Yesterday afternoon we installed in a new scheduler which included some updates necessary for the upcoming Astropulse rollout. However, our network performance took an immediate hit. After about 10 minutes trying to figure out what was causing this Jeff and I realized our scheduler switch perfectly coincided with several expensive credit-analysis queries Eric was running, also in regards to the Astropulse rollout. So it wasn't the scheduler - just the database getting overloaded. That got cleared up quickly.

Last night I noticed people complaining about Mac computers being denied work. This is still an issue, probably with the new scheduler implementation, and we'll address it shortly.

We had the regular weekly outage today during which I tackled some extra things. First off, due to continuing mysql database performance issues we completely dropped the credited_job table (before we just dropped the indexes). Reminder: this is the table that connects user ids in the mysql database to result ids in the science database, so we know who did what. This is also the only table in the mysql database that grows without bounds, and therefore has been the cause of much headaches as of late. Don't worry - we have all this data archives in three formats in three different locations, and will continue to collect this data in flat file format. I also checked the integrity of the database filesystem now that it was cleaner. No problems there. I started up the projects and mysql is currently handling well over 2000 queries/sec without breaking a sweat.

- Matt

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-- BOINC/SETI@home network/web/science/development person
-- "Any idiot can have a good idea. What is hard is to do it." - Jeanne-Claude

Thanks for the info. Hope you get the Mac's going again soon.

Yesterday afternoon we installed in a new scheduler which included some updates necessary for the upcoming Astropulse rollout. However, our network performance took an immediate hit. After about 10 minutes trying to figure out what was causing this Jeff and I realized our scheduler switch perfectly coincided with several expensive credit-analysis queries Eric was running, also in regards to the Astropulse rollout. So it wasn't the scheduler - just the database getting overloaded. That got cleared up quickly.

Last night I noticed people complaining about Mac computers being denied work. This is still an issue, probably with the new scheduler implementation, and we'll address it shortly.

We had the regular weekly outage today during which I tackled some extra things. First off, due to continuing mysql database performance issues we completely dropped the credited_job table (before we just dropped the indexes). Reminder: this is the table that connects user ids in the mysql database to result ids in the science database, so we know who did what. This is also the only table in the mysql database that grows without bounds, and therefore has been the cause of much headaches as of late. Don't worry - we have all this data archives in three formats in three different locations, and will continue to collect this data in flat file format. I also checked the integrity of the database filesystem now that it was cleaner. No problems there. I started up the projects and mysql is currently handling well over 2000 queries/sec without breaking a sweat.

- Matt

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Yes, well, the number of queries against that table would be pretty small, so a flat file is probably a reasonable choice to avoid the DB updates.

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BOINC WIKI

"... Message from server: SETI@home Enhanced is not available for your type of computer."

The above message is why my machines, (and other's Macs) have not received any new work (even though SETI@home Enhanced is running)

Yes, ... our numbers (of Mac's) are small compared to all of the other computing platforms, but we'd like be able to help find ET too, please!

Hope that helps track down the bug soon, my machines are idle @ the moment. Thanks. JTH

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"... Message from server: SETI@home Enhanced is not available for your type of computer."

The above message is why my machines, (and other's Macs) have not received any new work (even though SETI@home Enhanced is running)

Yes, ... our numbers (of Mac's) are small compared to all of the other computing platforms, but we'd like be able to help find ET too, please!

Hope that helps track down the bug soon, my machines are idle @ the moment. Thanks. JTH

I'm sure that the project wants Macs running — some of the top-ranked single machines on the project are Macs — but there is clearly something preventing that.

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.

Hello, from Albany, CA!...

"... Message from server: SETI@home Enhanced is not available for your type of computer."

The above message is why my machines, (and other's Macs) have not received any new work (even though SETI@home Enhanced is running)

Yes, ... our numbers (of Mac's) are small compared to all of the other computing platforms, but we'd like be able to help find ET too, please!

Hope that helps track down the bug soon, my machines are idle @ the moment. Thanks. JTH

I'm sure that the project wants Macs running — some of the top-ranked single machines on the project are Macs — but there is clearly something preventing that.

See Here.

