llnl / llnl/Caliper

Synchronizing time across MPI ranks

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Dominant language
C++
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Forks
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1d 12h
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Description

I would like to compare `time.offset` across traces from different MPI ranks. I notice in the [Timestamp section](https://software.llnl.gov/Caliper/services.html#timestamp), it says:

> Note that timestamps are not synchronized between nodes in a distributed-memory program.

Is there some way to work around this? I realize that synchronizing clocks is a hopelessly complicated problem in general, but if I just wanted something like:

```
MPI_Barrier(MPI_COMM_WORLD);
caliper::reset_time();
```

Is there a way to achieve this?

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  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start with the linked Timestamp section and the existing time.offset and caliper::reset_time() entry points. Determine whether an MPI_Barrier-based synchronization mechanism can support comparing timestamps across MPI ranks; done means a documented, usable approach or a clear statement that it is unsupported.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
cpp
Domain
distributed-systems, hpc, performance
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
25/100

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