app_config.xml

Alex
Alex
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Topic 196822

My A8 APU can handle only one app due to hw limitations. But the 'external' gpu can.
This is why I tried to unse a app_config. I want to run one ati wu on the apu and two wu's on the nVidia gpu.


einsteinbinary_BRP4_1.33_windows_intelx86__BRP4cuda32nv301
2

0.50
0.2

I was expecting a change in the behaviour, but that did not happen. Is there anything more to be adjusted?

Horacio
Horacio
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app_config.xml

AFAIK, the name of the app it's not the filename, so you should use

einsteinbinary_BRP4

Which makes me think that it wont help with your goal... unless there is some other tags that can be used to specify to wich devices the settings will be applied...

But, if the filename were also a valid option, then I think you should add the ".exe" extension at the end...

I cant access the BOINC forums/manuals right now (I guess due to the power outage there) so I cant check that right now...

Alex
Alex
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Credit: 503,378,306
RAC: 15,592

RE: AFAIK, the name of the

Quote:

AFAIK, the name of the app it's not the filename, so you should use

einsteinbinary_BRP4

Which makes me think that it wont help with your goal... unless there is some other tags that can be used to specify to wich devices the settings will be applied...


THX for your reply,
yes, the examples here use the file name you specified.
My attemt was to make a decision between the amd and the nvidia app.
Reading your answer I had the idea to check the messages on that pc.
23.02.2013 20:13:09 | Einstein@Home | app einsteinbinary_BRP4_1.33_windows_intelx86__BRP4cuda32nv301 not found in app_config.xml

And it is written in red.
OK, I need to wait until BOINC is online again.

mikey
mikey
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RE: RE: AFAIK, the name

Quote:
Quote:

AFAIK, the name of the app it's not the filename, so you should use

einsteinbinary_BRP4

Which makes me think that it wont help with your goal... unless there is some other tags that can be used to specify to wich devices the settings will be applied...


THX for your reply,
yes, the examples here use the file name you specified.
My attemt was to make a decision between the amd and the nvidia app.
Reading your answer I had the idea to check the messages on that pc.
23.02.2013 20:13:09 | Einstein@Home | app einsteinbinary_BRP4_1.33_windows_intelx86__BRP4cuda32nv301 not found in app_config.xml

And it is written in red.
OK, I need to wait until BOINC is online again.

Under your account, einstein@home preferences you can change it to run 2, or more, units at once:
GPU utilization factor of BRP apps
DANGEROUS! Only touch this if you are absolutely sure of what you are doing!
Wrong setting might even damage your computer! Use solely on your own risk!
Min: 0.0 / Max: 1.0 / Default: 1.0 0.5

You can see mine is set at 0.5 and that is telling my gpu's to run two units at once. I THINK this is the only project that does it this way right now.

Alex
Alex
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Posts: 451
Credit: 503,378,306
RAC: 15,592

Hi mikey, thx, I know

Hi mikey,

thx, I know that. But what I want to do is:
for ATI wu's a setting of 1
for nVidia wu's a setting of 0.5.
The reason is quite simple: my APU is not able to run 2 wu's, my GTX550ti is able to do that. The settings on my account page do not allow to make different settings there.

It is this PC
http://einsteinathome.org/host/4600233

Alex
Alex
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Posts: 451
Credit: 503,378,306
RAC: 15,592

BOINC is online again. The

BOINC is online again.
The wiki gives info about how to use the app_config.
Only project short name is supported, not the app name.

Is there another way to do what I want to do?

Horacio
Horacio
Joined: 3 Oct 11
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RE: BOINC is online

Quote:

BOINC is online again.
The wiki gives info about how to use the app_config.
Only project short name is supported, not the app name.

Is there another way to do what I want to do?

I can think in two ways, one will be to limit the GPU memory (if is possible, this should be an option in the BIOS) on the AMD APU GPU so it wont be able to fit 2 tasks on it, and then set BOINC to run 2 tasks on GPU... this way the Nvidia GPU will be running 2 tasks but the AMD GPU will be effectivelly running just one. If this works, you will see that there is a second GPU task initiated but it will be marked as waiting for GPU memory... Also you should be carefull with the cache size, because BOINC will be thinking that you can crunch faster than you really can and is possible that it will overcommit work for the GPUs...

