Over the past few weeks I have noticed that my home computers (4) have not been downloading as many WU's as before.
Each day I would complete 4-6 WU's and only download 3-4 new units. I have always set my preferences to keep at least 7 days work on the computers to allow for outages or server slow downs.
Each of the 4 computers were keeping/storing between 20-25 WU's in the Task section 'ready to run'. Sometime in the past 3-4 weeks this number has been slowly dropping until today. Now each computer only keeps the WU its computing and when finished downloads another. No more 'reserve' WU's.
In the past week or so, I've tried several changes in the computer preference area to no avail.
I have alse even tried the 'reset project' fix a couple of others have suggested. Still same thing.
The only thing I have been doing different recently is deleting the Astroulse WU's as they are downloaded, before they get a chance to begin computing.
I don't want to tie up the computer for the extended
time required to complete one Astropulse unit.

Any Ideas?
Thanks

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Different WUs take varying amounts of time to finish according to the unique stats for your computer, so in measuring your cache by how many workunits you have on hand may not be an accurate way to judge.

However, with a huge 7 day cache and only a single workunit on some machines tells me that you may be returning WUs with errors, thus reducing your daily quota for every erred out workunit returned.

With your computers hidden in your account, I have no way of looking up the results you've returned to verify my theory on my own. In your Messages tab in BOINC, do you get any messages like "fetching work..." and "No work sent, reached daily quota of X"?

Deleting AstroPulse workunits manually will return info to the servers as errors, also reducing your daily quota. I would strongly suggest you set your preferences to exclude AP workunits from being sent to you instead of manually deleting them on your own.

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OK, OZZ. I've reset preferences to show computers and disabled
AP downloads. I also took a quick look at the past reported tasks
and only see errors reported on the AP WU's I aborted. Nothing else.
I have two PC's and 2 laptops running, three of the four are down to 1 running WU, none in cache, 1 laptop has over 40 tasks waiting to run, only because this laptop has been off for a few days.. It too has started to not replenish
WU's.

Thanks for info..

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Your computers are still hidden.

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BOINC WIKI

copied from my preference setting page.
I updated every computer with these settings. Don't know why
computers still hidden.
Thanks


Combined preferences (Switch View)
Is it OK for SETI@home and your team (if any) to email you?
Emails will be sent from setiweb@ssl.berkeley.edu; make sure your spam filter accepts this address. no
Should SETI@home show your computers on its web site? yes
Default computer location home
Project specific settings Default Home School Work

Resource share
If you participate in multiple BOINC projects, this is the proportion of your resources used by SETI@home 100 100 -- --
Graphics preferences
Select Custom to edit individual parameters Custom Custom
Text style Pillars Pillars
Graph style Wireframe Wireframe
Maximum CPU % for graphics
0 ... 100 50 50
Graph grow time
seconds 3 3
Graph hold time
seconds 3 3
Transparency of surfaces
(0=transparent ... 1=opaque) 0.7 0.7
Horizontal oscillation period
seconds 0 0
Horizontal oscillation range
degrees 0 0
Vertical oscillation period
seconds 0 0
Vertical oscillation range
degrees 0 0
Number of stars 0 0
Speed of stars
Try -1000 ... 1000 0 0
Color preferences:
Select Custom to edit individual parameters Rainbow Rainbow
Start hue in graph
0 ... 1 (orange/yellow/green/blue/red/orange) 0 0
Hue change in graph
Usually -1 ... 1 1 1
URL of background image
This image (JPEG, Targa, BMP or PPM format) will be displayed in the background.
URL of logo image
This image (JPEG, Targa, BMP or PPM format) will be displayed in the lower corner.
Run only the selected applications SETI@home Enhanced: yes
Astropulse: no
SETI@home Enhanced: yes
Astropulse: no

If no work for selected applications is available, accept work from other applications? no no
Edit Edit Add Add

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The computers are now visible, all computers have a normal quota of 100/CPU/day. All computers also have a 'healthy queue', with enough tasks in them.

If Clarence doesn't see this on his machines, it sounds like he's getting an awful lot of ghost tasks.

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Ageless;

I don't know what information you are seeing on your end, but here is a task page from one of the affected computers. I only see one task in progress. Listed as 'In Progress'. Same info shows up on computers BOINC manager.

