Hard drive -> SSD change.

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Profile adrianxw
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Message 41712 - Posted: 20 Dec 2011, 13:10:42 UTC
Last modified: 20 Dec 2011, 13:11:03 UTC

This machine is fitted with a magnetic disk drive. I have recently installed an SSD module, and am slowly migrating from the magnetic to the solid state device. It is running XP.

I have not moved anything that looks BOINC like to the new module, but it would be good to get it done.

Question therefore is will doing this adversly affect existing tasks, mostly CPDN? The new module obviously has a different drive letter, and I'm concerned that some long running tasks might not notice the change, (etc.), and fail to find something that they need later.
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Profile Jord
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Message 41714 - Posted: 20 Dec 2011, 14:24:26 UTC - in response to Message 41712.  

As long as you uninstall BOINC, then move the data directory to the new drive and new drive letter, and then reinstall BOINC, whereby you change the path(s) to the programs directory and data directory, then it will work. The changing can be done in the Advanced section, from the third screen in the installer.

Question is, do you want to?
The SSDs aren't that big, plus they've still got less read/write operations to them before they fail than a magnetic drive does. It's like a thumb drive, would you install BOINC on that?

And besides, I also don't think it'll speed up any of the calculations, as that's still done by your CPU/GPU. Whereas you use an SSD to quickly start up things, such as your OS.
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Message 41715 - Posted: 20 Dec 2011, 14:54:41 UTC

So I shut down BOINC and uninstall it, then reinstall from the file I had previously installed from. What is the path of the data directory, roughly.

The SSD I have installed is actually larger than the HDD I'm replacing, I am not overly concerned with the space. The reason for going this way is two fold. The disk I have makes a lot of clattering and other noise - my wife finds it irritating. Second, when a HDD fails, it has failed, gone. When the SSD fails, it tends to still be readable, I see benefit in that.
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Message 41716 - Posted: 20 Dec 2011, 15:18:54 UTC - in response to Message 41715.  
Last modified: 20 Dec 2011, 15:26:12 UTC

What is the path of the data directory, roughly.

The location is in your Boinc startup messages, it'll be a hidden folder too, so you'll need to unhide it,

I'm tempted to move my Boinc Data Directory to my unused SSD too, (i had got it use the Z68 chipset's Intel Smart Response Technology, but i installed the OS with the HD type set to the wrong type, only a OS reinstall will fix that)

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Message 41726 - Posted: 20 Dec 2011, 22:13:32 UTC - in response to Message 41723.  

The only reason I see to not use an SSD for BOINC is that they have slow write times (or so I've heard) but would that really increase a BOINC task's run time?

Having a lot of tasks on hand makes Boinc Manager sluggish, getting the client_state.xml updated a lot faster will help useability,

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Message 41739 - Posted: 22 Dec 2011, 2:51:39 UTC - in response to Message 41729.  

I came along this discussion because I want to move BOINC's active directory (thus not the program itself) from a SSD to a mirrored (RAID 1) 'regular' hard drive.

There is plenty of space on the SSD but it appears the SSD drive has to do all the work: the activity LED barely ever blinks; disk activity at all time when BOINC is active. My regular hard drives are only rarely activated.

I've got a Intel i7 Extreme processor, 6 dual core CPUs (5 reserved for BOINC), a Radion HD 5900 GPU, 12GB RAM, etc and to me it appears BOINC is, regardless from what it says on the can, slowing down my system. Well, I think it is how the SSD with the BOINC files on it has been implemented into the configuration.

Maybe its working files should better not be placed be together with the OS, program files and swap file? For sure the BOINC programmers could make re-configuration a bit easier, I guess.

--- Quote ---
> What is the path of the data directory, roughly.

>> The location is in your Boinc startup messages,
>> it'll be a hidden folder too, so you'll need to unhide it,
--- End Quote ---

That is not very user-friendly, is it?
I think I just let BOINC run out of work. Next remove it and re-install it.
And hope the programmers come up with something nicer with the next update...



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Message boards : Questions and problems : Hard drive -> SSD change.

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