Integrating Gurobi with CGRA-ME

The CGRA-ME framework enables modeling, simulation, and optimization of Coarse-Grained Reconfigurable Arrays (CGRAs) for high-performance applications such as signal processing and machine learning. It provides flexibility in exploring different configurations to balance factors like power consumption, throughput, and scheduling. Gurobi, a powerful mathematical optimization solver, can be integrated with CGRA-ME to solve complex problems like task scheduling and resource allocation.

This guide will walk you through setting up Gurobi within CGRA-ME to optimize CGRA designs, enhancing performance and resource efficiency.

---

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Download and Install CGRA-ME

• Download CGRA-ME from the official site:
  👉 CGRA-ME Download

2. Download Gurobi

• Get the appropriate Gurobi tar file for your operating system:
  👉 Gurobi Downloads
• This guide assumes Ubuntu as the target system.

3. Extract the Gurobi Package

tar -xvf gurobi<version>.tar.gz

4. Obtain a Free Gurobi License

• If you have an institutional email, you can get a Named-User Academic License from Gurobi.
• Note: The license key may expire after one day.

5. Organize Directory Structure

• Make sure CGRA-ME and Gurobi share the same parent directory to ensure smooth setup and integration:

    📂 Parent_Directory/  
         ├── 📂 CGRA-ME/  
         │   ├── src/  
         │   ├── bin/  
         │   ├── examples/  
         │   └── Makefile  
         ├── 📂 gurobi702/  
         │   ├── bin/  
         │   ├── lib/  
         │   ├── doc/  
         │   └── license/  
  

6. Activate Gurobi

Navigate to the bin subdirectory of the extracted Gurobi folder. Run the following command to activate Gurobi with your license key:

./grbgetkey <your-license-key>

7. Configure Environment Variables

Open your .bashrc file and add the following lines to set the Gurobi environment:

export GUROBI_HOME="$HOME/gurobi[your_version]"
export PATH="${PATH}:${GUROBI_HOME}/bin"
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH="${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}:${GUROBI_HOME}/lib"

Replace [your_version] with the specific version of Gurobi you're using. Save and apply the changes:

source ~/.bashrc

8. Compile CGRA-ME with Gurobi

Navigate to the CGRA-ME directory and run:

make

If you encounter an error about Gurobi not found, check and update the paths in .bashrc.

9. (Optional) Using CGRA-ME with Docker

If you are running CGRA-ME inside a Docker container, remember to commit and push your changes to avoid losing them:

docker commit <container_id> <image_name>
docker push <image_name>

🎉 Congratulations!

You have successfully integrated Gurobi with CGRA-ME. You can now take advantage of Gurobi's optimization strength to boost CGRA design efficiency!