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UPDATE! "... Message from server: SETI@home Enhanced is not available for your type of computer."

After my problem was diagnosed, I was given a hardware specific optimized client of BOINC and ... *Snap* works like magic!

My machines have work to do ... I'm back to work!

Thanks to member arkayn for the link! You rock!

JTH

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UPDATE! "... Message from server: SETI@home Enhanced is not available for your type of computer."
JTH

@Jeffrey : Just a quick peek at your results reveal that you are still running version 4.43 of BOINC.

<core_client_version>4.43</core_client_version>

You might consider updating to the current version.

FWIW: my farm is screaming along as usual. No problems getting work - all using AK app, of course :)

Cheers, and happy crunching...

Ron

Edit: forgot to say that my cattle is exclusively of the Mac breed ;)

<snip>

Ron

Edit: forgot to say that my cattle is exclusively of the Mac breed ;)

That'll be Highland Cattle then? :)

F.

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I've tried the various fixes on line, including installing the enhanced apps, but I still get BOINC suspended or idle messages and no work. When is the real fix coming?

I've tried the various fixes on line, including installing the enhanced apps, but I still get BOINC suspended or idle messages and no work. When is the real fix coming?

If you're getting BOINC suspended messages, you've got a different problem. The bug in the scheduler is that it isn't recognizing computer TYPE for Macs.

I've tried the various fixes on line, including installing the enhanced apps, but I still get BOINC suspended or idle messages and no work. When is the real fix coming?

If you're getting BOINC suspended messages, you've got a different problem. The bug in the scheduler is that it isn't recognizing computer TYPE for Macs.

That's nice to know. What would that different problem be?

I've tried the various fixes on line, including installing the enhanced apps, but I still get BOINC suspended or idle messages and no work. When is the real fix coming?

If you're getting BOINC suspended messages, you've got a different problem. The bug in the scheduler is that it isn't recognizing computer TYPE for Macs.

That's nice to know. What would that different problem be?

Post your BOINC message log and perhaps someone will be able to help you.

Here's the message log:

Wed Jul 23 18:09:55 2008||Starting BOINC client version 5.10.45 for i686-apple-darwin
Wed Jul 23 18:09:55 2008||log flags: task, file_xfer, sched_ops
Wed Jul 23 18:09:55 2008||Libraries: libcurl/7.18.0 OpenSSL/0.9.7l zlib/1.2.3 c-ares/1.5.1
Wed Jul 23 18:09:55 2008||Data directory: /Library/Application Support/BOINC Data
Wed Jul 23 18:09:55 2008|SETI@home|Found app_info.xml; using anonymous platform
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||Processor: 4 GenuineIntel Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU 5150 @ 2.66GHz [x86 Family 6 Model 15 Stepping 6]
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||Processor features: FPU VME DE PSE TSC MSR PAE MCE CX8 APIC SEP MTRR PGE MCA CMOV PAT PSE36 CLFSH DS ACPI MMX FXSR SSE SSE2 SS HTT TM SSE3 MON DSCPL VMX EST TM2 SSSE3 CX16 TPR PDCM
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||OS: Darwin: 9.4.0
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||Memory: 4.00 GB physical, 163.88 GB virtual
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||Disk: 232.57 GB total, 163.63 GB free
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||Local time is UTC -4 hours
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008|SETI@home|URL: http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/; Computer ID: 4293871; location: (none); project prefs: default
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||General prefs: from SETI@home (last modified 06-Apr-2008 10:36:36)
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||Host location: none
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||General prefs: using your defaults
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||Reading preferences override file
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||Preferences limit memory usage when active to 1638.40MB
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||Preferences limit memory usage when idle to 3686.40MB
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||Preferences limit disk usage to 46.57GB
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||Suspending network activity - user is active
Wed Jul 23 18:25:44 2008||Resuming network activity
Wed Jul 23 18:29:10 2008||Suspending computation - user is active
Wed Jul 23 18:29:10 2008||Suspending network activity - user is active
Wed Jul 23 19:34:48 2008||Resuming computation
Wed Jul 23 19:34:48 2008||Resuming network activity
Wed Jul 23 19:35:05 2008||Suspending computation - user is active
Wed Jul 23 19:35:05 2008||Suspending network activity - user is active

