Client Errors & sticky files

Bernd Machenschalk
Bernd Machenschalk
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Topic 192983

On Einstein@Home we have "sticky" files, i.e. files that are used for several Tasks and thus stay on the participants machines for quite some time (some of them may be more than a year old).

Our S5R2 App suffers from various Client Errors some of which we could track to come from corrupted files, in particular the ones that are pretty old ("earth" and "sun" ephemeris files). We do some sanity checking of the files in the App, but all it can do if it finds a file being broken is to terminate with a client error.

Therefore we now enabled verify_files_on_app_start. With BOINC Core Client verion 5.6 or newer the Client will check the consistency (length, md5 sum) every time before starting a new task (and should download a file again if it's found to be corrupted).

So people observing mysterious client errors (especially if the first one happens after restarting in the middle of a task and every following task terminates with a client error in the very first seconds) are encouraged to upgrade to a recent Client.

BM

BM

RAMA
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Client Errors & sticky files

"Signature verification failed for einstein_S5R2_4.24_windows_intelx86.exe"
All I changed was the "AuthenticAMD" to "AuthenticABC" in the file so I don't get that 30% penalty running an AMD cpu versus an Intel. What a waste of computing power resources and energy when I loose 1/3 of it. Could you guys maybe fix that from your end since you tight our hands now with this md5 verification?

Bernd Machenschalk
Bernd Machenschalk
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The main reason for the

The main reason for the "penalty" has been eliminated in App version 4.24. Manually patching an App 4.24 or newer should give an effect below 5% in speed. See the old 4.24 thread.

If you think you need to, I suggest to patch the current Beta 4.30 and run it with the app_info.xml of the package on anonymous platform.

BM

BM

benwbrown
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I have 10 machines running

I have 10 machines running full time. All are running XP except one runs Vista. When that machine restarts (Microsoft automatic update or power failure) the current Einstein task fails with a client error, none of the others does. Is this a problem with Vista, or BOINC, or what?

Jord
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RE: Is this a problem with

Message 70499 in response to message 70498

Quote:
Is this a problem with Vista, or BOINC, or what?


A combination, I think. When Vista does its fast shutdown prior to a reboot, it doesn't allow BOINC to write its complete state to disk and so results can go missing or corrupt after the reboot.

See this FAQ for a workaround.

S. Cowell
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Client Error. I have been

Client Error. I have been running Einstein for some time without problems. However, it has recently stopped crediting me with units after completing W.U.'s. The Results page:- http://einsteinathome.org/account/tasks indicates a Client Error.

I am running Boinc 5.2.7 and OS = Win XP.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Disa.

MatthewBChambers
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Hi, I am running Einstein @

Hi,
I am running Einstein @ home on my Vista laptop, BOINC client 5.10.30, and have had my last few Einstein results fail because of client error. Checking the messsages, I found that the "Output file" is "absent".

I had had some similar problem with a variety of BOINC projects so I let the work units I had finish up, installed the latest version (I had been using 5.10.28) and reset each project, hoping that would fix things.

Any ideas?
Thanks
Matt
PS -- I just installed the BOINC FAQ reg entry about preventing too-fast shutdowns, but I don't know yet whether it will make a difference.

12/14/2007 5:54:32 PM||Starting BOINC client version 5.10.30 for windows_intelx86
12/14/2007 5:54:32 PM||log flags: task, file_xfer, sched_ops
12/14/2007 5:54:32 PM||Libraries: libcurl/7.17.1 OpenSSL/0.9.8e zlib/1.2.3
12/14/2007 5:54:32 PM||Data directory: C:\\Program Files\\BOINC
12/14/2007 5:54:32 PM||Processor: 2 AuthenticAMD AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor TK-53 [x86 Family 15 Model 104 Stepping 1]
12/14/2007 5:54:32 PM||Processor features: fpu tsc pae nx sse sse2 pni 3dnow mmx
12/14/2007 5:54:32 PM||OS: Microsoft Windows Vista: Home Edition, (06.00.6000.00)
12/14/2007 5:54:32 PM||Memory: 958.00 MB physical, 2.12 GB virtual
12/14/2007 5:54:32 PM||Disk: 66.42 GB total, 18.81 GB free
12/14/2007 5:54:32 PM||Local time is UTC -8 hours

12/14/2007 5:55:06 PM|Einstein@Home|Computation for task h1_0595.30_S5R2__149_S5R3a_2 finished
12/14/2007 5:55:06 PM|Einstein@Home|Output file h1_0595.30_S5R2__149_S5R3a_2_0 for task h1_0595.30_S5R2__149_S5R3a_2 absent
12/14/2007 5:56:12 PM|Einstein@Home|Sending scheduler request: To fetch work. Requesting 2858 seconds of work, reporting 1 completed tasks
12/14/2007 5:56:16 PM|Einstein@Home|Scheduler request succeeded: got 1 new tasks
12/14/2007 5:56:16 PM|Einstein@Home|Got server request to delete file h1_0595.30_S5R2
12/14/2007 5:56:16 PM|Einstein@Home|Got server request to delete file l1_0595.30_S5R2

KSMarksPsych
KSMarksPsych
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Matt, Try moving the

Matt,

Try moving the entire BOINC directory out of C:\\Program Files\\.

Completely shut down BOINC. Uninstall BOINC. Move the directory to almost anywhere else (I put it right in C:\\ so that it's C:\\BOINC\\). Reinstall BOINC pointing the installer to the new location.

The fast shut down issue can be minimized with the registry hack you read about or by remembering to completely shut down BOINC before shutting down your computer.

Kathryn :o)

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MatthewBChambers
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Hi Kathryn, That seems to

Message 70503 in response to message 70502

Hi Kathryn,

That seems to have worked! Thank you for your help! (I am delayed in responding as I was watching the performance for awhile and looking for errors.)

As I write this, I realize that you have helped me several times before through the general Boinc help site, so thanks *again*.

~~ Matt

Quote:

Matt,

Try moving the entire BOINC directory out of C:\\Program Files\\.

Completely shut down BOINC. Uninstall BOINC. Move the directory to almost anywhere else (I put it right in C:\\ so that it's C:\\BOINC\\). Reinstall BOINC pointing the installer to the new location.

The fast shut down issue can be minimized with the registry hack you read about or by remembering to completely shut down BOINC before shutting down your computer.


KSMarksPsych
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You're very welcome. I'm

You're very welcome. I'm glad it was a simple fix. Vista is full of quirks.

Kathryn :o)

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Kastigir
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I'm getting that "Output file

I'm getting that "Output file is absent" error message. Running Ubuntu Linux 8.04, and BOINC client/manager 5.10.45. SETI was running fine, but since attaching to Einstein, it hasn't run any files.
EDIT: Correction, SETI had run a file, but was showing only 22 seconds of computing, and .24% complete.

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