Too much work from the server?...

ace_dent
ace_dent
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Topic 187686

Sorry if this has been covered already. It seems that my HT P4 always get around 2x the amount of work it should. When I first signed up, my BOINC settings were to connect ever 6 days. However, my machine downloaded enough work for 12+ days! To prevent expiring units I've set the connect time down to 1day, but today on resetting the project, I got enough work for well over 2 days. I've seen other threads where people aren't getting enough (/any) work- but it seems I have the opposite. This is only really a problem with the short expiry dates... but may be of interest/ use to the CoreTeam?...

Cheers,
Andrew

My host:
http://einsteinathome.org/host/11452

Jim Baize
Jim Baize
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Too much work from the server?...

This is very common in BOINC. I know it has been discussed ad nauseum on the SETI site. You might want to look over there for some more info on this.

Jim

> Sorry if this has been covered already. It seems that my HT P4 always get
> around 2x the amount of work it should. When I first signed up, my BOINC
> settings were to connect ever 6 days. However, my machine downloaded enough
> work for 12+ days! To prevent expiring units I've set the connect time down to
> 1day, but today on resetting the project, I got enough work for well over 2
> days. I've seen other threads where people aren't getting enough (/any) work-
> but it seems I have the opposite. This is only really a problem with the short
> expiry dates... but may be of interest/ use to the CoreTeam?...
>
> Cheers,
> Andrew
>
> My host:
> http://einsteinathome.org/host/11452
>

Jim

John McLeod VII
John McLeod VII
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The connect every x days

The connect every x days triggers at x for a download to 2x. This was by design, but not apparently the expected behavour as it has changed in 4.2x. In 4.2x It will trigger at 1/2x to get more work and request a further 1/2x.

One warning is that at the moment this is per project (at least in 4.2x). So if you are attached to 5 projects, it will ask for that amount of work from each project.

Skip Da Shu
Skip Da Shu
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John or BOINC dev team

John or BOINC dev team member,

Mostly out of curiosity I installed 4.21 on one of my bigger machines and WOW... I really like the new interface and options. Since one of my other machines has been seriously bogged down and behind on E@H w/u not getting done in time, I decided to install it on that one also. After backing up my BOINC directory and installing 4.21, I suspended SETI, Predictor, CPDN and let it ask for Pirates work (none) and run E@H for a day. Got me all caught up w/o impacting any of the other project deadlines.

I must say I'm VERY impressed with these new options as they really helped me out of a corner I'd painted myself into.

I have three questions and one 'bug' report that I don't know where to post.

1) Are there any known issues with 4.21 that should cause me to refrain from installing it on another machine (not behind)?

2) From the File menu there is an option "Select Computer". What is the purpose of this and how do I identify the computer to connect to? ip address?

3) How small of a machine can I put 4.21 on?

4) Lastly, one "lost" feature from 4.19.. clicking on the column headers no longer sorts the disply by those values (I like keeping work tab sorted by report deadline).

Any input appreciated. Thanx, Skip

Astro
Astro
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Skip, V4.22 is now

Skip,

V4.22 is now available, and I'm currently downloading it on one machine. it may contain bug fixes (of some type) found in 4.21

tony

General public Disclaimer, 4.21, and 4.22 are Developmental versions and may do bad things to your puter, if you're not will to risk it, then stick with the "official release" 4.19

Bruce Allen
Bruce Allen
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> John or BOINC dev team

Message 3293 in response to message 3291

> John or BOINC dev team member

Apologies: I don't know the answer to these questions (yet). I haven't had a chance to experiment with the new GUI very much: I'm too busy on the server end.

Bruce

Director, Einstein@Home

ace_dent
ace_dent
Joined: 9 Feb 05
Posts: 2
Credit: 81718
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Thanks for the answers- so it

Thanks for the answers- so it seems to be a 'feature' of BOINC. But still, shouldn't the scheduler / client have seen I was building up a cache of WUs that wouldn't have a chance of completing in time... It's a shame, but IMHO believe that BOINC struggles a little with the whole multi-project element. (I normally just crunch CPDN 24/7). Oh well, guess it's still a work-in-progress.

Cheers,
Andrew

Skip Da Shu
Skip Da Shu
Joined: 18 Jan 05
Posts: 145
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> > John or BOINC dev team

Message 3295 in response to message 3293

> > John or BOINC dev team member
>
> Apologies: I don't know the answer to these questions (yet). I haven't had a
> chance to experiment with the new GUI very much: I'm too busy on the server
> end.
>
> Bruce

Understood. Thanx

Bernd Machenschalk
Bernd Machenschalk
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> John or BOINC dev team

> John or BOINC dev team member,

Just some pieces, as I'm also not able to keep up with the client releases right now:
1) http://einsteinathome.org/node/187659 It may be fixed in 4.21 or 22 - can you try this?
3) what do you mean by the size of a machine? The boinc client itself ("boinc") is small and doesn't need much memory nor CPU performance. The "boincmgr", the GUI frontend that you see, actually doesn't need to be ran at all, or not on the same machine - I think this also answers item 2). Most likely you can write there all that your system can resolve - an IP address, a NetBIOS or WINS name or something resolvable by DNS.
4) This is true. I think it's bound to the wxWidgets library they are now using.

BM

BM

John McLeod VII
John McLeod VII
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Joined: 10 Nov 04
Posts: 547
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> John or BOINC dev team

Message 3297 in response to message 3291

> John or BOINC dev team member,
>
> Mostly out of curiosity I installed 4.21 on one of my bigger machines and
> WOW... I really like the new interface and options. Since one of my other
> machines has been seriously bogged down and behind on E@H w/u not getting done
> in time, I decided to install it on that one also. After backing up my BOINC
> directory and installing 4.21, I suspended SETI, Predictor, CPDN and let it
> ask for Pirates work (none) and run E@H for a day. Got me all caught up w/o
> impacting any of the other project deadlines.
>
> I must say I'm VERY impressed with these new options as they really helped me
> out of a corner I'd painted myself into.
>
> I have three questions and one 'bug' report that I don't know where to post.
>
> 1) Are there any known issues with 4.21 that should cause me to refrain from
> installing it on another machine (not behind)?

4.22 is out. There are still a few bugs, but so far they do not seem to be killers. Of course, you may find the one that has not yet been found, and as always for Alpha code, use at your own risk.
>
> 2) From the File menu there is an option "Select Computer". What is the
> purpose of this and how do I identify the computer to connect to? ip address?
>
You can control multiple computers from one location. You have to set up the target to accept communications from the host that you want to do the controlling. To do this, you need to specify the machines in a remote_hosts.cfg file in the BOINC directory of the computer to be controlled. You must have the ability to access port 1043 on the controlled computer. You may either specify the IP address or the computer name in both places. To use the computer name, you must have a functioning DNS server on your network.

> 3) How small of a machine can I put 4.21 on?
>
BOINC itself doesn't require much, just a dozen or two MB HD and the OS must meet specs. The real requirements come from the projects. I have BOINC running on a P200 with no problem (I retired the P166 when I had the opportunity to upgrade to a p400 for free).

> 4) Lastly, one "lost" feature from 4.19.. clicking on the column headers no
> longer sorts the disply by those values (I like keeping work tab sorted by
> report deadline).

True. (Grumble Grumble). If you are using windows on one machine I would suggest BOINC View as a way to get the column sorting back.
>
> Any input appreciated. Thanx, Skip
>
>
>

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