Are you sure that Boinc is NOT running when you add the files to the Einstein folder? If boinc is still running in the background it won't allow changes. Just having the Boinc manager closed (using the red x)won't shut down boinc. If you installed as a "service" then you need to go to "control panel", then "administrative tools", then "services" and see if Boinc is listed and running. If so, then stop the service first.
My initial guess is that on this host for this type of work the new ap makes the host about 17% more productive, or that it takes about 85% as long as before.
...
While the particular amount is in considerable observational doubt, there is no doubt in my mind that the posted 6.05 ap is substantially faster than was the 6.04 on my Conroe-derived Windows XP SP3 hosts. I have three, and all are indicating substantial benefit by preliminary indications.
My thought is around 20% (+/- 2%)... If so, that should significantly close the performance gap compared to Linux which has existed at least since S5R2. S5R1/S5RI tasks were considerably quicker, so it may have been less noticable. Not sure, so I stick with S5R2 as the start point of the performance gap...
I haven't taken the plunge yet. Been busy getting supper and vegetating for a bit...but I'm about to...so we'll see how this plays with AMD :-)
I used the 'polite' .xml, and restarted BOINC.
It came up with a message saying to finish my work, remove the .xml, and restart. I had some 6.04's unstarted in the list.
I just renamed the .xml, and restarted. It just gave me some 6.04's to download.
What is a "polite" xml? You renamed it, to what? It is supposed to be
The app_info.xml that Bernd posted did not work for me... The 6.04 task I was running immediately crashed and then whilst trying to remove the app_info.xml, the rest of the 6.04 work got trashed complaining about missing input files...
So, I'm starting fresh! WOOOOHOOOO!!!!!!
However, the app_info.xml that hopes to continue 6.04 work with the 6.04 executable might need a bit of testing....
I have a pair of mid-course switched results in progress. I prepared an private ap_info.xml which reassigned the work in process from 6.04 to 6.05 before I saw Bernd's comment that this was imprudent.
In about two more hours it should be complete. I'll force reporting. As the quorum partner has already reported, I should be able to supply evidence of validation immediately. Even if it validates, please consider Bernd's position (I figure I might as well complete the unintentional experiment).
OK, the first of my mid-course change results has validated.
Bernd, does this serve to alter your advice? Or do you advise and prefer that people not create mixed-ap results?
I don't have an estimate yet, but it is already clear that the 6.05 ap is faster than 6.04 on my Windows XP SP3 Conroe-type hosts (Q6600 and E6600).
I'm not Bernd, but I think I can answer your question. Bernd seemed to be concerned only by the possibility that the new app may not have been able to read a checkpoint saved by the previous app. Now that you have proved otherwise, I'm confident that Bernd will not be unduly bothered by any results produced by the 6.04/6.05 combination. He even gave a rough suggestion of how to do it the message where he posted the example file.
Encouraged by your unintentional but successful experiment, I too made up my own private app_info.xml which was designed to process any existing tasks and any future tasks with the new 6.05 app. I have converted a couple of P4 SSE2 capable machines and have found also that the checkpoints written by the old 6.04 app can indeed be successfully read by the 6.05 app and processing is continuing normally. Based on your successful validation experience, I expect no problems when my "mixed app" tasks also get to the validation stage. Unfortunately both were only at about the 15% completed stage when the app was switched and it will be quite a while before they actually finish.
Since version 6.05 is for SSE2 and above capable machines, it's very easy to set up a working app_info.xml file. The example app_info.xml file posted by Bernd is specifically for the case of crunching 6.04 with 6.04 and 6.05 with 6.05. It is more complicated than it need be, if you just want to use the 6.05 app to crunch both 6.04 and 6.05 tasks. The reason for the unnecessary complication is the fact that the "switcher" app mechanism to select the appropriate "SSE" or "non-SSE" version of the science app was being used for 6.04 tasks and Bernd has chosen to incorporate that in the example he posted, even although it's not necessary since the 6.05 app will only run on SSE2 and above machines.
So the safest thing to do if you want to start crunching with 6.05 immediately is to use the app_info.xml file from the zip archive and make a small modification to it, exactly as shown below. You just need to open the file in a text editor and enlarge it by a copy and paste of the 13 lines between (and including) the ... tags so that this particular section of the file becomes duplicated as shown in the example below. Once you have duplicated this section, just change the first value from 605 to 604 and leave the newly created second one as 605. The edited 604 value is shown coloured red. Then save your changes. This new app_info.xml file should be used to replace the one in the zip archive. It simply says that the new 6.05 app can be used to crunch any tasks that are currently in your cache of work or any new tasks that are subsequently downloaded.
