Changes between Version 46 and Version 47 of AppPlanSpec

Timestamp:

Jul 26, 2018, 12:31:28 PM (6 years ago)

Author:

davea

Comment:

--

AppPlanSpec

@@ -25 +25 @@
 All elements except '''<name>''' are optional.
 In version numbers, M is major, m is minor, R is release.
+
+=== General ===
 
  <name>X</name> :: the name of the plan class; must obey the [AppPlan#Planclassnames rules for names].
@@ -65 +67 @@
  <max_batch>x</max_batch>:: maximum allowed batch #
 
-=== Fields for multicore apps ===
-
-The following distinguishes between "logical" and "physical" CPUs.
+=== Hyperthreading ===
+
+We distinguish between "logical" and "physical" CPUs.
 Processors with hyperthreading have two logical CPUs per physical CPUs.
-Pre-7.14 versions of the BOINC client measure and report only the number N of logical CPUs.
-For these clients, we conservatively assume that the number of physical CPUs is max(1, N/2).
-
+The numbers of usable logical and physical CPUs on a host are denoted NLC and NPC.
 "Usable" refers to computing preferences,
 which allow volunteers to limit the % of CPUs (logical and physical) that can be used.
-NUL and NUP denote the number of usable logical and physical CPUs on the host.
-
-Floating-point intensive apps should express their parallelism in terms of physical CPUs,
+
+Pre-7.14 versions of the BOINC client measure and report only NLC.
+For these clients, we conservatively assume that NPC is max(1, N/2).
+
+ <physical_threads>[0|1]</physical_threads> :: If set, each application thread uses a physical CPU;
+   the default is logical CPU.
+
+Floating-point intensive apps should use this,
 since pairs of logical CPUs generally share an FPU.
-VM-based apps should do so as well, since VMWare may refuse to create a VM with more than NUP threads.
-
- <min_ncpus>N</min_ncpus> :: run only on hosts with NUL >= N.
- <min_ncpus_phys>N</min_ncpus_phys> :: run only on hosts with NUP >= N.
- <max_threads>N [M]</max_threads>:: Use min(N, NUL-M) logical CPUs (if not specified, M is zero).
- <max_threads_phys>N [M]</max_threads_phys>:: Use min(N, NUP-M) physical CPUs (if not specified, M is zero).
+Multi-thread VM-based apps should do so as well, since VMWare may refuse to create a VM with more threads than NPC.
+
+=== Multithread apps ===
+
+By default, apps are assumed to use 1 thread.
+Plan classes for apps that use multiple threads (possibly a variable number, depending on the host)
+use the following elements.
+
+If '''<physical_threads>''' is set, NCPUS refers to NPC, otherwise to NLC.
+
+ <min_ncpus>N</min_ncpus> :: run only on hosts with NCPUS >= N.
+ <max_threads>N [M]</max_threads>:: Use min(N, NCPUS-M) threads (if not specified, M is zero).
  <nthreads_cmdline>0|1</nthreads_cmdline>:: if set, pass command-line args '''--nthreads N'''
-  to the app, where N is the number of logical CPUs to use.
+  to the app, where N is the number of threads to use.
  <mem_usage_base_mb>X</mem_usage_base_mb>::
  <mem_usage_per_cpu_mb>Y</mem_usage_per_cpu_mb>:: if specified, estimated memory usage (in Megabytes) is X + NY,
    where N is the number of CPUs used.
    Pass this to the app with a '''--memory_size_mb X''' command-line arg.
+
+Implementation note: the number of CPUs sent to the client,
+and visible to the user, is in terms of logical CPUs.
+if '''<physical_threads>''' is set, and the host is hyperthreaded,
+this will be twice the number of threads.
    
-=== Fields for GPU apps ===
+=== GPU apps ===
 
 Required:
@@ -120 +136 @@
  <max_gpu_peak_speed>X</max_gpu_peak_speed>:: use only GPUs with peak speed <= X
 
-=== Fields for AMD/ATI GPU apps ===
+=== AMD/ATI GPU apps ===
 
  <need_ati_libs/>:: Require libraries named "ati", not "amd".
@@ -157 +173 @@
 }}}
 
-=== Fields for NVIDIA GPU apps ===
+=== NVIDIA GPU apps ===
 
  <min_nvidia_compcap>MMmm</min_nvidia_compcap>:: minimum compute capability
  <max_nvidia_compcap>MMmm</max_nvidia_compcap>:: maximum compute capability
 
-=== Fields for CUDA apps ===
+=== CUDA apps ===
 
  <min_cuda_version>MMmmm</min_cuda_version>:: minimum CUDA version
  <max_cuda_version>MMmmm</max_cuda_version>:: maximum CUDA version
 
-=== Fields for OpenCL apps (CPU or GPU) ===
+=== OpenCL apps (CPU or GPU) ===
 
  <opencl/>:: include this for OpenCL applications
@@ -174 +190 @@
  <double_precision_fp/>:: reject plan class if the device doesn't support double precision floating point math
 
-=== Fields for OpenCL apps for AMD ===
+=== OpenCL apps for AMD ===
  <min_opencl_driver_revision>MMmmrr</min_opencl_driver_revision>:: minimum OpenCL driver revision
  <max_opencl_driver_revision>MMmmrr</max_opencl_driver_revision>:: maximum OpenCL driver revision
 
-=== Fields for !VirtualBox apps ===
+=== !VirtualBox apps ===
 
  <virtualbox/> :: !VirtualBox application; send only to hosts with !VirtualBox installed
@@ -191 +207 @@
 they'll be run single-core.
 
-=== Fields for Android apps ===
+=== Android apps ===
  <min_android_version>MMmmrr>:: minimum Android version (e.g. 4.1.2 = 40102)
  <max_android_version>MMmmrr>:: maximum Android version
 
-=== Fields for non-compute-intensive apps ===
+=== Non-compute-intensive apps ===
  <avg_ncpus>x</avg_ncpus>:: average # CPUs used.  Use for non-compute-intensive apps;
    for others it's calculated for you.