"Task ID
click for details Work unit ID
click for details Sent Time reported
or deadline
explain Server state
explain Outcome
explain Client state
explain CPU time (sec) claimed credit granted credit


Next 20
1022141942 348125334 15 Oct 2008 0:53:32 UTC 15 Oct 2008 14:50:16 UTC Over Success Done 16,535.16 45.49 pending
1022141940 348125299 15 Oct 2008 0:53:32 UTC 6 Nov 2008 21:12:39 UTC In progress --- New --- --- ---
1022141938 348125309 15 Oct 2008 0:53:32 UTC 15 Oct 2008 15:08:20 UTC Over Success Done 14,650.97 39.99 pending
1022141937 348125293 15 Oct 2008 0:53:32 UTC 15 Oct 2008 14:50:16 UTC Over Success Done 16,605.22 45.49 pending
1021634135 347887050 14 Oct 2008 10:28:23 UTC 15 Oct 2008 0:53:32 UTC Over Success Done 16,601.92 45.53 45.53
1021634134 347887044 14 Oct 2008 10:28:23 UTC 14 Oct 2008 12:59:01 UTC Over Success Done 5,536.45 14.88 pending
1021631493 347885753 14 Oct 2008 10:26:49 UTC 14 Oct 2008 12:59:01 UTC Over Success Done 71.14 0.08 0.08
1021444455 347797142 14 Oct 2008 7:00:41 UTC 14 Oct 2008 8:41:43 UTC Over Success Done 5,761.55 17.44 17.44
1021373310 347764073 14 Oct 2008 5:15:46 UTC 14 Oct 2008 6:57:26 UTC Over Success Done 5,767.69 17.44 pending
1021176927 347670998 14 Oct 2008 0:06:17 UTC 15 Oct 2008 0:53:32 UTC Over Success Done 14,244.59 37.93 pending
1020746740 347470141 13 Oct 2008 16:00:55 UTC 13 Oct 2008 18:23:05 UTC Over Success Done 6,115.56 17.43 17.43
1020620736 347409604 13 Oct 2008 14:04:29 UTC 13 Oct 2008 18:23:05 UTC Over Success Done 5,972.91 17.43 pending
1019406118 346826936 12 Oct 2008 21:27:28 UTC 12 Oct 2008 23:15:05 UTC Over Success Done 53.61 0.05 0.04
1019406109 346826927 12 Oct 2008 21:27:28 UTC 13 Oct 2008 14:04:29 UTC Over Success Done 70.06 0.07 pending
1017016254 345696202 10 Oct 2008 10:08:58 UTC 11 Oct 2008 6:02:54 UTC Over Success Done 16,801.49 45.52 pending
1015884030 345169514 9 Oct 2008 10:07:19 UTC 10 Oct 2008 0:33:39 UTC Over Success Done 17,011.05 45.50 pending
1014202245 343641456 7 Oct 2008 21:08:44 UTC 9 Oct 2008 10:07:19 UTC Over Success Done 16,189.22 57.14 pending
1013262446 343928500 6 Oct 2008 21:56:55 UTC 7 Oct 2008 8:29:03 UTC Over Success Done 16,688.58 45.29 pending
1011553282 343125399 5 Oct 2008 4:57:43 UTC 5 Oct 2008 12:30:49 UTC Over Success Done 16,449.08 45.17 pending
1009114543 341986157 2 Oct 2008 13:45:04 UTC 2 Oct 2008 23:04:41 UTC Over Success Done 16,408.13 44.94 pending"

One of my laptops, powered off for nearly a week, is showing 51 tasks available, same thing shows on laptop's BOINC manager.
I left this laptop on overnight, now it too is not downloading any new tasks.
Yesterday it had 57 tasks, completed 5 but did not download any new tasks after completing a task when the laptop connects to the Berkeley computers it receives a return message, "Sending scheduler request, requesting 0 seconds of work reporting 1 completed tasks"


Ghost task?? Don't know what this is, but yesterday during Berkeleys' service maintenance window, as my computers completed the single task, they fell silent, nothing was in the queue. Laptop chugged along happilt along.

