Any Aspen users integrated with oneAPI yet????

[DavidWhite]

Have any Aspen Plus users tried using Aspen Plus with the oneAPI version of the Fortran compiler?

Aspen Tech don't yet support this, but I suspect it is just a matter of adding some extensions to the config and batch files.

If you have managed this integration, would you mind sharing the changes you have made to the config and batch files.

Since I'm setting up a new Aspen Plus installation, and no longer have access to the supported 2019 and earlier versions of Fortran, I can only use oneAPI.

Thanks for any assistance anyone can provide

David

[avinashs]

I have successfully integrated Intel OneAPI Fortran with AspenPlus.  If you are an experienced user, you can manually edit (using say Notepad++) the compilers.cfg file that is in the folder ..\AspenTech\AprSystem VXX.X\Engine\Xeq. Create a new entry and change (1) VS20XX to the correct version as well as IFDir=XXX to the version of Intel OneAPI that you are currently using. In all of the preceding instructions, XXX refers to the version specific information. After saving compilers.cfg,  run the AspenPlus compiler selection utility and the OneAPI compiler will show up as one of the entries (possibly the only one since you have no other Intel compilers), which you can select to enable AspenPlus to complete the compiler settings that it needs internally. I have done this successfully with V10.X and V11.X. I have also done it with V12.X but have been unable to test it due to other issues related to V12.X installation. As a reminder, AspenPlus is now a 64-bit software starting with V11.X, which must be adhered to consistently while linking user-defined modules.

[DavidWhite · Accepted solution]

Just to close this in case someone else is looking in future

Even though the Aspen v12.0 install does not include the config file for the 2021 version of OneAPI Fortran, AspenTech provide an updated version of the config64.cfg file on their support website.

So quick solution is to always check for updates on the Aspen Tech support site.

[avinashs]

The file you want to download from the Aspen support website is Compilers64.cfg. However, this is infrequently updated since AspenTech is usually not checking on oneAPI updates. For example, the new Compilers64.cfg was released only on 10.28.2021, after this thread originated. Hence, the instructions in my previous post should be kept handy if you update the compiler to a different version and need to use it with A+. Further, the same question has been asked in the past by AspenTech users and not all of them have (or are eligible for) customer support accounts (such as university students).

[DavidWhite]

I notice that aspcomp.bat on my machine has the line

set comp_name=ifort.exe

I would expect that needs to be changed to

set comp_name=ifx.exe

for the latest Intel One API compilers

[avinashs]

@DavidWhite AspenPlus is NOT currently compatible with IFX and has been built with IFORT. There is no need to change anything in ASPCOMP.BAT - it works correctly as supplied. You must, of course, have IFORT correctly installed. In other words, if IFORT works correctly on its own with the command line and MSVSC, AspenPlus will also automatically use the version selected through Set Compiler for V14 (or your version of AspenPlus).

Also, if I am not mistaken, IFORT also counts among "latest Intel One API compilers". For me personally, IFX has no benefit over IFORT since I can do everything I need in IFORT.

[DavidWhite]

Houston, we have a problem looming -- the last IFORT download version will be in the next few months.

Thanks for this reminder about Aspen and IFORT.  Since I'm not using Aspen right now, I've switched to IFX.

Good reminder for the OP to check that IFORT is fully functional independent of Aspen.

Thanks  

[lhp1]

Good morning, 

I have been provided a new Compilers64.cfg file by AspenTech Support Center. I have replaced the "default" file by this new file in the corresponding folder  ...\AspenTech\AprSystem VXX.X\Engine\Xeq.  Aspen said the new file is available for everyone to download.

For Aspen Plus V14, the new Copilers64.cfg should be able to work with Visual Studio 2019 with C++ (and community) and Intel fortran 19.3/2021 and above (2023, 2024) (See screenshot attached). However, when I run the "set compiler for Aspen v14", I have ERROR in all possible combinations. The Intel shared libraries appear to be missing (see screenshot attached).

I think I did not install the Intel Fortran properly, but I am not sure how to fix it. I installed the BaseKit and the HPCKit.

Does someone have any advice?

[DavidWhite]

Which version of VS and Fortran compiler do you have installed? Check the version numbers to check which option you need to use. Are you using the default new compiler ifx rather than the older ifort? You may need to change the Aspen compile batch file to use ifx because it probably uses ifort.

[avinashs]

The aspcomp.bat file is located in the folder "C:\Program Files\AspenTech\AprSystem V14.0\Engine\Xeq". You may require administrator access to that folder to modify or replace the file. I am using Aspen V14 and Intel Fortran 2024.1 successfully without any problems.

[lhp1]

Hi @avinashs Thanks for sharing this. Did you have to replace the Compilers64.cfg and the aspcomp.bat in the AspenTech folder installation?

I installed the BaseKit_p_2024.2.1.101 and the HPCKit_p_2024.2.1.80, or did you have to install as well fortran-compiler

[avinashs]

@lhp1  You do not need to replace either ASPCOMP.BAT or COMPILERS64.cfg. AspenPlus will automatically use the version selected through Set Compiler for V14 (or your version of AspenPlus).

