Module 5

Restarting an Analysis
Module 5
Restarting an Analysis Training Manual

DYNAMICS 7.0
A. Definition & Purpose

B. Procedure

C. Additional Options

D. About Restart Files

E. Workshop

March 14, 2003

Inventory #001809
5-2
Restarting an Analysis
A. Definition and purpose Training Manual

DYNAMICS 7.0
• Restarts are carried out for several reasons:
– Need to specify additional portions of load time-history
– Analysis intentionally stopped by user (e.g. computer down time)
– Unconverged nonlinear solution
– Analyze alternative load path

Restart unstable Create RST file

analyses from Change mission load history from the restart
stable files (independent
configuration of OUTRES setting)
Load

End load
step here
and start
Restart point new load
history

Displacement Time Time

March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-3
 Restarting an Analysis
… Definition & Purpose Training Manual

DYNAMICS 7.0
• ANSYS has always had the capability to restart from the last
converged solution.

• Additionally, the Multiframe Restart option is available.

• For example, in the load history below restarts could be carried out
from any of the circled points.

• In this seminar we will cover only the Multiframe Restart.

SUBSTEP
.r004
LOAD

RESTART POINTS
.r003
.r005
.r002 .r006
Jobname.r001 .r007
.r008
TIME
March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-4
Restarting an Analysis
… Definition & Purpose Training Manual

DYNAMICS 7.0
Multiframe Restart Traditional restart
• Designed to restart from several • Designed to recover from a single
points in load history abort

• Works from an automatically • Requires ESAV/OSAV, EMAT files

written restart file ( .r001, .r002
etc)
• Database and load history taken
care of automatically
• Requires user to provide the
correct database at the point of
abort
• Also known as a “singleframe”
restart.

March 14, 2003

Inventory #001809
5-5
Restarting an Analysis
… Definition & Purpose Training Manual

DYNAMICS 7.0
• Multiframe restart procedure allows you to restart the analysis from
any of several user-specified load history points.
– User specifies several points for restarts with RESCONTROL (similar to
OUTRES)
– A single restart file (jobname.rnnn) is written at each specified restart
point.
• No need for emat, esav, osav files
– Two new files (jobname.rdb and jobname.ldhi) keep track of the FE
information and load history.
• No need to save DB file at the point of restart

March 14, 2003

Inventory #001809
5-6
Restarting an Analysis
B. Procedure Training Manual

DYNAMICS 7.0
• A typical multiframe restart consists of 3 steps:
– Specify number and frequency of restart points in the initial analysis.
– Identify the point from which analysis is to be restarted.
– Define additional or revised loads and SOLVE.

March 14, 2003

Inventory #001809
5-7
Restarting an Analysis
… Procedure Training Manual

DYNAMICS 7.0
1. Specify restart points
– In the initial analysis, specify the number and frequency of restart points
using Solution Control dialog box or RESCONTROL command.
RESCONTROL,action,load step, frequency,maxnum

March 14, 2003

Inventory #001809
5-8
Restarting an Analysis
… Procedure Training Manual

DYNAMICS 7.0
• Example: RESCONTROL,DEFINE,ALL,3 writes restart files
(jobname.rnnn) every 3rd substep for ALL load steps.

SUBSTEP

RESTART FILE

RESTART FILE
.r003 DUE TO ABORT
.r004
LOAD

.r002
.r005
.r006

Jobname.r001
JOB ABORTED AT THIS
SUBSTEP (unconverged)

TIME
March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-9
Restarting an Analysis
… Procedure Training Manual

DYNAMICS 7.0
• Example: RESCONTROL,DEFINE,ALL,2,2 writes restart files every 2nd
substep for ALL load steps with a maximum of 2 restart files per load
step.
– Provides a way to limit the number of restart files.
– Note that r001 file is at a later time than r002.

SUBSTEP

FINAL RESTART
FILES
.r003
LOAD

INTERMEDIATE
RESTART FILES
.r001 (overwritten)

.r004
.r002
.r003
Jobname.r001 .r004
.r003

TIME
March 14, 2003
Inventory #001809
5-10
Restarting an Analysis
… Procedure Training Manual

DYNAMICS 7.0
• By default, ANSYS writes a restart file at the last substep of the
last load step.

• If a job is aborted either due to non-convergence or by the user

(using jobname.abt file) a restart file is written at the last
converged solution prior to the abort point.

