AIAA R-101A-2005

The CFD General Notation System (CGNS) is a standard for recording and recovering computer data associated with the numerical solution of the equations of fluid dynamics. The intent is to facilitate the exchange of CFD data between sites, between applications codes, and across computing platforms, and to stabilize the archiving of CFD data.

The CGNS system consists of a collection of conventions, and software implementing those conventions, for the storage and retrieval of CFD data. It consists of two parts: (1) a standard format for recording the data, and (2) software that reads, writes, and modifies data in that format. The format is a conceptual entity established by the documentation; the software is a physical product supplied to enable developers to access and produce data recorded in that format.

The standard format, or paper convention, part of CGNS consists of two fundamental pieces. The first, known as the Standard Interface Data Structures, is described in this Recommended Practice. It defines the intellectual content of the information to be stored. The second, known as the File Mapping, defines the exact location in a CGNS file where the data is to be stored.