mattson.pdf) and
[Intro to OpenMP exercises](https://www.openmp.org/wp-content/uploads/Mattson_OMP_exercises.zip).
* [LLNL OpenMP Tutorial](https://computing.llnl.gov/tutorials/openMP/)
by Blaise Barney, LLNL.
* UC Berkeley ParLab Boot Camp, 2013
* [Shared Memory Programming with OpenMP - Basics](http://parlab.eecs.berkeley.edu/sites/all/parlab/files/openmp_basics_0.pdf)
by Tim Mattson, Intel.
[Shared Memory Programming with OpenMP Video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn2VAUSw6cI&list=PLYTiwx6hV33s0-gysyoIjTiovkIuzoyMg&index=3).
* [More about OpenMP - New Features](http://parlab.eecs.berkeley.edu/sites/all/parlab/files/openmp_newer_features_0.pdf)
by Tim Mattson, Intel.
[More about OpenMP Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn2VAUSw6cI&list=PLYTiwx6hV33s0-gysyoIjTiovkIuzoyMg&index=3#t=85m20s).
## Tools for OpenMP
Tools for tuning OpenMP codes to get better performance include:
* Use Intel Advisor for Threading Design and Vectorization
* Use Intel Inspector to Detect Threading and Memory Issues
* Use Intel VTune for Performance Tuning
* Use Cray Reveal to Insert OpenMP Directives
There are several [tools](openmp-tools.md) available at NERSC that are useful
for tuning OpenMP codes.