If you intend to copy and paste the above example into a working app_info.xml, you should start a reply to this message so that the reply window will contain the file showing the proper formatting. You can abandon the reply once you have extracted the formatted code into your editor. You need to extract everything between the opening and closing bbcode [ code ] and [ /code ] tags (but not the tags themselves). You will need to edit out the bbcode color tags.
Please remember that you can only use this new power user app if your host supports SSE2 or above. You should not be attempting to use this app for any host that only supports SSE (or older).
"Now, if you want to be friendly to your wingmen, then you might prefer not to abort WUs in your pipeline.
In this case, you can alternatively:
* stop BOINC
* extract the zip into the sub-dir of BOINC as specified above.
* open app_info.xml that you just downloaded with a text editor, and replace its contents with the text Bernd provided here.
* start BOINC again"
When I restarted BOINC, I got a message saying there was unfinished work, to remove the .xml, to do the work, and then restart BOINC.
I did not remove the .xml, I renamed it by just adding .new, and then restarted BOINC, where it just goes off and downloads the 6.04 programs and more data.
That's what's running now.
Ralph
Quote:
Quote:
I'm unsure what happened.
I used the 'polite' .xml, and restarted BOINC.
It came up with a message saying to finish my work, remove the .xml, and restart. I had some 6.04's unstarted in the list.
I just renamed the .xml, and restarted. It just gave me some 6.04's to download.
What is a "polite" xml? You renamed it, to what? It is supposed to be
For this App to run your CPU must support SSE2 instructions.
Bernd,
Are you intending to build a version for SSE capable hosts and then use the "switcher app" mechanism to determine the host capabilities so that SSE hosts like AMD Athlon XP and Tualatin PIIIs can also enjoy a speedup?
I compared my .xml to the message 89835, and the .xml I downloaded seems to have this information already in it.
I'm not sure how you compared the two but the file I posted is quite different to the file contained in the zip archive - unless someone has rejigged the zip archive since I downloaded it a few hours ago :-).
Quote:
OK, I restarted BIONC yet again, with the original .xml in the zip download, and I am now getting 6.05's.
If you don't have any tasks in your cache that were downloaded when you were using the previous 6.04 version app, then you will be quite OK with the basic app_info.xml file from the zip archive.
Quote:
I have no idea what the difference is, but I think I'm golden now.
The difference is the extra code in the version I posted that allows tasks downloaded when the previous app was running to be crunched with the new app rather than being wasted. Even if you no longer have any such tasks, the version I posted will still work properly.
Nope- I seem to be
)
Nope- I seem to be stuck.
Every time I try to run the new .xml, I get the message to finish current work.
I'll try it. - could take a while.
Are you sure that Boinc is
)
Are you sure that Boinc is NOT running when you add the files to the Einstein folder? If boinc is still running in the background it won't allow changes. Just having the Boinc manager closed (using the red x)won't shut down boinc. If you installed as a "service" then you need to go to "control panel", then "administrative tools", then "services" and see if Boinc is listed and running. If so, then stop the service first.
RE: My initial guess is
)
My thought is around 20% (+/- 2%)... If so, that should significantly close the performance gap compared to Linux which has existed at least since S5R2. S5R1/S5RI tasks were considerably quicker, so it may have been less noticable. Not sure, so I stick with S5R2 as the start point of the performance gap...
I haven't taken the plunge yet. Been busy getting supper and vegetating for a bit...but I'm about to...so we'll see how this plays with AMD :-)
RE: I'm unsure what
)
What is a "polite" xml? You renamed it, to what? It is supposed to be
[pre]
app_info.xml
[/pre]
The app_info.xml that Bernd
)
The app_info.xml that Bernd posted did not work for me... The 6.04 task I was running immediately crashed and then whilst trying to remove the app_info.xml, the rest of the 6.04 work got trashed complaining about missing input files...
So, I'm starting fresh! WOOOOHOOOO!!!!!!
However, the app_info.xml that hopes to continue 6.04 work with the 6.04 executable might need a bit of testing....
RE: RE: I have a pair of
)
I'm not Bernd, but I think I can answer your question. Bernd seemed to be concerned only by the possibility that the new app may not have been able to read a checkpoint saved by the previous app. Now that you have proved otherwise, I'm confident that Bernd will not be unduly bothered by any results produced by the 6.04/6.05 combination. He even gave a rough suggestion of how to do it the message where he posted the example file.
Encouraged by your unintentional but successful experiment, I too made up my own private app_info.xml which was designed to process any existing tasks and any future tasks with the new 6.05 app. I have converted a couple of P4 SSE2 capable machines and have found also that the checkpoints written by the old 6.04 app can indeed be successfully read by the 6.05 app and processing is continuing normally. Based on your successful validation experience, I expect no problems when my "mixed app" tasks also get to the validation stage. Unfortunately both were only at about the 15% completed stage when the app was switched and it will be quite a while before they actually finish.
