wiki:WrapperApp

Version 9 (modified by davea, 17 years ago) (diff)

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Legacy applications

A legacy application is one which is difficult to modify to use the BOINC API (for example, because an executable is available, but not the source code). Such applications can be run under BOINC using a 'wrapper application' supplied by BOINC. The wrapper handles all communication with the core client, and runs the legacy application as a subprocess:

http://boinc.berkeley.edu/wrapper.png

Here's an example that shows how to set this up:

  • Compile the program 'worker' from the boinc_samples tree, producing (say) 'worker_5.10_windows_intelx86.exe'. This is the legacy app. If reads from stdin and writes to stdout; it also opens and reads a file 'in', and opens and writes a file 'out'. It takes one command-line argument: the number of CPU seconds to use.
  • Compile the program 'wrapper' from the boinc_samples tree, producing (say) 'wrapper_5.10_windows_intelx86.exe'. This program executes your legacy application, and acts as a proxy for it (to report CPU time etc.).
  • Create an application named 'worker', and a corresponding directory 'project/apps/worker'. In this directory, create a directory 'wrapper_5.10_windows_intelx86.exe'. Put the files 'wrapper_5.10_windows_intelx86.exe', and 'worker_5.10_windows_intelx86.exe' there.
  • In the same directory, create a file 'job.xml=job_1.12.xml' (1.12 is a version number) containing
    <job_desc>
        <task>
            <application>worker_5.10_windows_intelx86.exe</application>
            <stdin_filename>stdin</stdin_filename>
            <stdout_filename>stdout</stdout_filename>
            <command_line>10</command_line>
        </task>
    </job_desc>
    
    This file is read by 'wrapper'; it tells it the name of the legacy program, what files to connect to its stdin/stdout, and a command line.
  • Create a workunit template file
    <file_info>
        <number>0</number>
    </file_info>
    <file_info>
        <number>1</number>
    </file_info>
    <workunit>
        <file_ref>
            <file_number>0</file_number>
            <open_name>in</open_name>
            <copy_file/>
        </file_ref>
        <file_ref>
            <file_number>1</file_number>
            <open_name>stdin</open_name>
        </file_ref>
        <rsc_fpops_bound>1000000000000</rsc_fpops_bound>
        <rsc_fpops_est>1000000000000</rsc_fpops_est>
    </workunit>
    
    and a result template file
    <file_info>
        <name><OUTFILE_0/></name>
        <generated_locally/>
        <upload_when_present/>
        <max_nbytes>5000000</max_nbytes>
        <url><UPLOAD_URL/></url>
    </file_info>
    <file_info>
        <name><OUTFILE_1/></name>
        <generated_locally/>
        <upload_when_present/>
        <max_nbytes>5000000</max_nbytes>
        <url><UPLOAD_URL/></url>
    </file_info>
    <result>
        <file_ref>
            <file_name><OUTFILE_0/></file_name>
            <open_name>out</open_name>
            <copy_file/>
        </file_ref>
        <file_ref>
            <file_name><OUTFILE_1/></file_name>
            <open_name>stdout</open_name>
        </file_ref>
    </result>
    
    Note that the files opened directly by the legacy program must have the <copy_file> tag.
  • Run update_versions to create an app version.
  • Run a script like
    cp download/input `bin/dir_hier_path input`
    cp download/input2 `bin/dir_hier_path input2`
    
    bin/create_work -appname worker -wu_name worker_nodelete \
    -wu_template templates/worker_wu \
    -result_template templates/worker_result \
    input input2
    
    to generate a workunit.

Notes:

  • This requires version 5.5 or higher of the BOINC core client.
  • Multiple tasks per job is not implemented yet. Future versions of wrapper may allow you to run multiple applications in sequence (as specified in the job.xml file).
  • TODO: provide a way for projects to supply an animated GIF which is shown (with user/team credit text) as screensaver graphics.
  • If the wrapper itself has command-line arguments (e.g., specified in the workunit template) these are passed to the application, after those specified in the job file.
  • If the wrapper is used in standalone mode (while debugging), you have to provide the input files with the proper logical, not physical, names.
  • The general form of the job file is:
    <job_desc>
        <task>
            <application>worker_5.10_windows_intelx86.exe</application>
            <stdin_filename>stdin_file</stdin_filename>
            <stdout_filename>stdout_file</stdout_filename>
            [ <stderr_filename>stderr_file</stderr_filename> ]
            [ <command_line>--foo bar</command_line> ]
        </task>
    </job_desc>
    

To understand how all this works: at the beginning of execution, the file layout is:

Project directoryslot directory
inputin (copy of project/input)
job_1.12.xmljob.xml (link to project/job_1.12.xml)
input2stdin (link to project/input2)
worker_nodelete_0stdout (link to project/worker_nodelete_0)
worker_5.10_windows_intelx86.exeworker_5.10_windows_intelx86.exe (link to project/worker_5.10_windows_intelx86.exe)
wrapper_5.10_windows_intelx86.exewrapper_5.10_windows_intelx86.exe(link to project/wrapper_5.10_windows_intelx86.exe)

The wrapper program executes the worker, connecting its stdin to project/input2 and its stdout to project/worker_nodelete_0. The worker program opens 'in' for reading and 'out' for writing.

When the worker program finishes, the wrapper sees this and exits. Then the BOINC core client copies slot/out to project/worker_nodelete_1.