March 14, 2003

Inventory #001809
5-11
Restarting an Analysis
… Procedure Training Manual

DYNAMICS 7.0
2. Identify point from which to restart using the load step and
substep numbers.
– Summary of all available restart files comes up automatically.
– Command: ANTYPE,,RESTART,LOAD STEP, SUB STEP,CONTINUE

ANSYS will automatically

choose the Rxxx file that
corresponds to this load
step/ sub step .

March 14, 2003

Inventory #001809
5-12
Restarting an Analysis
… Procedure Training Manual

DYNAMICS 7.0
What does ANTYPE,,RESTART do?
– Resumes the rdb file
– Reads the ldhi file and gets the correct boundary conditions, time, etc.
corresponding to the restart point
– Resets solution commands and status
– Since ANTYPE,,RESTART resumes a previously saved database (.rdb),
you may need to manually restore any data defined after the .rdb file
was written - parameters (use PARSAV/PARRES), abbreviations, etc.

Note that the .rdb file is written at the end of the first equilibrium
iteration of the first substep of the first load step.

March 14, 2003

Inventory #001809
5-13
Restarting an Analysis
… Procedure Training Manual

DYNAMICS 7.0
3. Specify revised or additional loads and solve

• If restart is due to an unconverged nonlinearity, then take any

corrective actions required for convergence.

• SOLVE ( Solution > Current Load Step - solve) for the new loads
and continue with additional load steps (if any).

March 14, 2003

Inventory #001809
5-14
 Restarting an Analysis
… Procedure Training Manual

DYNAMICS 7.0
R004 thru R007
deleted. New
Restart files
written as per
RESCONTROL
R001 R002 R003 R004 R005 R006 R007
specification

ldhi ldhi ldhi ldhi ldhi ldhi ldhi

rdb rdb rdb rdb rdb rdb rdb
rst rst rst rst rst rst rst

Load history after

Results after r003 R003 deleted.
deleted. New New load history
Restart using r003
results written to from restart
RDB file RST file during added to ldhi file
unaffected restarted analysis

March 14, 2003

Inventory #001809
5-15
Restarting an Analysis
C. Other Restart Options Training Manual

DYNAMICS 7.0
• Option to end current load step with 1 substep
– Load history will be updated to reflect load step end
– Typically useful for modifying the load history in the middle of a load
step

March 14, 2003

Inventory #001809
5-16
 Restarting an Analysis
… Other Restart Options Training Manual

DYNAMICS 7.0
• Option to write out complete results at any restart point(s) to the
RST file
– Can get results not written with OUTRES command
– SOLVE required

R001 R002 R003 R004 R005

rst rst rst rst rst

Writing results using r002

does not affect any Rnnn /
RDB / LDHI files.

March 14, 2003

Inventory #001809
5-17
 Restarting an Analysis
D. About Restart Files Training Manual

DYNAMICS 7.0
• Rnnn file (restart file)
– Written at user specified points along the load history
– Binary file containing element history records (enhanced esav file)
– Written ONLY after a substep has converged
– About the same size as ESAV file
– Has all information necessary to recreate complete results at the
restart point

March 14, 2003

Inventory #001809
5-18
 Restarting an Analysis
… About Restart Files Training Manual

DYNAMICS 7.0
• RDB file
– Has all the required finite element / solid model data.
– Standard ANSYS database file, saved at the end of the first iteration
of the first load step
– resumed upon issue of ANTYPE,,REST,ls,ss,action
– All data (e.g. tabular load parameters, components, etc) should be
defined before the first solve

March 14, 2003

Inventory #001809
5-19
 Restarting an analysis
… About restart files Training Manual

DYNAMICS 7.0
• LDHI (load history) file
– ASCII file (similar to LSWRITE file) containing boundary conditions
and loading for all load steps
– DO NOT modify this file
– Load / BCs are automatically added to this file at each SOLVE
– Tabular loads are saved as %parameter% (rdb file is expected to have
parameter definitions)

March 14, 2003

Inventory #001809
5-20
 Restarting an analysis
E. Workshop Training Manual

DYNAMICS 7.0
• In this workshop, you will continue the transient response exercise
done previously.

• See your Dynamics Workshop supplement for details.

Restarting a Transient Analysis - Bouncing Block, Page W-43

March 14, 2003

Inventory #001809
5-21