Suspend - memory resident

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Professor Ray

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Message 33529 - Posted: 26 Jun 2010, 0:22:44 UTC

If BOINC is snoozed, or projects are suspended, and the leave memory resident option is enabled, does the project resume at the point in computation where it left off, or does it resume from the point of last checkpoint for WU being resumed?
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Professor Ray

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Message 33612 - Posted: 30 Jun 2010, 21:16:31 UTC

Empirical evidence suggests that suspend - leave memory resident while suspended - computation is resumed from the same state as at the point of suspend.
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Profile Jord
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Message 33613 - Posted: 30 Jun 2010, 21:28:53 UTC - in response to Message 33612.  

Yes. When Leave apps in memory is not on, the task resumes from the last checkpoint (or start if the app doesn't checkpoint).
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Professor Ray

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Message 33614 - Posted: 30 Jun 2010, 21:56:18 UTC

I wonder what happens if the system is hibernated. Based on the rules it would appear that the system state, RAM and page-file state, is written to disk. Restarting from hibernate would seem to resume computation from the point of hibernation.

This may be useful for those crunching interminahly long WU w/out checkpoint and a power down is unavoidable.
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Les Bayliss
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Message 33615 - Posted: 30 Jun 2010, 22:03:38 UTC - in response to Message 33614.  

Hibernating is, effectively, similar to turning off the power. You may lose the work if the OS doesn't allow enough time to save everything.
It's not recommended for climate models.

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Professor Ray

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Message 33617 - Posted: 1 Jul 2010, 2:55:57 UTC

Can anybody tell me what happens to GPU process that is suspended - if BOINC is snoozed, project manually suspended, or scheduler begins crunching on different GPU task due to switch task config - if leave memory resident option is checked?

Clearly there are implications concerning that regarding the AGP aperature segment, TurboCache (including ATI equivalent), system video memory, and shared system memory allocations.
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Profile Jord
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Message 33618 - Posted: 1 Jul 2010, 3:57:18 UTC - in response to Message 33617.  

GPU applications are always removed from GPU RAM when suspended, but for when BOINC is running benchmarks. The "Leave applications in memory" switch doesn't have any effect on this. That one is for CPU applications using system RAM only.

(Yes, GPU applications run on the CPU as well. What little system RAM they use will be kept used when LAIM is on. But you're talking about what happens to the kernels in the videocard's memory. They get flushed.)
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Professor Ray

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Message 33619 - Posted: 1 Jul 2010, 4:46:04 UTC - in response to Message 33618.  
Last modified: 1 Jul 2010, 4:56:35 UTC

I'm unclear what you mean with
GPU applications are always removed from GPU RAM when suspended, but for when BOINC is running benchmarks. The "Leave applications in memory" switch doesn't have any effect on this. That one is for CPU applications using system RAM only.


Sounds like the app remains resident in VRAM only when BOINC runs benchmarks.

However, this nugget is buried in the cc_config.xml portion of the CUDA FAQ:

There is a problem when you have your preferences set to Leave applications in memory while suspended. Any task still in the video card's RAM will stay there until you resume BOINC. Although it will not use your GPU, the amount of memory that a Seti CUDA tasks takes up (200MB+ of the VRAM) may still have impact on your other activities.


Not meaning to trip you up, but I seen the link in your signature and checked it out. While I'd already perused that tome of knowlege, I overlooked the aforementioned citation because cc_config.xml didn't seem to be germane to my question.

EDIT: found Rich Haselgrove's response to you here:

http://einstein.phys.uwm.edu/forum_thread.php?id=8254

Succinctly: VRAM is always unloaded on suspend except for benchmarks. Ergo, the FAQ needs updating.
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Profile Jord
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Message 33624 - Posted: 1 Jul 2010, 13:54:41 UTC - in response to Message 33619.  

Not meaning to trip you up, but I seen the link in your signature and checked it out.

I can't edit the FAQs at the moment anyway, it's returning all kinds of errors. So sent word to the keeper of.. waiting for him to tell me what's wrong.
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Message boards : Questions and problems : Suspend - memory resident

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