Einstein takes over

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TechHiker

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Message 101565 - Posted: 13 Nov 2020, 16:19:44 UTC

I'm currently running World Community Grid and wanted to try Einstein@Home. The problem is that Einstein completely takes over and squeezes out WCG. Even after changing project resource share so Einstein is 1% and WCG is 99%, Einstein still completely takes over.

The WCG work units are typically 2.5 hours. The Einstein work units are often 2 day plus. When the WCG work units get close to deadline, they will run, but once they're finished, no new ones will download.

I've set store-at-least to 0.3 and additional set to 0 to try to limit these 2 day work units.

I must be missing something.

Boinc version 7.16.11
Windows 10 2004
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Bryn Mawr
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Message 101566 - Posted: 13 Nov 2020, 16:49:07 UTC - in response to Message 101565.  

I'm currently running World Community Grid and wanted to try Einstein@Home. The problem is that Einstein completely takes over and squeezes out WCG. Even after changing project resource share so Einstein is 1% and WCG is 99%, Einstein still completely takes over.

The WCG work units are typically 2.5 hours. The Einstein work units are often 2 day plus. When the WCG work units get close to deadline, they will run, but once they're finished, no new ones will download.

I've set store-at-least to 0.3 and additional set to 0 to try to limit these 2 day work units.

I must be missing something.

Boinc version 7.16.11
Windows 10 2004


Boinc has a mechanism whereby it will balance the credit generated for each project over a user selectable period (rec_half_life_days in cc_config.xml, default 10 days) against a user selectable ratio between projects (resource share in project options for each project, default 100). Unfortunately this mechanism does not allow for newly started projects so as soon as you attach to a new project it sees it as being behind the ratio and starts to play catch up.

It will settle down after a few days if you leave it alone :-)
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TechHiker

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Message 101567 - Posted: 13 Nov 2020, 18:40:21 UTC - in response to Message 101566.  


Boinc has a mechanism whereby it will balance the credit generated for each project over a user selectable period (rec_half_life_days in cc_config.xml, default 10 days) against a user selectable ratio between projects (resource share in project options for each project, default 100). Unfortunately this mechanism does not allow for newly started projects so as soon as you attach to a new project it sees it as being behind the ratio and starts to play catch up.

It will settle down after a few days if you leave it alone :-)


I started Einstein on Oct 22, well more than 10 days ago. Boinc statistics show average credit from Einstein at just over 34,000 and average credit for WGC just under 1,500.

There is no cc_config.xml so it must be using the default 10 days. When does the 10 days start? I have been adjusting settings trying to get this under control. I currently have Einstein set to not get new work units, so there are only 2 left.
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Profile Dave
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Message 101568 - Posted: 13 Nov 2020, 19:28:40 UTC - in response to Message 101567.  

If you change one of the computing settings and if you don't want it then change it back again the file will be created.

Adjusting things inevitably makes it take longer to sort itself out. Indeed if you keep fiddling, it will never do so.

(I change things by suspending tasks etc. to suit my own wants/needs so it doesn't stand a chance with me.)
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Richard Haselgrove
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Message 101569 - Posted: 13 Nov 2020, 20:44:41 UTC
Last modified: 13 Nov 2020, 20:57:36 UTC

Also, the term 'Credit' is a bit of a misnomer. Most projects issue multiple 'credits' per task (sometimes a great number), but the number awarded per unit time varies greatly.

BOINC was originally intended to even out credits over time (in accordance with your work share settings), but that was never implemented. Instead, the balance was made over REC, or recent estimated credit - not what you see on project web pages at all.

And finally, I think WCG uses a different method altogether - see their web pages.

Edit - see https://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/help/viewTopic.do?shortName=overview#505

BOINC provides a reference about credit and its relation to FLOPS here. However, you should know that seven (7) World Community Grid points are equal to one (1) BOINC credit.
I'm slightly doubtful about that FAQ (first time I've seen it) - I though you would get fewer points than credits (and the BOINC calculation has had a factor of 2 correction, which WCG doesn't seem to have noticed). But they should know their own schema!
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Sirius B
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Message 101583 - Posted: 15 Nov 2020, 17:30:20 UTC - in response to Message 101569.  

It is 7-1.

@ TechHiker, log into your WCG a/c, go to My Contributions then my results then click on the Device manager link.
Select your computer, then edit device profiles/ then what ever profile you are using, scroll to the bottom & you will see cross project settings. There you will see a box stating project weight. It shows as 100% change to, say, 200% & save.

It has worked for others with the same issues.
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TechHiker

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Message 101589 - Posted: 16 Nov 2020, 1:55:09 UTC - in response to Message 101583.  

I'll give it a try.
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ProDigit

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Message 101647 - Posted: 19 Nov 2020, 16:23:26 UTC

WCG is CPU only.
Einstein is CPU or GPU.
I prefer their GPU batches; with some tweaking they run a lot more efficient on a GPU; and I disable the CPU projects.
Not only does it generate more PPD, and gets more work done, a GPU also crunches data much more efficiently.
I believe we should encourage researchers to write their programs for GPU, as GPUs will many times outnumber the CPU performance.
And leave CPU data crunching for projects that run much more complex WUs, that not easily can be transferred to GPUs.
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robsmith
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Message 101649 - Posted: 19 Nov 2020, 17:01:13 UTC - in response to Message 101647.  

WCG is CPU only.

Well, that's not quite true as there have been, and probably are a few of the WCG sub-projects that use GPUs. Although, as is quite common with a few of those sub-projects they do suffer extended periods with no work available.
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Message boards : Questions and problems : Einstein takes over

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