I've noticed that since updating to v6.10.56 that BOINC is constantly resuming tasks every 1 to three minutes. Moreover, all its processing is done in 'high priority' mode. Furthermore, it was switching between all tasks for which WU's exist, i.e., ten different projects. Each WU was processed for about 2 minutes and it would switch to a different WU. Messages indicated that tasks exited with zero status but no finished file. Looking in the error files per project indicates no heartbeat.

To address this issue I set all projects to NNT and then suspended every project except the one with the most urgent deadline, i.e., Virtual Prarie due 6-28 and estimated time to complete ~2.5 hours. It finished in about 2 hours and sent result to server.

I then resumed all the tasks and then allowed work for all the projects. Within 20 minutes I received another Virtual Prarie WU and the whole shenanigans started up again. Until the Virtual Prarie WU was downloaded no task switching occured and no messages were generated concerning exit with zero status. Moreover WU processing occured in normal priority mode.

The problem began again two hours after Virtual Prarie downloaded a new WU. At that time task switching began anew, it has switched tasks about 60 times in the last 80 minutes. However, there have been no indications of zero exit status. It is only switching between the WU with the most urgent deadline and the one with the oldest deadline, i.e., due 7-8. That WU (Cosmology) is estimated complete in 34 hours with 41% complete. The most recent Virtual Prarie is 10% complete with 10min on the clock.

This is highly unusual based on previous experience.

Well, since I posted that, it appears that BOINC has settled down significantly. Since I posted he began resuming tasks about every 2.5 hrs, albeit all processing is still at high priority.

Perhaps this was an 'initial state' issue where the new scheduler inherent the lastest versino of BOINC was confronted with all the WU's that the previous version of BOINC (6.10.43) had just downloaded prior to updating to 6.10.56.

Hopefully he'll begin normal priority of WU processing soon.

Since installing 6.10.56 starting boinc_mangager works but I get the following error message after downloading tasks and attempting to run them.
12:54:39: Error: Memory VFS already contains file 'webexternallink.xpm'!
12:54:39: Error: Memory VFS already contains file 'nvidiaicon.xpm'!
12:54:39: Error: Memory VFS already contains file 'atiicon.xpm'!
12:54:39: Error: Memory VFS already contains file 'multicore.xpm'!
I am going to try reverting to the older version to see what happens.

Dave

Tried resorting to previous version, now I get the same thing. I need to work out what I am doing wrong. System is Mandriva 2010 on duel core Intel 2.4Ghz.

Dave

Sorry should have done this before posting. - Prime Grid seems to work though I still get the error messages in a terminal, the wu's still start. In CPD nothing happens.

Dave

I really don't know, so I have forwarded that to the developers. Hopefully they can make cheese of it. :)

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OK, according to the developer it's a harmless error thrown by wxWidgets.

wxWidgets doesn't expose a way to see if the images are already in the virtual file system, so the only reliable way to make sure they are there before displaying the project list control is to create them if they are not or replace them if they are already there. wxWidgets throws that error if they are already there.

So you can ignore it. It doesn't harm the way in which projects run their applications or data.

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Thanks, still doesn't explain why I cant get climate prediction models to run any more though? I will keep playing and see if I can find any more information that might help someone who knows more than I to track down the problem if I don't solve it through playing........

Great to get such a quick response though!

Dave

Thanks, still doesn't explain why I cant get climate prediction models to run any more though?

You can ask at the CPDN forums, here for help. You don't see any error messages, do you? The model you have is just sitting "Waiting to run"?

If that's the case, it may just be that BOINC deems it has run enough for the time being and is giving your other project(s) time to catch up. If it doesn't restart within the next 24 hours, you can either post back here or at the CPDN forums.

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Thanks, seems to be running OK now. I only started the prime grid units as a diagnostic, I normally only run CPDN. Now that things seem to be working there remains only the curiosity to find out why.

Thanks again for being so willing to help.

Dave

Just reporting an update issue with Boinc 6.10.56.

Following a rare system freeze (XP x86), I restarted the system and saw that communication to all projects had been deferred for about 3500hours. I did a manual update, of course, and things are now working normally, but I think a 5 months communication deferral is a bit long!

You sure it said hours, not seconds?

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Yes. Actual example,
3436:12:46

The 12 is minutes and the 46 is seconds, and ticks down.

And the system clock is/was okay?

Gruß,
Gundolf

Actually No, it was out - by about 5 months! Of course the time was almost exactly correct; just the date was out! Just bad luck there. I expect the system froze due to a power issue and the BIOS went back to its manufacturing date.
Thanks,

BOINC 6.10.58 is now the recommended client on Windows and Macintosh.

Change Log 6.10.56 -> 6.10.58:

• New: Enable the ability to automatically join teams from installer scripts (Win, Mac)
  
• Fix: Elasped time tracking issue
  
• Fix: Fix crash condition that would happen if drivers for ATI/Nvidia were installed incorrectly or clashed with other drivers in the system. (Win)
  
• Fix: Cleanup accessibility items (Mac)
  
• Fix: Display both OS version and kernel version on startup (Mac)
  
• Fix: Fix bug that caused a new CPID to be generated at startup (Mac)
  

I am new to Boinc and matter of fact this is my first post here. After reading this thread on the information about the upgrade with the backup project, I have easily upgraded to 6.10.58 with no problem and I see info now about my nvidia GPU. I am sure the projects will finish quicker when running at night. However, I am having trouble finding out where to add a backup project. I would like to be able to run SETI@home with Folding@home as the backup project if possible. However, I seem unable to figure out how to even setup the "backup project" feature?

However, I am having trouble finding out where to add a backup project. I would like to be able to run SETI@home with Folding@home as the backup project if possible. However, I seem unable to figure out how to even setup the "backup project" feature?

You can only use BOINC projects as back-up for other BOINC projects. Folding isn't a BOINC project.

To set up a back-up project, select one of the projects listed in this post in this thread and set its resource share to zero. You can set the resource share in the project preferences in your account on the project's web-site. You cannot set it in BOINC itself!

Then BOINC will only get work from this project when your other project or projects cannot get work. Mind, it will fill the cache to the amount of additional days worth of work that you set up. E.g. if you set a connect to of 0.1 days and additional days of work to 3 days, then BOINC will try to get 3.1 days worth of work from the back-up project.

When your other project(s) manage to get work again, BOINC will cease working on the back-up project and leave that project's cache alone until it's in deadline trouble. It'll then switch to running those tasks only.

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Hi, I just d/l latest version of boinc manager, but will not install, says it cannot find the boinc.msi file, but it is in the windows\downloaded installation folder. So it will not install and I've lost my previous version of Boinc!

One reason - maybe?? - is I have started getting a message saying my install shield download is out of date, tried to check at the install shield site, but basically says contact your software vendor. But I have not really purchased any software in quite awhile.

So I'm a bit lost guys! Any suggestions most welcome ;-)

Which Windows version do you use?

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