Message boards :
Number crunching :
Fast Computer - Slow Internet!
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Author | Message |
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john_morriss Send message Joined: 5 Nov 99 Posts: 72 Credit: 1,969,221 RAC: 48 |
Hi... My desktop computer at home is now crunching a Result every 40 minutes (!), thanks to an optimized SETI application. Now, I'm having trouble keeping this monster fed through the dial-up connection at home. At the same time, I have a slow (2 hr 30 min per Result) laptop that travels to school, where I have a high-speed connection right at my desk. Is there ANY way I can feed the home computer from school? A search of the messages here does not raise much hope, but maybe? (edited for typos) |
Geek@Play Send message Joined: 31 Jul 01 Posts: 2467 Credit: 86,146,931 RAC: 0 |
Hi... My desktop computer at home is now crunching a Result every 40 minutes (!), thanks to an optimized SETI application. Now, I'm having trouble keeping this monster fed through the dial-up connection at home. SORRY - no can do! The system knows which clients download which work units and expects them back from that very same client computer. Boinc....Boinc....Boinc....Boinc.... |
MikeSW17 Send message Joined: 3 Apr 99 Posts: 1603 Credit: 2,700,523 RAC: 0 |
Hi... My desktop computer at home is now crunching a Result every 40 minutes (!), thanks to an optimized SETI application. Now, I'm having trouble keeping this monster fed through the dial-up connection at home. Sorry John, but you are right, you cannot feed a system except by connection. BOINC demands that the result is processed by and returned by the same computer it was issued to. |
john_morriss Send message Joined: 5 Nov 99 Posts: 72 Credit: 1,969,221 RAC: 48 |
Thanks for the information, depressing though it may be... Just to be painfully clear, the Result must be Downloaded AND Processed AND Uploaded AND Reported on the same machine. Bummer... Sigma n=0 to infinity (90-C_n) |
MikeSW17 Send message Joined: 3 Apr 99 Posts: 1603 Credit: 2,700,523 RAC: 0 |
Even so if you set a reasonably sized cache, you should be able to do a batch of downloads in say 10 minutes that should give 20 or more results, enough for a day. |
Lee Carre Send message Joined: 21 Apr 00 Posts: 1459 Credit: 58,485 RAC: 0 |
well, it's possible to process it on another machine, then upload and report on the host that was assniged the work, but it's not worth the effort. the effort needed for each workunit is excessive, and requires manual editing of xml files, and you have to know what you're doing, and it takes ages to write all the code |
Tern Send message Joined: 4 Dec 03 Posts: 1122 Credit: 13,376,822 RAC: 44 |
Even so if you set a reasonably sized cache, you should be able to do a batch of downloads in say 10 minutes that should give 20 or more results, enough for a day. This is exactly what the "Connect to network about every x days" setting is for. Set that to 1, or even 2, then connect while you're at home in the evening. A few minutes later, you can disconnect and it'll have enough to last until the next evening, at least. There's no way the download can take 40 minutes per result! :-) |
Bernhard Frey Send message Joined: 17 Dec 99 Posts: 14 Credit: 815,713 RAC: 0 |
You can use an USB stick for data transfer. You have now 2 boinc installations (one on you home computer, one on your laptop). Install boinc a 3rd time on an USB stick. So you are able to start boinic (from this USB stick) on your laptop for upload and download (a large cache of 6 - 8 days may be a good choice), then bring it at home and attach the stick to your home computer. Again you start boinic from that USB-stick and crunch. So the USB-Installation becomes your "best" host, it will crunch most units. Your existing hard drive installation on home computer is only in use, while your are carring the USB stick in your pocket (on way to school). Be careful. Never start boinic twice on a machine (from USB stick and hard drive) at the same time. If you got two USB sticks, you can move the hard drive installation of your home computer to the 2nd USB stick. You can toggle between the two sticks. One is always attached to your home computer for crunching, while the other is on the way to your laptop at school for up- and download. |
Tern Send message Joined: 4 Dec 03 Posts: 1122 Credit: 13,376,822 RAC: 44 |
Only problem with USB "thumb drives" is that they are rated for a certain maximum number of "writes". Not sure how they'd handle being written to every minute or so when SETI checkpoints. |
john_morriss Send message Joined: 5 Nov 99 Posts: 72 Credit: 1,969,221 RAC: 48 |
Even so if you set a reasonably sized cache, you should be able to do a batch of downloads in say 10 minutes that should give 20 or more results, enough for a day. Maybe I should, but I'm not! In Toronto, on a nation-wide dial-up ISP (Look / IDirect), I took 27 minutes by the Message Log to download 16 Results... And I need about 32 a day! I'm just coming to the realization that when you multiply your crunching speed by 3 or 4, you do the same to your download/upload problems! Something UCB figured out about 6 years ago... |
Dragokatzov Send message Joined: 6 May 00 Posts: 45 Credit: 15,742,981 RAC: 5 |
Your in toronto? Can you not get high speed? I think Rogers and Sympatico offer a cheap braodband plan (128 down/64 up) for $20/month not the fastest thing, but a lot better than dial up! Sympatico does have a 1 gig bandwidth cap though |
Lee Carre Send message Joined: 21 Apr 00 Posts: 1459 Credit: 58,485 RAC: 0 |
Only problem with USB "thumb drives" is that they are rated for a certain maximum number of "writes". Not sure how they'd handle being written to every minute or so when SETI checkpoints. especially with the ammount of data that can be writen, some projects (CPDN) write a LOT of data, and last time i checked, even the peak transfer rate of the best USB flash memory drives was erm, slow |
Lee Carre Send message Joined: 21 Apr 00 Posts: 1459 Credit: 58,485 RAC: 0 |
Your in toronto? Can you not get high speed? I think Rogers and Sympatico offer a cheap braodband plan (128 down/64 up) for $20/month not the fastest thing, but a lot better than dial up! [off-topic] I'm a brit, well actually i live on one of the "Channel Islands" here you can get 512/256 ADSL for £17 a month with a 20 gig cap or uncapped is 20 something why is it so expensive in america? or is it just because there are a few dollers to the pound? but i don't remember that stopping companies before, i've seen the same items for £20, €20 and $20 lol [/off-topic] |
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