In this article we explain how to use OpenIFS 43r3 in a container environment. 

Motivation

Setting up the computing environment (libraries, directory structure, etc) required by OpenIFS can present a challenge when it is necessary to run the model on different hardware infrastructure, for instance during workshops and training events. It is time consuming to install the model or the available libraries on the local system may not be compatible with the model requirements. Many of these issues can be avoided by running a containerized version of the model which allows a self-sufficient code package that can be used in a consistent way on different hardware platforms. The computational overhead of the container environment itself is often outweighed by the local availability and direct access to all required libraries within the container.