WinServer 2012 R2 Essential and BOINC

Questions and Answers : Windows : WinServer 2012 R2 Essential and BOINC
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Message 1656009 - Posted: 23 Mar 2015, 12:36:19 UTC

I am still running BOINC version 5.x. Should I upgrade to 7.x?

And how should I install 7.x to enable GPU computing?
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Message 1656013 - Posted: 23 Mar 2015, 12:51:18 UTC - in response to Message 1656009.  

If your WinServer 2012 R2 is running as a Domain Controller, you will receive an message that BOINC versions in the 6.x.x or newer series are incompatible due to BOINC being unable to create the required local accounts. You can manually create the local accounts then extract the .MSI out of the BOINC installer .EXE and install anyway.

As for GPU computing, you simply need to make sure your video card driver has the required SDK to support crunching. Simply install as a regular process (do not install as a service account). Which brings up another caveat: you must have a user logged into the server at all times to allow GPU crunching. If your server reboots for any reason and remains at the login screen, you will not be crunching on the GPU.
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Message 1656449 - Posted: 24 Mar 2015, 15:24:58 UTC - in response to Message 1656013.  

As for GPU computing,... you must have a user logged into the server at all times to allow GPU crunching. If your server reboots for any reason and remains at the login screen, you will not be crunching on the GPU.

Thanks! I guess I should stay with BOINC 5.x then. :)

Will future versions of BOINC solve these problems in Win Servers?
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Message 1656522 - Posted: 24 Mar 2015, 23:54:19 UTC - in response to Message 1656449.  

Will future versions of BOINC solve these problems in Win Servers?


It is not a BOINC issue. Microsoft fundamentally changed the way the graphics driver works from the Vista kernel and on. The video driver is no longer running in Ring 0 context (kernel mode), but in Ring 3 (user mode). This was done to mitigate a video driver crash from bringing down the entire system and improve system stability overall. Only a basic video driver is used during the boot process until after a user logs on, then the full featured driver is loaded.
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Message 1656699 - Posted: 25 Mar 2015, 13:06:11 UTC - in response to Message 1656449.  

Will future versions of BOINC solve these problems in Win Servers?

If it was Windows Server 2003 (= Windows XP equivalent) - there exist some 'intermediate' BOINC versions which may allow GPU use even if BOINC runs as service.
(for 'Domain Controller' those BOINC versions still will need manual installation)

After a certain BOINC version (I don't remember which) they no longer even try to detect GPU if BOINC runs as a service.
(and yes, "It is not a BOINC issue" on Vista++)
 


- ALF - "Find out what you don't do well ..... then don't do it!" :)
 
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Questions and Answers : Windows : WinServer 2012 R2 Essential and BOINC


 
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