Purpose of this Document
COMSOL Multiphysics is an excellent, state-of-the-art software for the solution of many types of partial differential equations (PDEs), both stationary and time-dependent, by numerical techniques based on the finite element method for the spatial discretization.
This page provides instructions on where to access COMSOL Multiphysics on the UMBC campus, what versions are available, and how to start the software.
Accessing COMSOL Multiphysics at UMBC
DoIT Computer Labs
There are numerous DoIT computer lab locations throughout the campus. Most computers in these labs can be booted under either the Windows or the Linux operating system.
The most efficient way to run COMSOL is to use a lab PC and run it locally.
Versions available under Windows in the DoIT computer labs:
- COMSOL 5.1
Versions available under Linux in the DoIT computer labs: To run the default version, just issue the command comsol at the Linux prompt. For a different version than the default, issue the full command specified in the following using an available past version number.
- COMSOL *versionNumber*/afs/umbc.edu/software/comsol/*versionNumber*/bin/comsol
UMBC High Performance Computing Facility (HPCF)
The maya cluster is accessible to individuals with an account through HPCF. Connecting to maya is done remotely.
Versions Available:
- COMSOL 5.1, Default/afs/umbc.edu/software/comsol/5.1/bin/comsol
- COMSOL 5.0, /afs/umbc.edu/software/comsol/5.0/bin/comsol
- COMSOL 4.4, /afs/umbc.edu/software/comsol/4.4/bin/comsol
- COMSOL 4.3b, /afs/umbc.edu/software/comsol/4.3b/bin/comsol
Running COMSOL
Starting COMSOL under Windows
Under Windows, start COMSOL in the usual way from the Start menu, by expanding the menu on Programs, COMSOL, and then clicking on COMSOL. The complete desktop should come up now.
Starting COMSOL under Linux
Under Linux, you need to get a command window (shell) first (for instance by clicking on the screen icon at the bottom of the screen). Then simply enter comsol at the prompt of the command window to launch the default version of COMSOL. To start a different version, use the full command listed above.
Starting COMSOL Remotely (Under Linux)
Usually, it is most effective and convenient to run COMSOL locally, in particular for interactive work, but there are a number of reasons why you might want to run COMSOL remotely across a network. For instance, your local machine may not have COMSOL installed at all, or your local machine may not have sufficient memory for your task. In these cases, you can consider accessing another computer by remote login and running COMSOL there. This concept is most easily performed under Linux on the remote machine.
Under a Windows machine, X Windows programs can be used for remote access. For a description on running X Windows programs remotely, see that section under the General Productivity portion of the High Performance Computing Facility (HPCF) webpage.
gl systems
On your Linux terminal, type “ssh -X username@gl.umbc.edu”. The -X command is necessary in order to use graphics. Once you are connected to the UMBC server, simply type “comsol” at the command prompt. to launch the default version or use the instructions previously listed to access the version you wish to launch
HPCF – maya
On your Linux terminal, type “ssh -X username@maya.rs.umbc.edu”. The -X command is necessary in order to use graphics. Once you are connected to maya, simply type “comsol” at the command prompt. to launch the default version or use the instructions previously listed to access the version you wish to launch.