Thanks

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Please post the running stats from the effected computers.

example from my account.
% of time BOINC client is running 99.8755 %
While BOINC running, % of time host has an Internet connection 99.2542 %
While BOINC running, % of time work is allowed 99.9924 %
Average CPU efficiency 0.959577

Sometimes these can get messed up if the computer is kept off for an extended period of time or in some rare cases if there is a glitch.

This could cause your computer to make low WU request.

---

Boinc V7.2.42
Win7 i5 3.33G 4GB, GTX470

1st laptop on all time

% of time BOINC client is running 88.2396 %
While BOINC running, % of time work is allowed 99.983 %
Average CPU efficiency 0.990962

PC3

% of time BOINC client is running 85.2508 %
While BOINC running, % of time work is allowed 99.9844 %
Average CPU efficiency 0.988724

PC1

% of time BOINC client is running 99.9114 %
While BOINC running, % of time work is allowed 99.2233 %
Average CPU efficiency 0.959483

laptop turned off for a week

% of time BOINC client is running 98.9788 %
While BOINC running, % of time work is allowed 84.2286 %
Average CPU efficiency 0.980202

1st laptop, PC1 & PC3 are on 24/7/365.

Thanks

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1st laptop on all time

% of time BOINC client is running 88.2396 %
While BOINC running, % of time work is allowed 99.983 %
Average CPU efficiency 0.990962

PC3

% of time BOINC client is running 85.2508 %
While BOINC running, % of time work is allowed 99.9844 %
Average CPU efficiency 0.988724

PC1

% of time BOINC client is running 99.9114 %
While BOINC running, % of time work is allowed 99.2233 %
Average CPU efficiency 0.959483

laptop turned off for a week

% of time BOINC client is running 98.9788 %
While BOINC running, % of time work is allowed 84.2286 %
Average CPU efficiency 0.980202

1st laptop, PC1 & PC3 are on 24/7/365.

Thanks

Those look fairly normal.

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BOINC WIKI

One of my laptops, powered off for nearly a week, is showing 51 tasks available, same thing shows on laptop's BOINC manager.
I left this laptop on overnight, now it too is not downloading any new tasks.
Yesterday it had 57 tasks, completed 5 but did not download any new tasks after completing a task when the laptop connects to the Berkeley computers it receives a return message, "Sending scheduler request, requesting 0 seconds of work reporting 1 completed tasks"

BOINC does not always fetch work immediately, especially if the cache was already filled.

The message "requesting 0 seconds of work, reporting 1 completed task" indicates that BOINC did not think you needed more work so it should fetch some when it depletes the cache a little more.

With 57 tasks stored, it looks like you have plenty of work. I'm not seeing a problem so far.

Ozz;
I'm talking about 4 computers here.
The one laptop has 50+in it's que because it was off for some time, the other three computers used to retain that many in the task queue until a couple of weeks/month ago. I do this because Berkeley's servers have a habit of failing for several days at a time and I like to keep the computers working while Berkeley is down.

As explained in earlier posts over the last couple of weeks/month the other computers are down to one task, the one running, no queue or extra tasks. The laptop that was powered off for some time has plenty since it was not running. But now that this laptop is back computing it too is not replenishing the task queue since turned back on.

Everyone;
About my computers/setup.
Nothing has changed, configuration in my preference pages is the same as nearly 3 years ago. Only thing changed yesterday is that I now refuse the Astropulse tasks. Problem/sysmtoms started way before this..

No new software on any computer, no virus, no malware and same ISP/DSL service.
connected 24/7/365.

Why, suddenly, are all 4 computers not replenishing the tasks as before?

---

Ozz;
I'm talking about 4 computers here.
The one laptop has 50+in it's que because it was off for some time, the other three computers used to retain that many in the task queue until a couple of weeks/month ago. I do this because Berkeley's servers have a habit of failing for several days at a time and I like to keep the computers working while Berkeley is down.

As explained in earlier posts over the last couple of weeks/month the other computers are down to one task, the one running, no queue or extra tasks. The laptop that was powered off for some time has plenty since it was not running. But now that this laptop is back computing it too is not replenishing the task queue since turned back on.

