PESTCommander

PESTCommander is an object-oriented Graphical User Interface (GUI) written in Python® that facilitates the management of model files ("file management") and remote launching and termination of slave computers across a distributed network of computers ("run management"). In version 1.0 described here, PESTCommander can access and ascertain resources across traditional Windows local area networks (LANs). Version 1.0 of PESTCommander was developed primarily to work with the parameter estimation software PEST, a widely used parameter estimation code, and the newly developed parameter estimation code PEST++ run in conjunction with the general run manager GENIE.
 

INFORMATION AND DOWNLOADS

Documentation for the code may be viewed here:

Karanovic, M., Muffels, C.T., Tonkin, M.J., and Hunt, R.J., 2012, Approaches in Highly Parameterized Inversion: PESTCommander, A Graphical User Interface for File and Run Management Across Networks. U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods Report, Book 7, Section C8, 9 p.

Supported Computing Platforms and Source Code Compilation

PESTCommander is designed to run on Windows® (XP/7) platforms, and is written entirely in Python®.

COMPLIED PEST++ VERSION 3 EXECUTABLES

PESTCommander executable files are currently available for Windows operating systems. Python will need to be installed, then unzip the archive files and ensure that the files are placed into your path and are accessible from the command line.

PESTCommander (CURRENT) - Windows (32-bit)

The parallel run manager GENIE (Muffels and others, 2012) is currently available for Windows 32-bit systems. There is no installation procedure needed; unzip the archive files and ensure that the executable files are placed into your path and are accessible from the command line.

GENIE (CURRENT) - Windows (32-bit)

SOURCE CODE

A ZIP file that contains all source code for PESTCommander may be downloaded here.

FAQs

See the PESTCommander project for frequently asked questions.

POINTS OF CONTACT

Support is provided for correcting bugs and clarification of how the code is intended to work. Only limited assistance can be provided for applying PESTCommander to specific problems. For comments regarding this site, please contact Randy Hunt.

For support or comments regarding the PESTCommander code, please contact Marinko Karanovic.
 

Software User Rights Notice

The PESTCommander code is designed to provide a foundation for an open-source development environment capable of producing robust and efficient parameter estimation tools for the environmental modeling community into the future. This software, documentation, and example data sets are made freely available by the authors and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to be used in the public interest and in the advancement of science. The performance of PESTCommander has been tested in a variety of applications. Future applications, however, might reveal errors that were not detected in the test simulations. Users are requested to notify the U.S. Geological Survey contact of any errors found in this document or the computer program using the email address available listed above. Updates might occasionally be made to this document and the PESTCommander program; users are encouraged to check the website periodically.