The otrher way I can think is through a dual BOINC installation, in which on each instance of BOINC you ignore one of the GPUs (and some of the CPU cores)... and then you can set the BRP factor as desired for each instance.
Ive seen a detailed instruction on how to make such dual installation of BOINC, but Im not sure if it was here or on SETI... I was not able to find it doing a quick search here, but "BOINC", "installation", and "instances" seems to be very common words in the forum so may be I was not searching in the right way...

I guess BOINC developers are still thinking that its not common to mix very different GPUs in one host, which is not so accurate since the APUs and Ivy Bridge CPUs...

Alex
Alex
Joined: 1 Mar 05
Posts: 451
Credit: 503,378,306
RAC: 15,592

RE: I can think in two

Quote:


I can think in two ways, one will be to limit the GPU memory (if is possible, this should be an option in the BIOS) on the AMD APU GPU so it wont be able to fit 2 tasks on it, and then set BOINC to run 2 tasks on GPU... this way the Nvidia GPU will be running 2 tasks but the AMD GPU will be effectivelly running just one. If this works, you will see that there is a second GPU task initiated but it will be marked as waiting for GPU memory... Also you should be carefull with the cache size, because BOINC will be thinking that you can crunch faster than you really can and is possible that it will overcommit work for the GPUs...

The otrher way I can think is through a dual BOINC installation, in which on each instance of BOINC you ignore one of the GPUs (and some of the CPU cores)... and then you can set the BRP factor as desired for each instance.
Ive seen a detailed instruction on how to make such dual installation of BOINC, but Im not sure if it was here or on SETI... I was not able to find it doing a quick search here, but "BOINC", "installation", and "instances" seems to be very common words in the forum so may be I was not searching in the right way...

I guess BOINC developers are still thinking that its not common to mix very different GPUs in one host, which is not so accurate since the APUs and Ivy Bridge CPUs...

2 great ideas, I will check at least the first one in the evening; the other one needs more preparation and reading, will delay that one until next weekend.
Regards,

Alexander

Alex
Alex
Joined: 1 Mar 05
Posts: 451
Credit: 503,378,306
RAC: 15,592

Problem solved. New MB

Problem solved. New MB firmware allowes now to assign fixed size of gpu-ram, runs now on both gpu's with 2 tasks.
Horatio, thank you, your hint to manipulate the gpu ram size was helpful!

mikey
mikey
Joined: 22 Jan 05
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RE: RE: BOINC is online

Quote:
Quote:

BOINC is online again.
The wiki gives info about how to use the app_config.
Only project short name is supported, not the app name.

Is there another way to do what I want to do?

The otrher way I can think is through a dual BOINC installation, in which on each instance of BOINC you ignore one of the GPUs (and some of the CPU cores)... and then you can set the BRP factor as desired for each instance.
Ive seen a detailed instruction on how to make such dual installation of BOINC, but Im not sure if it was here or on SETI... I was not able to find it doing a quick search here, but "BOINC", "installation", and "instances" seems to be very common words in the forum so may be I was not searching in the right way...

I guess BOINC developers are still thinking that its not common to mix very different GPUs in one host, which is not so accurate since the APUs and Ivy Bridge CPUs...

A dual Boinc installation is easy IF you remember to use different directories for each installation. One on one hard drive and the other on a different hard drive would be an easy way.

Horacio
Horacio
Joined: 3 Oct 11
Posts: 205
Credit: 80,557,243
RAC: 0

RE: A dual Boinc

Quote:
A dual Boinc installation is easy IF you remember to use different directories for each installation. One on one hard drive and the other on a different hard drive would be an easy way.


Its not on windows, when you install the second instance, the installer will uninstal the previous installation and even if you select a new location for the Boinc Data directory the content of the old location will be migrated to the new one deleting the older...
To install 2 instances of BOINC you need to do a certain set of manual steps, to preserve the first installation and to not have issues with the permissions... not a very difficult thing if you have the step by step instructions but neither trivial.

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