[ADMB Users] ADMB NBMM for R: running ADMB in parallel?

[Tara Crewe]

Good afternoon,

I'm running glmmADMB (0.5-2) with negative binomial and zinegbin distribution on count data in R (version 2.12.2).  Currently I'm using a cluster (www.sharcnet.ca) to submit multiple datasets to be analyzed by the same R program in parallel (i.e., serial farming). 

Other R packages work fine in parallel this way (e.g., glmer), and the code for ADMB works fine on a single dataset.  However, as soon as I submit a second dataset to be analyzed in parallel, ADMB fails with the following error messages:

 Error in dvar_matrix write
Error in glmm.admb(ObservationCount ~ c.year + poly(c.day, 2) + poly(c.hour,  : 
  The function maximizer failed
Calls: glmm.zinb.trnd.admb.yr -> glmm.admb
In addition: Warning messages:
1: In system(cmd2, intern = !verbose) :
  line 1 may be truncated in call to system(, intern = TRUE)
2: In system(cmd2, intern = !verbose) :
  line 1 may be truncated in call to system(, intern = TRUE)
3: In system(cmd2, intern = !verbose) :
  line 1 may be truncated in call to system(, intern = TRUE)
4: In system(cmd2, intern = !verbose) :
  line 1 may be truncated in call to system(, intern = TRUE)
5: running command './nbmm -maxfn 500 ' had status 1 
Execution halted

I searched these error messages online, and haven't found any documentation.  Question is, is it possible to run ADMB in parallel?  I suspect (with my very limited knowledge) that the error may have to do with how temporary files are written/stored by ADMB??  

I haven't attached sample data, because for now I'd simply like to know if parallel processing is possible with ADMB? If so, is there documentation that could help me out?  I am also happy to supply data and R code if it will help.

Thanks so much,

Tara

--
Tara L. Crewe, PhD Candidate

Department of Biology
University of Western Ontario
1151 Richmond Street
London, Ontario, Canada, 
N6A 3K7

Tel: 519-661-2111 x 84646
email: tcrewe2 at uwo.ca
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