Probing the structure of complex solids using a distributed computing approach—Applications in zeolite science

We demonstrate the viability of distributed computing techniques employing idle desktop computers in investigating complex structural problems in solids. Through the use of a combined Monte Carlo and energy minimisation method, we show how a large parameter space can be effectively scanned. By controlling the generation and running of different configurations through a database engine, we are able to not only analyse the data “on the fly” but also direct the running of jobs and the algorithms for generating further structures.