work returned but not shown on server

gravywavy
gravywavy
Joined: 22 Jan 05
Posts: 392
Credit: 68962
RAC: 0
Topic 188695

On 22 March my client returned three completed WU. The messages panel in the client shows

Einstein@Home - 2005-03-22 14:51:53 - Finished upload of H1_0500.9__0501.2_0.1_T19_Test02_3_0

and likewise for the other WU, so I think they were returned OK.

Now, more than 24hr later, these results are still shown as not yet returned and have not shown up as pending results. In my results page they still have the date in green, so the server seems to think my client is still working on them. In fact my client is working on other WU now, so I am worried that this work will be shown as timed out when the work was in fact returned.

Was there a server glitch? Did I provoke the loss by detaching a *different* machine from the project? Any other thoughts?

River

~~gravywavy

john.mac
john.mac
Joined: 9 Feb 05
Posts: 85
Credit: 167393
RAC: 0

work returned but not shown on server

Uploading and reporting are two seperate contacts to a specific server.

You could however force a manual update.

with the GUI by right-clicking on the project and select update if I remember well (running a different system).

Your credits won't be lost, the server will be updated some day

You are also downloading a lot of WU's in one period; if possible for you, change you prefs to contact the server more frequently, you get less WU's downloaded.

John,

lgkf
lgkf
Joined: 6 Mar 05
Posts: 72
Credit: 168504
RAC: 0

> On 22 March my client

> On 22 March my client returned three completed WU. The messages panel in the
> client shows
>
> Einstein@Home - 2005-03-22 14:51:53 - Finished upload of
> H1_0500.9__0501.2_0.1_T19_Test02_3_0
>
> and likewise for the other WU, so I think they were returned OK.
>
> Now, more than 24hr later,
what is the time you contact the server?
if once per day - this _may_ still be ok, due to making it 2 days from rounding errors.

it's your new one?
http://einsteinathome.org/host/91564 ?
you can speed up getting at least pending credits by updating your project.

> these results are still shown as not yet returned
> and have not shown up as pending results.
they are returned, but not validated yet, try update.
> In my results page they still have
> the date in green, so the server seems to think my client is still working on
> them. In fact my client is working on other WU now, so I am worried that
> this work will be shown as timed out when the work was in fact returned.
Don't worry, they'll be fetched by regularily (greetings to lysdexia) contacting the server anyway - there still is plenty of time.

gravywavy
gravywavy
Joined: 22 Jan 05
Posts: 392
Credit: 68962
RAC: 0

> You are also downloading a

Message 9216 in response to message 9214


> You are also downloading a lot of WU's in one period; if possible for you,
> change you prefs to contact the server more frequently, you get less WU's
> downloaded.

yes thanks, I'd spotted that. I set it to 3 days cos I knew in advance there would be a three day net outage, expecting to get just 3 days of work, not 8!

Three WU were uploaded all together when the connsection came back, I am feeling I might just have well have turned the machine off anyway.

~~gravywavy

gravywavy
gravywavy
Joined: 22 Jan 05
Posts: 392
Credit: 68962
RAC: 0

> > On 22 March my client

Message 9217 in response to message 9215

> > On 22 March my client returned three completed WU. The messages panel in
> the
> > client shows
> >
> > Einstein@Home - 2005-03-22 14:51:53 - Finished upload of
> > H1_0500.9__0501.2_0.1_T19_Test02_3_0
> > Now, more than 24hr later,
> what is the time you contact the server?

14:51 UTC on 22nd, as logged by the client.
and at 22:00 UTC on 23rd, still no sign on the server.

> if once per day - this _may_ still be ok, due to making it 2 days from
> rounding errors.

don't understand this comment - if it was uploaded on Tuesday, how can it not be visible on the web site on wednesday?

> it's your new one?
>
>
http://einsteinathome.org/host/91564 ?

no, that's a WU delivered from a different machine

> you can speed up getting at least pending credits by updating your project.

not sure if I am missing your point here, or the other way round. How does updating my project affect the delay of over 24hrs from seeing the client upload the result and then looking on the website and still not seeing the result even as 'pending'?

