The technical key concept behind GLOFRIM is the Basic Model Interface (BMI).
It was first introduced by [Peckham2013] and constitues the main technical infrastructure for the Community Surface Dynamics Modeling System (CSDMS).
Once a model is bmi'ed, an ensemble of functions is available to retrieve or change information about model properties, variables, time, and many more. See codeDocumentation for a full overview of BMI and GLOFRIM functions.
The most central functions are shown in the following table.
Main functions of the Basic Model Interface.| bmi.initialize() | initializes the model | |
| bmi.get_value() | retrieves value of a mod | el variable from memory |
| bmi.set_value() | overwrites value of a mo | del variable on memory |
| bmi.update() | updates model states a n | umber of timesteps |
| bmi.finalize() | finalizes model processe | s |
A BMI is language-independent; that is, the programming language of the model is no restriction. For instance, LFP is written in C++, PCR and WFL in Python, and CMF as well DFM in Fortran.
To establish a Python-based coupling framework, however, an additional BMI Wrapper is needed to "translate" the model-specific BMI functions into Python-compatible information.
Compared to other model coupling techniques (such as internal or external coupling), using the BMI allows for creating a flexible coupling framework where models can be continiously be developed without affecting the coupling. This is because the BMI is non-invasive, i.e. no changes to the code have to be made.
Since models do only interact via the interfaces, unnecessary entanglement of model code is avoided (as it is by internal coupling). Besides, models are executed simultaneously which is the basis for further extension of model coupling (as it is by external coupling) and any dynamic coupling between states/fluxes of different mdoels can be set up flexibly, depending on study purpose.
Also, all 'bmi'ed' models can still be executed in stand-alone mode.
Compared to 'non-bmi'ed' version of a model, run times of the 'bmi'ed' version are near-identical.