Suggestion for BOINC Improvement.

Add a DRAIN/RESUME option to the Projects panel (right click on an individual project).

DRAIN would function to preserve my connection to a project while completing already downloaded workunits and preventing download of new ones. It would effectively cleanout the existing stash without disturbing any profile settings. This is preferable to simply disconneting from a project which also discards the in-flight workunit.

RESUME would restore normal functionality for a project where a drain had been applied.

There have been several times when this function would have been and can be very useful. For example:

<li>I'm leaving on an extended vacation and will be away from home for a couple of weeks. So, set the DRAIN on all projects far enough ahead of time that all workunits complete and no new ones are fetched prior to departure. Issue resume upon return and everything returns to normal without the need to tweak my profile or abandon workunits not processed. This is preferable to simply turning off the machine for an extended period because the report deadline for some workunits may pass while I'm not doing any processing.
<li>Maybe I want to discontinue participation in a particular project on one machine while continuing to support it on another. Solution, issue DRAIN on the one machine to complete the in process workunit while leaving everything normal on the other machine(s). This is preferable to simple disconnecting from a project because I do want to complete current workkunits and get the credit for work completed.
<li>Perhaps I want to accelerate completion of work for one project on one machine while continuing in a normal pattern on all other machines. Solution is to issue DRAIN for each other project on that machine which in effect completes the workunits for those projects and transfers all resources to the one remaining undrained. It, too, can be drained if the wish is to disconnect from the project upon completion of that workunit. This would be useful to force aggressive completion of very long running workunits (climateprediction) so that all resources could be applied to other projects. This is preferred because I've found that processing for three projects (SETI@home, Climateprediction and Einstein@home) is unsatisfactory. I'd like to drop climateprediction, but have a lot of effort committed to these very large workunits that, in all fairness to the project, should be completed before I say sayonara to them.

There are certainly other scenarios where a DRAIN/RESUME capability would provide the users with more flexibility than presently available. The largest bonus to us lies in avoiding changes to profile elements which are otherwise working well.

Your thoughtful consideration of this suggestion would be most appreciated.

Thanks,
Jim Wright

---

Hello jim,

it's already build in in the current Boinc client (4.25). Unfortunataly the original GUI doesn't support this feature.
But the add-on BoincView does, and some future versions of Boinc probably will as well.

Happy crunching!

---

Gruesse vom Saenger

For questions about Boinc look in the BOINC-Wiki

BOINCView has it but it took me a while to find. Those who want this availablility need to look for the icon 5 from the far right end of the BOINC toolbar. This is the BOINC icon with a small cross through it in a tray which I presume is the "IN" tray.

---

You can change your resource share, up it or lower it, BOINC works more or less for that project.......LOwer the connect to time, to keep a smaller cache or queue or que...

---

Semper Eadem
So long Paul, it has been a hell of a ride.

Park your ego's, fire up the computers, Science YES, Credits No.