BOINC manager does not respect processor settings

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Martin P.

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Message 19590 - Posted: 19 Aug 2008, 13:26:56 UTC

The new BOINC Manager 6.2.18 does not respect my CPU settings. I use a 8-core Mac Pro and have set it to use a maximum of 7 CPUs in all projects. However, there are 8 instances running at any time. Even reducing the setting to 3 processors (= 6 cores) does not help.

Please fix this asap.

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Profile Jord
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Message 19591 - Posted: 19 Aug 2008, 13:34:19 UTC

BOINC 6 uses the other setting, On multiprocessors, use at most x percent of the processors. It doesn't use the On multiprocessors, use at most x of the processors anymore.

In your case this is 87.5% (7/8th x 100)
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Martin P.

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Message 19596 - Posted: 19 Aug 2008, 15:00:30 UTC - in response to Message 19591.  

BOINC 6 uses the other setting, On multiprocessors, use at most x percent of the processors. It doesn't use the On multiprocessors, use at most x of the processors anymore.

In your case this is 87.5% (7/8th x 100)


Thanks Ageless! However, I did set it to 87.5% but it still uses all 8 cores.

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Profile Jord
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Message 19598 - Posted: 19 Aug 2008, 15:14:47 UTC - in response to Message 19596.  

BOINC 6 uses the other setting, On multiprocessors, use at most x percent of the processors. It doesn't use the On multiprocessors, use at most x of the processors anymore.

In your case this is 87.5% (7/8th x 100)


Thanks Ageless! However, I did set it to 87.5% but it still uses all 8 cores.

Two possibilities:

1. You saved the changes to the web site, but didn't update BOINC on that project, so it doesn't know about the new preferences yet.
2. You updated it on the web site, but are using the local preferences.

To check number 2, you should have a mention in your messages of "reading override preferences". If you see things like that, you use the preferences in BOINC Manager->Advanced view->Advanced->preferences and should change it there as well.
If you no longer want to use those preferences, click the Clear button.

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Martin P.

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Message 19637 - Posted: 20 Aug 2008, 7:32:48 UTC

I solved the problem, but it is very confusing: You have to set the processor usage to 88% (not 87.5%, because this is not accepted!) on each project site PLUS also in the preferences of the individual BOINC manager of each computer.

It gets even more complicated when you use more than 1 computer and they have different numbers of processors/cores. In this case the settings in BOINC manager seem to override the settings on the account.

I don't want to think about the situation when someone uses the option of different locations (default, home, work) on the website account settings.

Too many combinations, too complicated, unclear priorities (which settings override which?).

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Profile Jord
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Message 19640 - Posted: 20 Aug 2008, 7:55:43 UTC - in response to Message 19637.  

In this case the settings in BOINC manager seem to override the settings on the account.

The preferences in BOINC Manager override the settings set on the web site for the computer you use the local preferences on only. And it will only override those settings that are also available at the web site. So if there are settings available at the web site but not in the local preferences, those web site prefs are used.

Yes, I agree, too confusing. Even the developers know this, so they are looking for ways to make sure that all the preferences will be found in both places.
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Aurora Borealis
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Message 19644 - Posted: 20 Aug 2008, 16:44:37 UTC - in response to Message 19640.  
Last modified: 20 Aug 2008, 16:46:14 UTC

In this case the settings in BOINC manager seem to override the settings on the account.

The preferences in BOINC Manager override the settings set on the web site for the computer you use the local preferences on only. And it will only override those settings that are also available at the web site. So if there are settings available at the web site but not in the local preferences, those web site prefs are used.

Yes, I agree, too confusing. Even the developers know this, so they are looking for ways to make sure that all the preferences will be found in both places.

They are also looking at possibly allowing the Manager preference setting to be either uploaded as a global setting or used only locally at a users option.

The problem is the more flexible the options you give the advanced users, the more likely the average user is going to get confused and mess things up.

Boinc V 7.4.36
Win7 i5 3.33G 4GB NVidia 470
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Message boards : Questions and problems : BOINC manager does not respect processor settings

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