Everyone;
About my computers/setup.
Nothing has changed, configuration in my preference pages is the same as nearly 3 years ago. Only thing changed yesterday is that I now refuse the Astropulse tasks. Problem/sysmtoms started way before this..

No new software on any computer, no virus, no malware and same ISP/DSL service.
connected 24/7/365.

Why, suddenly, are all 4 computers not replenishing the tasks as before?

You have two separate problems. The laptop that was off for a time is easy to explain. If it has a queue that is several weeks old, there is very likely to be a deadline problem, and BOINC is reluctant to get more work if there is a deadline problem.

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BOINC WIKI

John;
Sounds like you're suggesting that BOINC has quit downloading to the three computers with no tasks in queue because of the high task count in the laptop.

Wrong. The earliest report date in the queue for this computer is 10/29 last one is 11/7/08... The laptop, if left on 24/7, can crank out 4-10 tasks a day depending on size.

Besides as explained several times before, the other computers always had their own 7 day reserve of tasks queued up. Now nothing. No ghosts, nothing.

Tuesday when maintenance was being performed on the servers, these 3 computers sat around doing nothing until the servers came back on line. Then they all loaded just 1 task eack.

Is it possible someone/group has hijacked my account? In the past year I've steadily declined a world position of around 17,300 to 18,300 today. Credit per day dropped from around average of 1,000 down to 600 per day. Concidence?
Same computers, same work conditions. No new programs or excessive use by anyone else. No programs running in background, according to Windows Task Manager Seti/Boinc is the only program running with 99% CPU usage. These computers are in my home.

Any more ideas as to why no task queue?

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Is it possible someone/group has hijacked my account?

No. Hijacking an account may sound the thing to do, but what's the use? You can't move credits from one account to the next. You can't even steal tasks from another one's computer and run it on your own, as you won't be able to upload them.

What happens if you reset one of the computers?

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Ageless

Nothing happens when reset. I've aborted tasks, reset project and rebooted. Anything you can think concerning computer maintenance/operation I've done.
I work in computer system design and maintenance so I'm confident that this is not a hardware/OS problem.

Thanks

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Has anybody already checked Clarence's local prefs?

Clarence, do you have a line stating "Reading preferences override file" in your messages list? If so, open your BOINC Manager, click "Advanced View" if you're in simple view mode -> menu "Advanced" -> "Preferences..." Now either click "clear" button to revert to your web based preferences or check and adjust those settings as needed. Seems to me like your connection interval is set to "0" (which means only one unit to process at a time...)

HTH
Andy

John;
Sounds like you're suggesting that BOINC has quit downloading to the three computers with no tasks in queue because of the high task count in the laptop.

Wrong. The earliest report date in the queue for this computer is 10/29 last one is 11/7/08... The laptop, if left on 24/7, can crank out 4-10 tasks a day depending on size.

Besides as explained several times before, the other computers always had their own 7 day reserve of tasks queued up. Now nothing. No ghosts, nothing.

Tuesday when maintenance was being performed on the servers, these 3 computers sat around doing nothing until the servers came back on line. Then they all loaded just 1 task eack.

Is it possible someone/group has hijacked my account? In the past year I've steadily declined a world position of around 17,300 to 18,300 today. Credit per day dropped from around average of 1,000 down to 600 per day. Concidence?
Same computers, same work conditions. No new programs or excessive use by anyone else. No programs running in background, according to Windows Task Manager Seti/Boinc is the only program running with 99% CPU usage. These computers are in my home.

Any more ideas as to why no task queue?

No, that is NOT what I was suggesting. If I have it right, you are seeing the same problem on all of your computers. The one that has the large queue left where the machine was off for a while is easy to explain, the others are going to be more difficult.

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BOINC WIKI

OK, it is time to gather some data.

Post the time_stats section of the client_state.xml file for each computer (in the BOINC data directory).
What projects is each computer attached to?
What resource share does each project have?
What is the duration_correction_factor for each project (in client_state.xml).
What are the CPU time remaining and the wall time till deadline for all each task. Please note which project each task is from.
What are the settings for "Connect every X days" and "Keep X days of extra work" from the web site or the GUI?

What are your disk settings? What is the size of your HD? How much is free?

What version of BOINC?

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BOINC WIKI