Since version 6.05 is for SSE2 and above capable machines, it's very easy to set up a working app_info.xml file. The example app_info.xml file posted by Bernd is specifically for the case of crunching 6.04 with 6.04 and 6.05 with 6.05. It is more complicated than it need be, if you just want to use the 6.05 app to crunch both 6.04 and 6.05 tasks. The reason for the unnecessary complication is the fact that the "switcher" app mechanism to select the appropriate "SSE" or "non-SSE" version of the science app was being used for 6.04 tasks and Bernd has chosen to incorporate that in the example he posted, even although it's not necessary since the 6.05 app will only run on SSE2 and above machines.
So the safest thing to do if you want to start crunching with 6.05 immediately is to use the app_info.xml file from the zip archive and make a small modification to it, exactly as shown below. You just need to open the file in a text editor and enlarge it by a copy and paste of the 13 lines between (and including) the ... tags so that this particular section of the file becomes duplicated as shown in the example below. Once you have duplicated this section, just change the first value from 605 to 604 and leave the newly created second one as 605. The edited 604 value is shown coloured red. Then save your changes. This new app_info.xml file should be used to replace the one in the zip archive. It simply says that the new 6.05 app can be used to crunch any tasks that are currently in your cache of work or any new tasks that are subsequently downloaded.
einstein_S5R4
einstein_S5R4_6.05_windows_intelx86.exe
einstein_S5R4_6.05_graphics_windows_intelx86.exe
einstein_S5R4
604
6.3.0
einstein_S5R4_6.05_windows_intelx86.exe
einstein_S5R4_6.05_graphics_windows_intelx86.exe
graphics_app
einstein_S5R4
605
6.3.0
einstein_S5R4_6.05_windows_intelx86.exe
einstein_S5R4_6.05_graphics_windows_intelx86.exe
graphics_app
If you intend to copy and paste the above example into a working app_info.xml, you should start a reply to this message so that the reply window will contain the file showing the proper formatting. You can abandon the reply once you have extracted the formatted code into your editor. You need to extract everything between the opening and closing bbcode [ code ] and [ /code ] tags (but not the tags themselves). You will need to edit out the bbcode color tags.
Please remember that you can only use this new power user app if your host supports SSE2 or above. You should not be attempting to use this app for any host that only supports SSE (or older).
Cheers,
Gary.
I used the instructions from
)
I used the instructions from a previous post:
"Now, if you want to be friendly to your wingmen, then you might prefer not to abort WUs in your pipeline.
In this case, you can alternatively:
* stop BOINC
* extract the zip into the sub-dir of BOINC as specified above.
* open app_info.xml that you just downloaded with a text editor, and replace its contents with the text Bernd provided here.
* start BOINC again"
When I restarted BOINC, I got a message saying there was unfinished work, to remove the .xml, to do the work, and then restart BOINC.
I did not remove the .xml, I renamed it by just adding .new, and then restarted BOINC, where it just goes off and downloads the 6.04 programs and more data.
That's what's running now.
Ralph
RE: A SSE2 App for Windows
)
Bernd,
Are you intending to build a version for SSE capable hosts and then use the "switcher app" mechanism to determine the host capabilities so that SSE hosts like AMD Athlon XP and Tualatin PIIIs can also enjoy a speedup?
If so, any ETA on when this might be available?
Thanks.
Cheers,
Gary.
Hi, I compared my .xml to
)
Hi,
I compared my .xml to the message 89835, and the .xml I downloaded seems to have this information already in it.
I must have missed something.
When I started BOINC, I get the message:
09/10/2008 4:49:47 AM|Einstein@Home|[error] State file error: duplicate app version: einstein_S5R4 windows_x86_64 604
OK, I restarted BIONC yet again, with the original .xml in the zip download, and I am now getting 6.05's.
I have no idea what the difference is, but I think I'm golden now.
Thanks for all the help, guys!
Ralph
RE: I compared my .xml to
)
I'm not sure how you compared the two but the file I posted is quite different to the file contained in the zip archive - unless someone has rejigged the zip archive since I downloaded it a few hours ago :-).
If you don't have any tasks in your cache that were downloaded when you were using the previous 6.04 version app, then you will be quite OK with the basic app_info.xml file from the zip archive.
The difference is the extra code in the version I posted that allows tasks downloaded when the previous app was running to be crunched with the new app rather than being wasted. Even if you no longer have any such tasks, the version I posted will still work properly.
Cheers,
Gary.