Here's the message log:

Wed Jul 23 18:09:55 2008||Starting BOINC client version 5.10.45 for i686-apple-darwin
Wed Jul 23 18:09:55 2008||log flags: task, file_xfer, sched_ops
Wed Jul 23 18:09:55 2008||Libraries: libcurl/7.18.0 OpenSSL/0.9.7l zlib/1.2.3 c-ares/1.5.1
Wed Jul 23 18:09:55 2008||Data directory: /Library/Application Support/BOINC Data
Wed Jul 23 18:09:55 2008|SETI@home|Found app_info.xml; using anonymous platform
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||Processor: 4 GenuineIntel Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU 5150 @ 2.66GHz [x86 Family 6 Model 15 Stepping 6]
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||Processor features: FPU VME DE PSE TSC MSR PAE MCE CX8 APIC SEP MTRR PGE MCA CMOV PAT PSE36 CLFSH DS ACPI MMX FXSR SSE SSE2 SS HTT TM SSE3 MON DSCPL VMX EST TM2 SSSE3 CX16 TPR PDCM
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||OS: Darwin: 9.4.0
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||Memory: 4.00 GB physical, 163.88 GB virtual
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||Disk: 232.57 GB total, 163.63 GB free
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||Local time is UTC -4 hours
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008|SETI@home|URL: http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/; Computer ID: 4293871; location: (none); project prefs: default
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||General prefs: from SETI@home (last modified 06-Apr-2008 10:36:36)
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||Host location: none
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||General prefs: using your defaults
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||Reading preferences override file
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||Preferences limit memory usage when active to 1638.40MB
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||Preferences limit memory usage when idle to 3686.40MB
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||Preferences limit disk usage to 46.57GB
Wed Jul 23 18:09:56 2008||Suspending network activity - user is active
Wed Jul 23 18:25:44 2008||Resuming network activity
Wed Jul 23 18:29:10 2008||Suspending computation - user is active
Wed Jul 23 18:29:10 2008||Suspending network activity - user is active
Wed Jul 23 19:34:48 2008||Resuming computation
Wed Jul 23 19:34:48 2008||Resuming network activity
Wed Jul 23 19:35:05 2008||Suspending computation - user is active
Wed Jul 23 19:35:05 2008||Suspending network activity - user is active

You apparently have your BOINC preferences set to only be active when the system is idle (no user mouse/keyboard activity). I don't know why BOINC would suspend network activity when the user is active. I've never seen anyplace to set that.

Since BOINC found the app_info.xml file, you probably have the opt apps installed. You might double-check you're using the right Mac flavor (Intel or PPC) of those (I wouldn't know since I don't run Macs).

You apparently have your BOINC preferences set to only be active when the system is idle (no user mouse/keyboard activity). I don't know why BOINC would suspend network activity when the user is active. I've never seen anyplace to set that.

Since BOINC found the app_info.xml file, you probably have the opt apps installed. You might double-check you're using the right Mac flavor (Intel or PPC) of those (I wouldn't know since I don't run Macs).

Thanks for the response. I had installed the enhanced apps earlier today (the ones for the Xeon since I have a first-generation Mac Pro). Can you think of anything that would make BOINC think the computer was in use when it isn't? It is suspicious, though, that this problem started right when everybody else started having trouble. Guess I'll try a restart.

No luck, but one more thing just came up - a message moving across the screen that said “project does not support screensaver graphics” Wonder what THAT means?

No luck, but one more thing just came up - a message moving across the screen that said “project does not support screensaver graphics” Wonder what THAT means?

Most enhanced applications trade pretty pictures for speed.

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No luck, but one more thing just came up - a message moving across the screen that said “project does not support screensaver graphics” Wonder what THAT means?

Most enhanced applications trade pretty pictures for speed.

OK, that's fine, but I just got the "BOINC is currently suspended" message moving across my screen. Meanwhile, it appears that some work has just been performed since my credit has increased, so how can I tell if it's working properly?

What does the activity menu have selected right now?

Should be 2 items checked.

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