You must, of course, have IFORT correctly installed. In other words, if IFORT works correctly on its own with the command line and MSVSC, AspenPlus will correctly use IFORT. From your question, it seems that you are not clear on how to install Intel Fortran. If all you need is Fortran, you can install the standalone version of Intel Fortran and not have to bother with anything else. AspenPlus does not need the full oneAPI kit.

Please refer to https://community.intel.com/t5/Intel-Fortran-Compiler/The-Easy-and-Fast-Way-to-Install-JUST-Fortran-with-Intel-oneAPI/td-p/1360571/jump-to/first-unread-message as a first step and make sure IFORT is correctly working on its own on your PC.

[lhp1]

Thanks @avinashs, I have followed your instructions and installed the classic Fortran compiler. There is however a missing folder when Aspen tries to look for the Intel shared libraries (see picture attached).

[avinashs]

@lhp1  This appears to be a Fortran installation issue because C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Intel\Shared Libraries is a required folder. First, can you run Fortran programs from your version of MSVSC and from the command line? With that important folder missing, I doubt you can run Fortran on your PC. There are two possibilities for a fix but first you have to confirm whether you can run Fortran on its own.

[Steve_Lionel]

As far as I know, the oneAPI install no longer uses the Shared Libraries folder, instead adding to PATH the \latest softlinks from the current install folder. It doesn't remove Shared Libraries from PATH if it's there, unfortunately. It would not astonish me if the Aspen install hasn't been updated for the "2024" oneAPI paths protocol (probably will get changed again in 2025 if history is any prediction.)

[avinashs]

@Steve_Lionel Thanks for the insight. I have that folder on my PCs and the folders have a 5/2024 install date indicating that they were a part of my 2024 IFORT install. Could they have been a part of the "runtime" install? As I understand from the link I shared earlier, we need w_fortran-compiler_p_2024.0.2.27_offline.exe and w_ifort_runtime_p_2024.0.2.49897.exe to be installed? I have needed both to avoid "missing files" errors in running IFORT on its own. Consequently, AspenPlus has had no errors either.

I have been linking AspenPlus and Fortran for ~ 25 years going back to Compaq Visual Fortran 6.6 without errors. CVF 6.6, I must say, was always good "straight-out-of-the-box". IVF needs the user to adjust settings to be compatible in different situations - once completed, it works fine.

[lhp1]

Hi @DavidWhite  thanks for your response. I am using Visual studio community 2022 v17.11.3  and Intel oneAPI Base Toolkit 2024.2 / Intel HPC Toolkit 2024.2. The new Compliers64.cfg file should allow Aspen to work with these versions. 

Do you mean the aspcomp.bat file? How can I check this?

[andrew_4619]

I have no specific aspen experience. Open aspcomp.bat in a text editor eg notepad  have a look for how the "fortran command " is defined I saw an old version that defined "set comp_name=f77.exe" see what comp_name points at and what folders are defined.  You could try posting the bat files as formatted text, I will expect the forum will reject .bat type. 

[Steve_Lionel]

If you have the compiler installed, you should not install the runtime package as that is intended for systems without the compiler where you want to run executables linked with the Intel DLLs. 

I always thought that the use of the Shared Libraries folder was a good idea and was sad to see it abandoned - even worse when the installer failed to remove the old folders from PATH. (This happened after I retired.) It's also unfortunate that Intel never understood that it needed a single way for third-party packages to identify and locate the compiler, changing environment variable names and paths with each major release. This was a constant headache for both users and those of us in support.

[avinashs]

@Steve_Lionel Agree - it is becoming difficult to support all the changes since every version has a new wrinkle. I am sure, the developers in AspenTech are having a tough time keeping up with the changes, given that there are a shrinking number of Fortran developers and users. In regard to the runtime libraries, I refer @Steve_Lionel to the following post by you that helped solve many problems for me related to Fortran and its linkages to AspenPlus etc. Solved: PSA: Update the Runtime Library when you update the compiler! - Intel Community.

This is specifically related to the problems of another user with AspenPlus Fortran issues that I was trying to help which is under "Non compatible version of Fortran libifcore DLL was loaded to process address space" - Intel Community.

[avinashs]

@lhp1  As confirmed by @Steve_Lionel, you do not need the missing folder. But since A+ is complaining about it, please try the following:

1. Install the file w_ifort_runtime_p_2024.0.2.49897.exe, which is found on the same location as the standalone version under Intel® oneAPI standalone component installation files Runtime Versions. Choose the .exe corresponding to your version or the latest one available.

2. If installing the above does not fix the problem, please post the following two lines from the Compilers64.cfg:

IFDir=

VCRVer=

for your version of IFORT and MSVSC. For example, IFDir and VCRVer= under "Begin IVF2024_VS17 "Intel Fortran 2024 and VS 2022 WITH C++ (and community)"