~~gravywavy

Darren
Darren
Joined: 18 Jan 05
Posts: 94
Credit: 69632
RAC: 0

> not sure if I am missing

Message 9218 in response to message 9217

> not sure if I am missing your point here, or the other way round. How does
> updating my project affect the delay of over 24hrs from seeing the client
> upload the result and then looking on the website and still not seeing the
> result even as 'pending'?

The layout is a little more complex, but think of it as simply going to 2 different places. You get and return your data to and from one system, but another system keeps up with what you are given and what you have returned.

When you get assigned a work unit by the assignment server, you then go to the data server to get it. When you return it, you send it directly back to the data server, but the assignment server doesn't know this until you next time you contact it. This will happen automatically when you need more work, or you can do it manually by updating the project.

lgkf
lgkf
Joined: 6 Mar 05
Posts: 72
Credit: 168504
RAC: 0

> > > On 22 March my client

Message 9219 in response to message 9217

> > > On 22 March my client returned three completed WU. The messages
> panel in
> > the
> > > client shows
> > >
> > > Einstein@Home - 2005-03-22 14:51:53 - Finished upload of
> > > H1_0500.9__0501.2_0.1_T19_Test02_3_0
> > > Now, more than 24hr later,
> > what is the time you contact the server?
>
> 14:51 UTC on 22nd, as logged by the client.
> and at 22:00 UTC on 23rd, still no sign on the server.
sorry, what I meant, is how often you contact the server.
You already answered this, once every 3 days - this may be the cause of your problem.
>
>
> > if once per day - this _may_ still be ok, due to making it 2 days from
> > rounding errors.
>
> don't understand this comment - if it was uploaded on Tuesday, how can it not
> be visible on the web site on wednesday?
1 day time between two contacts to the server may well result in a period of up to 47:59 hours at max - 3 days, if picked unluckily, up to 6 days.
>
(...)
> > you can speed up getting at least pending credits by updating your
> > project.
>
>
> not sure if I am missing your point here, or the other way round. How does
> updating my project affect the delay of over 24hrs from seeing the client
> upload the result and then looking on the website and still not seeing the
> result even as 'pending'?
see posting of Darren, just below.

gravywavy
gravywavy
Joined: 22 Jan 05
Posts: 392
Credit: 68962
RAC: 0

> [snip]... the assignment

Message 9220 in response to message 9218

> [snip]... the assignment server doesn't know this until you next time
> you contact it. This will happen automatically when you need more work, or
> you can do it manually by updating the project.

OK thanks Darren john.mac and lgkf

I did as advised and clicked 'update' on the machine with the 'lost' units and tho they did not appear instantly on the website they were there OK a few hours later. So now I'm a happy participant again ;-)

Seems there are three things that can happen when a WU is uploaded,

1. Instant credit (if other(s) have already returned same WU)
2. Pending (waiting for colleagues to finsh same WU, when it will go to 1 by itself)
3. Apparent disappearance (waiting for various servers to talk to each other, when it will go to either 2 or 1 by itslef)

I've been in the project since testing in Jan and before now I had only seen 1 and 2. I did read the FAQs befor eposting, and In several places it says don't worry about 2, I did not see any advice not to worry about 3. Maybe others will be worried by the same effect, so perhaps its worth a Q in the FAQ?

Postmortem:

Why it never happened to me before:

before the client had always uploaded at end of a WU (client set to default value of 1 day, and WU take 24.5 hrs typically on this box)

Why it happened now:

When I knew we were due a scheduled net outage, I set BOINC to connect every 3 days, thinking it would be friendly to warn the server that my clients would not be connecting for three days -- in fact i'd have been better leaving well alone, as the machines had been typically holding 3-4 days work anyway >doh

~~gravywavy

Tony
Tony
Joined: 21 Mar 05
Posts: 1
Credit: 18060
RAC: 0

I have the same problem with

I have the same problem with a linux computer. How can I issue an update command with that? I am currently using the 4.19 version

T

Darren
Darren
Joined: 18 Jan 05
Posts: 94
Credit: 69632
RAC: 0

> I have the same problem

Message 9222 in response to message 9221

> I have the same problem with a linux computer. How can I issue an update
> command with that? I am currently using the 4.19 version

Stop the client and restart it with the flag

-update_prefs http://einstein.phys.uwm.edu

If you're interested in what flags are available, before you restart it with the -update_prefs flag, restart it with -help and it will show you all the flags available.

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