Posts by Heflin

1) Message boards : BOINC Manager : Stop Automatic Communication (Message 14831)
Posted 11 Jan 2008 by Heflin
Post:
The only way is to detach from it, else BOINC will try to communicate with the project's scheduler every 24 hours (and defer communications for the rest of that time).


I've got the same thing with LHC too.

If you suspend & BOINC still tries to communicate every 24 hours ... who cares??
Unless you are paying for every packet.

The repeatdly every few minute failed communication did drive me crazy.


2) Message boards : BOINC client : SETI doesn't request new work - what's the problem? (Message 14419)
Posted 18 Dec 2007 by Heflin
Post:
Regularly SETI does NOT report results for days, even when more than 1 run is finished.
Also, there are TWO portions/actions for reporting work.
1) uploading the results of the WU to one server
2) then reporting the WU is complete to another server.

The second step often waits until you have some other reason to contact that server like requesting new work or reporting more than 1 WU complete. It is less_load on the server when clients do multiple reports together, vice multiple clients hammering the server with just 1 WU complete status reports.

As long as your BOINC client is working on something, all the other stuff (upload results, reporting complete, meeting your resource shares) will get done in due time.

I have one client that waits days before reporting a whole bunch of completed tasks. As long as they are reported before the deadline-date, no problem.
3) Message boards : BOINC client : thought I'd try it (Message 13999)
Posted 20 Nov 2007 by Heflin
Post:
I run BOINC as a service also on a Win machine.

By default, I do *NOT* run the BOINC Manager/GUI, so there is no icon in the system tray. This saves a negligable amount of CPU cycles, network traffic, and memory.

If I need to check on or do something with BOINC, I can fire up the GUI, do whatever, then exit the GUI. Or more likely, remote into the machine or use my primary machine's BOINC GUI - Advanced / Select Computer ... function to remote directly into the other machine's BOINC GUI.
4) Message boards : Web interfaces : Question to BOINC-wide Teams (Message 13880)
Posted 15 Nov 2007 by Heflin
Post:
So there is no use for this "feature" for the second bigest team in BOINC, SETI.Germany.

To keep the same founder address may be usable, even for bigger teams, if some fake account is used to which more than one member have access, but the team description has to be project individual, not some boring, nonsensical, blah-blah without specialities for this project.

We have 28 founders on the BOINC projects, and we have a different description on all projects, with a standard part and some custom part in it. This has to stay this way, diversity is better than uniformity. If this "feature" will one day mess with our teams presentation, I think we will get unpleasant.

Who led this half-baked "feature" lose on the public?

Idea ....

If you setup your BOINC team with a general e-mail address (different from your project team founder e-mail address), then your team (by-the-same-name) on individual projects will not get updated.

If your team doesn't exist on a project (or new project), then your team name will get created with your general e-mail address. After team created, then you should be able to change founder's e-mail address to the individual who acts as team founder for THAT project.
5) Message boards : BOINC client : [wish] *BOTH* in-use & idle cpu % limits (Message 13879)
Posted 15 Nov 2007 by Heflin
Post:
Feature Request

Desire ability to set CPU percentage limits SEPARATELY for BOTH �Computer In Use� & �Computer Idle�

BOINC 5.10.28 allows the user to ONLY set ONE overall CPU % limit.


This is already implemented for MEMORY usage, but not for CPU usage (%).
6) Message boards : BOINC client : BOINC causing ZoneAlarm to show bogus INcoming Internet activity (Message 13656)
Posted 7 Nov 2007 by Heflin
Post:
I just upgraded a home machine running
MS Win2K ver 5.0 (build 2195: SP 4)
from an older free ZoneAlarm (
to
free ZoneAlarm Ver 7.0.408.000
TV security engine ver 7.0.408.000
Driver ver 7.0.408.000
(http://www.zonealarm.com/store/content/catalog/products/sku_list_za.jsp?dc=12bms&ctry=US&lang=en)

The upgrade was an upgrade not a clean install.

ISSUE:
The ZoneAlarm tray icon & zonealarm window both show LOTS of IN/Green internet activity
even when LAN tray icon shows no activity & LAN window's "Received Packets" is NOT changing.

Like most folks, there are lots of apps running. While I have not tried every permutation of loaded/stopped apps, the incoming internet activity that ZoneAlarm is reporting appears to stop/start with BOINC Ver 5.10.28 (http://boinc.berkeley.edu/) EVEN when BOINC is loaded but suspended (not doing any number crunching).

I did just update both ZoneAlarm and BOINC (from 5.10.10?). I don't see the older BOINC 5.10.xx versions on the main download page.

I never saw this 'false incoming internet access' issue before upgrading both apps.

I've posted this on ZoneAlarm forums also.

Has anybody seen anything like this before: ZoneAlarm reporting/showing incomming internet traffic but LAN received packets not increasing?

Is BOINC trying to receive? something even while suspended?

Below is BOINC messages log:
11/7/2007 1:14:24 PM||Starting BOINC client version 5.10.28 for windows_intelx86
11/7/2007 1:14:24 PM||log flags: task, file_xfer, sched_ops
11/7/2007 1:14:24 PM||Libraries: libcurl/7.17.0 OpenSSL/0.9.8e zlib/1.2.3
11/7/2007 1:14:24 PM||Data directory: C:Program FilesBOINC
11/7/2007 1:14:24 PM||Processor: 1 GenuineIntel Intel(R) Pentium(R) M processor 1400MHz [x86 Family 6 Model 9 Stepping 5]
11/7/2007 1:14:24 PM||Processor features: fpu tsc sse mmx
11/7/2007 1:14:24 PM||OS: Microsoft Windows 2000: Professional Edition, Service Pack 4, (05.00.2195.00)
11/7/2007 1:14:24 PM||Memory: 766.98 MB physical, 1.08 GB virtual
11/7/2007 1:14:24 PM||Disk: 37.25 GB total, 4.81 GB free
11/7/2007 1:14:24 PM||Local time is UTC -8 hours
11/7/2007 1:14:24 PM|superlinkattechnion|URL: http://cbl-link02.cs.technion.ac.il/superlinkattechnion/; Computer ID: 2273; location: (none); project prefs: default
11/7/2007 1:14:24 PM|Einstein@Home|URL: http://einstein.phys.uwm.edu/; Computer ID: 840419; location: home; project prefs: default
11/7/2007 1:14:24 PM|Predictor @ Home|URL: http://predictor.scripps.edu/; Computer ID: 329463; location: home; project prefs: default
11/7/2007 1:14:24 PM|SETI@home|URL: http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/; Computer ID: 3030694; location: school; project prefs: default
11/7/2007 1:14:24 PM|uFluids|URL: http://www.ufluids.net/; Computer ID: 57151; location: (none); project prefs: default
11/7/2007 1:14:24 PM|World Community Grid|URL: http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/; Computer ID: 266233; location: (none); project prefs: default
11/7/2007 1:14:24 PM||General prefs: from Einstein@Home (last modified 04-Nov-2007 05:02:07)
11/7/2007 1:14:24 PM||Host location: home
11/7/2007 1:14:24 PM||General prefs: using separate prefs for home
11/7/2007 1:14:24 PM||Reading preferences override file
11/7/2007 1:14:24 PM||Preferences limit memory usage when active to 306.79MB
11/7/2007 1:14:24 PM||Preferences limit memory usage when idle to 690.29MB
11/7/2007 1:14:24 PM||Preferences limit disk usage to 4.80GB


I didn't see a 'suspended - user is active' message even though no number crunching was taking place. I manually changed 'Activity' to 'Run Always' which started the number crunching:
11/7/2007 1:16:47 PM|SETI@home|Restarting task 14fe07ad.31552.11115.3.6.200_0 using setiathome_enhanced version 527

I changed 'Activity' to 'Run based on Preferences' and the number crunching stopped, tasks showed as 'suspended', but no message is written to messages tab.

Same for 'Activity' set to 'Suspend'.

7) Message boards : BOINC client : BOINC 6 readme's, FAQs and Wiki (Message 12793)
Posted 29 Sep 2007 by Heflin
Post:
I don't know why BOINC has to be run as a service, other than to make it play nice with Vista.
One reason to NOT run BOINC as a service is that services are harder for newbie and novice computer users to start and/or stop or even know if they are running.
8) Message boards : BOINC client : Boinc On Vista - Projects Don't Suspend (Message 12789)
Posted 28 Sep 2007 by Heflin
Post:
So, this seems like it is a SETI issue and not a BOINC issue?
Other projects tried so far suspend as they are supposed to???
9) Message boards : BOINC Manager : trouble attaching to projects (Message 12572)
Posted 18 Sep 2007 by Heflin
Post:
Thanks!

Knew someone would recall faster than I could search the forums for some vague recollection I had about a previous open port question.

Since Abacus is presumably already surfing both http * https, he shouldn�t need to worry about them.
10) Message boards : BOINC Manager : trouble attaching to projects (Message 12570)
Posted 18 Sep 2007 by Heflin
Post:
Abacus- I got a big smile in the difference between 'helpful comment' and 'genuinely useful comment' ROTFL!!

I do get XML when I put in the URLs you posted, but being a non-programmer it all means very little to me.
Each XML should be referencing its own project. Like for SETI...
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1" ?>
- <project_config>
<name>SETI@home</name>
<master_url>http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/</master_url>

"...home PC via a netgear ADSL router (DG824M). Will this make a big difference?" Should be fine.


I *assume* accounts were created for these additional projects.
I *assume* you can web browse to each project.
I *assume* you can 'login' via web browser to your account on each project.??
I *assume* you used the SAME e-mail address on all projects.
It appears from DNS you are using that you are in general London,UK area

For one project (with no in-proccess work), in BOINC Manager you can try DETATCHING, then re-ATTACHING to project. In case initial setup never completed.

It could still be a DNS issue at your ISP/DSN provider.
If I can find the info, I'll send a PM to bypass them as a test.

uh....port...what's the port in his router that needs to be open?
[never seen this issue myself]


back along the lines of 'helpful' but not 'useful', maybe CPDN assimulated you and doesn't want to share ;)
11) Message boards : BOINC client : Folks who disappear after downloading only one WU. (Message 12532)
Posted 17 Sep 2007 by Heflin
Post:
In perusing WUs, I’m surprised how many instances there are where a person has downloaded ONE (1) WU, and then is never heard from again. I know this doesn’t stop, but only delays, WU completion due to WU being reissued.

What I wonder is: Has there ever been any effort to CONTACT these one-WU folks? Maybe see if they had some problem or need help, clarification, or encouragement?

Maybe if first WU is not returned by completion date …
(1) the server side sends a simple canned e-mail encouraging them & pointing them to forums or someplace
(2) the client side pops up a message suggesting <something> to remind & encourage them to continue participating


Since some projects are having longer and longer WUs, has there been any discussion of making the FIRST WU a new client gets be a TEST-WU which just ensures client can go thru process?
12) Message boards : BOINC client : Suggestion: Project activated client side "Hibernation mode" (Message 12530)
Posted 17 Sep 2007 by Heflin
Post:
How much bandwidth or server processor power does it take to process an RPC?
The client side bandwidth and client side processing is trivial; however, it seems to cause a lot of concern when folks continually see their client trying to get more work from a project when there isn't any.

Maybe some **DEFAULT** setting in the set of files a project downloads to implement BOINC can be increased from what appears to be 4hrs to 24hrs.

And a note sent to all project admins with SPECIFIC entry to change to 24hrs.
13) Message boards : BOINC Manager : trouble attaching to projects (Message 12422)
Posted 11 Sep 2007 by Heflin
Post:
It *is* Tuesday ... SETI is down for normal weekly maintinence.
1 down, 99 more to check ;)
14) Message boards : BOINC client : Boinc On Vista - Projects Don't Suspend (Message 12399)
Posted 10 Sep 2007 by Heflin
Post:
I just installed the seti Crunch3er optimized apps (http://calbe.dw70.de/2.4V/2.4V_Windows_x64_SSSE3_GFX.zip) and it made the issue go away. I'm running seti, cpdn and lhc.


If you are only running the standard apps from cpdn and lhc (NO SETI) is the issue still there?

This previous post identifies "17/06/2007 14:05:13||Reading preferences override file" while the problem is still there. I notice in Tinface's listing that line is NOT there w/ location=home but no preferences set for home, so BOINC using DEFAULT preferences.

Tinface: Can you create local preferences override & see if issue reappears?




15) Message boards : BOINC client : 5.10.20 - uploading but not reporting (Message 12366)
Posted 7 Sep 2007 by Heflin
Post:
...And if I don't look at what is happening, it'll happen automagically. :-)

When things are running as they should, BOINC doesn't need any micro-managing.
That's my opinion, anyway.


I 'magically' agree!! I don't really care how long reporting, downloading, etc takes or when it happens. As long as 1 of 3 projects on each client has work to do which is the vast majority of time.

I was just raising the concept that some solutions are cosmetic, semantics, etc vice having to change real actions in applications.

I have great faith that most users are ALWAYS confused! They just don't know if most of the time!

16) Message boards : BOINC client : Vista Client running Boinc projects all the time. (Message 12365)
Posted 7 Sep 2007 by Heflin
Post:
The Boinc Client (v5.10.13) on my Vista Home Premium Laptop runs projects all the time, even when the PC is active.


See previous thread on this subject (from May-Aug 07)

I've reported issue to Alpha mailing list, but issue still seems to be unresolved. No word that issue has been resolved.

I'm holding off installing BOINC on my Mom's new PC w/Vista till this issue is resolved.
17) Message boards : BOINC client : 5.10.20 - uploading but not reporting (Message 12341)
Posted 6 Sep 2007 by Heflin
Post:
Technical vs Cosmetic solutions:

A cosmetic solution may be to change the wording of the status of the WU on the client to something different AFTER the WU is uploaded & while it is waiting to report that upload to the project server.

So, when ready to upload WU status is 'Ready to Report'
After WU upload, status is something like 'Results uploaded. Reporting to Server'
18) Message boards : BOINC client : Question: Details on WU upload & clearing 'Ready to report' (Message 12340)
Posted 6 Sep 2007 by Heflin
Post:
cpdn


IF cpdn is the 'BBC Climate Change Experiment', then those clients are not attached to that project. I'm surprised cpdn doesn't check the version before providing a WU.

I do monitor/check on the project's web site that these remote machines are being issued WUs and returning WUs that are accepted. So far, the only issue has been client machines being turned off for long periods of time which most projects & BOINC seem to handle very well.
19) Message boards : BOINC Manager : My Wish List - 2 (Message 12322)
Posted 6 Sep 2007 by Heflin
Post:
...service install...


If someone is going to address the above,
then how about also....

How does one VERIFY that the service starts and runs **BEFORE** anyone logs on (where username/password login setup)???

For example, after a power outage the machine boots up but no one logs on. Is the BOINC service running? It should be, but how to verify that?

Maybe the BOINC log will show earlier start time than when one logs on???
20) Message boards : BOINC client : Question: Details on WU upload & clearing 'Ready to report' (Message 12283)
Posted 3 Sep 2007 by Heflin
Post:
However in the case you mention where a client is permanently killed, the result can put into limbo. The data file is there but the server does not know about it.


Thanks for comfirmation!

If the client NEVER reports to server that results file was successfully uploaded, can that be corrected/resolved on the server side?


I **LOVE** BOINC's fault tolerant design of "Set it, & forget it!"
I have 3 clients that I only access every 1 or 2 years, and they just keep plugging along!!



Next 20

Copyright © 2024 University of California.
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation.