Hi @ everyone !

I wonder if it would be possible to get some new features into the client :

1. Set a marker on special Workunit´s
2. Multi Stop / Start of Workunit´s
3. Direct access to the client parameter´s without restarting it and within the gui (global_prefs.xml)
4. Support for realtime computing under windows with multicore systems
5. Ability to select on which core the computation runs under multicore systems


1.Set a marker on special Workunit´s

Why would this be useful ?
It will help you to remember which WU is nearly done, and you could stop/start all WU´s at your own discretion.
You don´t need to write down the nearly completed WU´s

Example :
I run Seti@Home on my computer and most of the time I´ve got about 40-100 Workunit´s.
S@H needs at least three results to grant the credit of the Workunit.
Sometimes it took a very long time (weeks) to complete this.
You can look at the workunit´s on S@H and watch this progress.
When you now finish such a WU, your credit is "pending"

Please don´t get me wrong here, I know that someone must start the "creditline"
I do that on my own all the time ... but sometimes you just want the credits and not the wait time with pending state.

And here comes the marker - you look over you own results and pick the results which had two / three completed single results.
After this you set the marker in the client to remember which WU is nearly done.
Now you could stop/start the WU´s without the need to remember the state.

2. Multi Stop / Start of Workunit´s
Why is it not possible to multiselect/start/stop WU´s ?
Under windows you could multiselect something with "shift" and clicking on it.
After this you could do whatever you want with the whole selection (Copy/Paste/Delete ...)
Would it be very nicer to stop/start multiple WU´s with a few clicks ?

3.Direct access to the client parameter´s without restarting it and inside the gui (global_prefs.xml)

When you often need to change some of your parameters e.g. <work_buf_min_days> you have to restart the gui after each parameter change to activate it.

Is it possible to gain access to this parameters within the gui and without a restart ?

4. Support for realtime computing under windows with multicore systems

At the moment BOINC runs all WU´s with low priority under Windows.
This is appropriate for single core systems, but the times are changing ... there are already many multicoresystems out there.
With a multicoresystem you could run the WU´s in realtime which gives you a boost in the needed computingtime (+10-25 % !)
The realtime took only one core the other core is still fully functional and ready for any work.

Is it possible to make a selector on each workunit / a general preference to let the workunits run under realtime (only for multicores) ? Even "High" in priority will give you also an boost ...

5. Ability to select on which core the computation runs under multicore systems

Nearly the same as point four ...
Multicoresystems switch all work between the available cores.
But this kind of "load balancing" sucks a little when you use it for distributed computing.
When you run the WU on a single core under a multicoresystem you get a better performace (+5-10%)

So is it possible to get an selector for each WU or a global parameter that could assign the work too only one cpu ?

BTW:I´ve tried point 4+5 on my own computer and compared the results.
On other computers could the mentioned performance boost higher or lower. With realtime single cpu I´ve got about ~ 15 - 30 % more performance.

CYA
Akermit

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1) I doubt any of the developers will see a point to implementing this, especially since BOINC usually works best if left alone. In most cases micromanaging BOINC makes it less likely to do what you want it to do.

2) I don't know about this one. There may be a problem with doing this with wxwidgets or a cross platform problem that prevents it.

3) In progress. A limited version will be available in the 5.8.x clients, a full version in later clients.

4) I also doubt anyone will implement this, BOINC is designed to soak up unused CPU cycles not be a primary application. It is also too easy for a participant to make their computer unresponsive with an option like this.

5) I also hope for a "use CPU affinity" setting, though if implemented I doubt it will be as detailed as you are suggesting.

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