Assigning a CPU only project to less than 1 whole core

Message boards : BOINC client : Assigning a CPU only project to less than 1 whole core
Message board moderation

To post messages, you must log in.

AuthorMessage
Engagex

Send message
Joined: 24 Feb 17
Posts: 8
United States
Message 76114 - Posted: 24 Feb 2017, 18:09:31 UTC

Is there a way to designate a CPU only project (i.e. Asteroids@Home) to only use a certain percentage of a cpu core (i.e. .1, .25, .5) rather than the core as a whole?

I've tried replacing <gpu_versions> in the app_config.conf with <cpu_versions> but it doesn't seem to be working.

If this feature doesn't have programming to support it please consider writing it. ;)
ID: 76114 · Report as offensive
Engagex

Send message
Joined: 24 Feb 17
Posts: 8
United States
Message 76115 - Posted: 24 Feb 2017, 18:22:35 UTC - in response to Message 76114.  

...app_config.xml - excuse me
ID: 76115 · Report as offensive
Profile Jord
Volunteer tester
Help desk expert
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 29 Aug 05
Posts: 15477
Netherlands
Message 76116 - Posted: 24 Feb 2017, 18:51:23 UTC

Try following the documentation first: https://boinc.berkeley.edu/wiki/Client_configuration#Application_configuration
What you ask for is already there as <code>avg_ncpus</code>
ID: 76116 · Report as offensive
Engagex

Send message
Joined: 24 Feb 17
Posts: 8
United States
Message 76118 - Posted: 24 Feb 2017, 19:48:19 UTC - in response to Message 76116.  

Thank you for your prompt reply! I just have a few questions:

<app_config>
[<app> (My current config files do not have the brackets "[" is this necessary?)
<name>Application_Name</name>
<max_concurrent>1</max_concurrent>
[<fraction_done_exact/>] (This is a closing tag. Is there supposed to be an opening tag?)
<gpu_versions>
<gpu_usage>.5</gpu_usage>
<cpu_usage>.4</cpu_usage>
</gpu_versions>
</app>]
...
[<app_version>
<app_name>Application_Name</app_name>
[<plan_class>mt</plan_class>] (What variables replace "mt"?)
[<avg_ncpus>x</avg_ncpus>] (I can set this to ".X"?)
[<ngpus>x</ngpus>]
[<cmdline>--nthreads 7</cmdline>] (What's the difference between this and "<max_concurrent>7</max_concurrent>"?)
</app_version>]
...
[<project_max_concurrent>N</project_max_concurrent>] (What's the difference between this and "<max_concurrent>7</max_concurrent>"?)
</app_config>
ID: 76118 · Report as offensive
Engagex

Send message
Joined: 24 Feb 17
Posts: 8
United States
Message 76119 - Posted: 24 Feb 2017, 20:10:04 UTC - in response to Message 76118.  

Ok after actually reading the descriptions I just have one question left:

[<project_max_concurrent>N</project_max_concurrent>] (What's the difference between this and "<max_concurrent>7</max_concurrent>"?)
ID: 76119 · Report as offensive
Profile Jord
Volunteer tester
Help desk expert
Avatar

Send message
Joined: 29 Aug 05
Posts: 15477
Netherlands
Message 76120 - Posted: 24 Feb 2017, 20:49:09 UTC

re: brackets:
Note: The sections in square brackets '[foo/]' are optional. When you want to use any, remove the square brackets.


What's the difference between this and "<max_concurrent>7</max_concurrent>"?

project_max_concurrent = maximum amount of jobs per project.
max_concurrent = maximum amount of tasks for that application.
ID: 76120 · Report as offensive
Richard Haselgrove
Volunteer tester
Help desk expert

Send message
Joined: 5 Oct 06
Posts: 5077
United Kingdom
Message 76122 - Posted: 24 Feb 2017, 23:24:07 UTC - in response to Message 76120.  

project_max_concurrent = maximum amount of jobs per project.
max_concurrent = maximum amount of tasks for that application.
Note: A project may have more than one application.
ID: 76122 · Report as offensive
Engagex

Send message
Joined: 24 Feb 17
Posts: 8
United States
Message 76162 - Posted: 26 Feb 2017, 19:18:41 UTC - in response to Message 76122.  

How would I go about specifying this setting in the config files?:
"Run CPU versions of applications for which GPU versions are available"

As I have computers on my grid that only crunch cpu tasks. Or would it be better all around to say no?

Also are CPU versions of apps any different than the GPU counterparts? Will the GPU versions return any additional data?
ID: 76162 · Report as offensive
robsmith
Volunteer tester
Help desk expert

Send message
Joined: 25 May 09
Posts: 1283
United Kingdom
Message 76163 - Posted: 26 Feb 2017, 20:53:44 UTC

If you only want to run CPU applications then you can safely ignore the message, indeed for some projects you can avoid it by de-selecting "run GPU applications" option from the project web site.

CPU and GPU applications are different - GPU are highly parallel and their applications are written to work with a very large number of threads running in together, whereas CPUs are very single or of very low thread counts. Given the same target data the two applications should arrive at the same answer. There are some projects which only have GPU, or CPU applications, in which case trying to run the application on the wrong type of processor will fail.
ID: 76163 · Report as offensive

Message boards : BOINC client : Assigning a CPU only project to less than 1 whole core

Copyright © 2024 University of California.
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation.