Posts by somitcw

1) Message boards : Questions and problems : Can I reduce I/O using memory? continuation (Message 77787)
Posted 8 May 2017 by somitcw
Post:
Thread:
Can I reduce I/O using memory?
of 12 Jan 2017, 17:21:18 UTC was locked for an unstated reason or reasons
so this thread is a continuation.

Best responses so far were:

tanstaafl9999 User ID 33218 suggested:
"...increase the checkpoint time to 900 seconds...".

HAL9000 User ID 38153 suggested:
"...use a RAM disk with BOINC over the years.
My preference is the free version from dataram..."

I set checkpoint to 3600 seconds and installed the free DataRAM software.

but:

I run the re-boot operating system, Windows, so reboot every day just in case.
After a week, when Windows 10 was rebooted, the RAMDisk image was damaged
so when a memory version was added as a disk, it did not show as a disk.
I'm luckily that I had reasonable backup.

I switched to:
http://www.radeonramdisk.com/software_downloads.php
which was the same software as DataRAM's software except it had higher limits
on the free version and a good price for the lowest paid version.

The higher free limit of 4095MB instead of 1023MB wasn't needed and would slow saving
and loading the disk image so I stayed with the 1023MB size that was the limit on the
software that was down loaded from DataRAM.
Dropping to 511MB or perhaps even 255MB would be reasonable for me but no reason
to risk running out of disk space to save a few seconds daily saving and loading the
image file.

The price of 9.99 in U.S. currency means that if the AMD "re-branded" software
continues to work, I will probably consider a purchase to get the additional features?
2) Message boards : Questions and problems : Can I reduce I/O using memory? (Message 75360)
Posted 18 Jan 2017 by somitcw
Post:
Boinc on my USB jump drive died.
So far, I haven't even been able to uninstall Boinc.
I assUme that the flaky USB controller contributed more to
the failure than the constant use.

While others may want to add pounding to a boot disk, I don't.
After I find suitable RamDisk software, I'll reinstall Boinc.
3) Message boards : Questions and problems : Can I reduce I/O using memory? (Message 75333)
Posted 16 Jan 2017 by somitcw
Post:
I have looked into your RamDisk suggestion but haven't found
one that I liked yet. Most don't say if data is persistent so
this could end up a long trial and error venture.

With BOINC pounding on hard-drives 24/7, it is nice to know
that you declare "I don't think running BOINC will kill any HDD".
That is what you said.
4) Message boards : Questions and problems : Can I reduce I/O using memory? (Message 75222)
Posted 12 Jan 2017 by somitcw
Post:
BOINC 7.6.33 (x64)
current Windows 10
probably all projects but Asteroids@home is what I'm running today.

Windows Task Manager, Performance tab, Open Resource Manager
shows slow constant I/O writing to BOINC's ProgramData folder.
Files are sub-miniature tiny measured in a few KB but always busy.
But BOINC and the System are using the files constantly.

Disk drives and USB jump drives wear out faster with constant access.
USB jump drives wear out faster with writing than if BOINC was reading.

With many recommending Windows 10 system have a minimum of 2GB of
memory but many using many times that, is there a way to tell BOINC to
keep most data in memory?

When I have at least 2GB of memory, 2KB for a disk file is one millionth of that.
Memory is also faster that a USB jump drive.

BOINC writing once a minute, once per blue moon, or only on
normal shutdown would not be an issue.
Is there a BOINC option to buffer the write or software?
Could software like VirualBox do that?

P.S. I installed BOINC this time on a USB jump drive because years ago
it was beating my system hard drive to death.



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