Message boards :
Number crunching :
Running BOINC as a service
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Shrevnitz Send message Joined: 2 Apr 02 Posts: 19 Credit: 4,761,791 RAC: 0 ![]() |
I just added a new computer with a Radeon 7750 running Windows 7, the latest BOINC client, and the latest AMD driver. When I installed BOINC if offered me the option to install as a service. I did not do so but was wondering if it would improve my output. This machine sits headless in a closet and has no other duties. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks |
![]() Send message Joined: 19 Sep 00 Posts: 3184 Credit: 446,358 RAC: 0 ![]() |
If you install BOINC as a service, you can't use your GPUs for crunching. Gruß Gundolf |
TBar Send message Joined: 22 May 99 Posts: 5204 Credit: 840,779,836 RAC: 2,768 ![]() ![]() |
Yep, NO GPU when run as a service. You would produce much more RAC with that card running AstroPulses. The current ATI MultiBeam is a hacked port of the CUDA App. It scores LOW.... There are AstroPulses available NOW. You need to change your preferences for ATI AstroPulses Only and fill up on ATI AstroPulses instead of the ATI Multibeams. You would be much better off installing the Lunatics Optimized Apps. That way it's easier to control what the Server sends you, and you can run the Optimized CPU AstroPulse App. The Stock CPU AstroPulse App is SLOW, the Lunatics version runs much better. I'd like to see what that new card does running a few APs. That's the new Powercolor 7750? The one in the NewEgg ad? My guess is it will produce slightly better than my 6770. |
![]() Send message Joined: 25 Nov 01 Posts: 21688 Credit: 7,508,002 RAC: 20 ![]() ![]() |
Sounds ideal to run as a Linux machine! Most distro installs for boinc on Linux install boinc as a service. That's fastest and also the most secure. You can add the boinc service to the 'video' group to allow it to use your GPU. You'll also need the graphics drivers. Usually they are installed automatically or they are easily selectable. Could be an interesting run! ;-) Happy fast crunch in' Martin See new freedom: Mageia Linux Take a look for yourself: Linux Format The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3) |
Shrevnitz Send message Joined: 2 Apr 02 Posts: 19 Credit: 4,761,791 RAC: 0 ![]() |
Thanks for the advice. I downloaded the lunatics installer and ran it. I am unsure on which options to select. This is the computer that I want to optimize.... http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/show_host_detail.php?hostid=7137839 Any recommendations would be appreciated. |
TBar Send message Joined: 22 May 99 Posts: 5204 Credit: 840,779,836 RAC: 2,768 ![]() ![]() |
You need to run CPUID to see what your processor supports when making the CPU choice. AVX would be the fastest, IF your processor supports it. Place a Check in the following; Enable processing AustroPulse tasks r1797 Enable processing MultiBeam tasks r1846 Enable processing AstroPulse tasks on GPU ATI r1843 Enable processing MultiBeam tasks on GPU ATI_HD5_r1843 |
![]() Send message Joined: 9 Jun 99 Posts: 15184 Credit: 4,362,181 RAC: 3 ![]() |
AVX would be the fastest, IF your processor supports it. No, an AMD Athlon II X4 has MMX, Extended 3DNow!, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4a, AMD64, Cool'n'Quiet, NX bit, AMD-V. |
TBar Send message Joined: 22 May 99 Posts: 5204 Credit: 840,779,836 RAC: 2,768 ![]() ![]() |
The Operative Word there is IF. That doesn't mean anything other than IF. CPUID would list what his processor supports... |
TBar Send message Joined: 22 May 99 Posts: 5204 Credit: 840,779,836 RAC: 2,768 ![]() ![]() |
Thanks for the advice. I downloaded the lunatics installer and ran it. I am unsure on which options to select. It looks like you have moved the 6670 from the XP Machine back to a Windows 7 machine. The Same Windows 7 machine you just had a LEGACY card in. When you Installed the LEGACY card, it CHANGED THE DRIVER on that host. The current Driver WILL NOT WORK, AMD Radeon HD 6570/6670/7570/7670 series (Turks) (1024MB) driver: 1.4.1417. You need to stop BOINC on that Host, Uninstall the Driver, Run Driver Fusion, Reinstall Cat 13.9, and Remove all the OpenCL binary files from the SETI@Home Project folder. Then Run GPU-Z and make sure the card is identified as having OpenCL Before you launch BOINC again.... |
TBar Send message Joined: 22 May 99 Posts: 5204 Credit: 840,779,836 RAC: 2,768 ![]() ![]() |
I'm still waiting to see that new 7750 run an ATI AstroPulse. Apparently, you don't have your preferences set for APs. If you don't change your preferences to ask for APs, you will just keep receiving those MBs that take the same amount of time to run and net you 66 points verses 700. Go to your preferences, http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/prefs.php?subset=project Choose the correct set for the 7750 host and change it to; Resource share: 100 Use CPU: yes Use ATI GPU: yes Use NVIDIA: yes SETI@home Enhanced: no SETI@home v7: no AstroPulse v6: yes If no work for selected applications is available, accept work from other applications? no Then go to the BOINC Manager, select the Projects tab, and hit the Update button a couple of times until the Event Log shows it's asking for AstroPulse. Next, go to the BOINC Manager Menu TOOLS/Computing preferences/network usage Set the Minimum work buffer to 10.00 days, Set the Max additional work buffer to 0.10 days That should do it. |
Shrevnitz Send message Joined: 2 Apr 02 Posts: 19 Credit: 4,761,791 RAC: 0 ![]() |
Okay TBar... I followed your instructions including removing the driver, Driver Fusion, etc. I also re-installed Lunatics and then changed my preferences for AP only. Just waiting to see the results. Thanks for the advice. |
TBar Send message Joined: 22 May 99 Posts: 5204 Credit: 840,779,836 RAC: 2,768 ![]() ![]() |
Okay TBar... I still don't see any change. The 6670 Turks Computer just aborted another GPU task; Exit status 201 (0xc9) EXIT_MISSING_COPROC It is still listed as having Driver 1.4.1417 and NO WORKING OpenCL, AMD AMD Radeon HD 6570/6670/7570/7670 series (Turks) (1024MB) driver: 1.4.1417 __________ ? It looks like you Zapped the wrong Computer? INFO: can't open binary kernel file: C:\ProgramData\BOINC/projects/setiathome.berkeley.edu\MultiBeam_Kernels_r1843.cl_Capeverde.bin_V7, continue with recompile... INFO: binary kernel file created... At least I know where Driver 1.4.1417 is coming from. I've seen that on a few Windows 7 machines. It appears to be what Windows 7 installs when the User inserts an old card without providing a driver. It Killed your installed version of OpenCL when you installed that old card and Windows installed Driver 1.4.1417... BTW, the APs are winding down, http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/sah_status.html, and when they are gone, it will be a few days before they are back. |
Shrevnitz Send message Joined: 2 Apr 02 Posts: 19 Credit: 4,761,791 RAC: 0 ![]() |
I believe I have finally installed the appropriate drivers and selected the appropriate preferences for the Turks machine. Can you tell if there is a driver or configuration problem with the 7750 machine? Thanks |
TBar Send message Joined: 22 May 99 Posts: 5204 Credit: 840,779,836 RAC: 2,768 ![]() ![]() |
I believe I have finally installed the appropriate drivers and selected the appropriate preferences for the Turks machine. It just seems as though it's taking too long for both computers to complete a GPU task. It's hard to tell with so few finished. Make sure you have a free CPU core on both machines. Go to the BOINC Manager menu/Tools/processor usage/On multiprocessor systems, use at most and set it to 90.00. You're not receiving very many AstroPulses and will be out long before the next ones come along. When you get low on tasks, set the network usage back to Minimum work buffer 1.00 days and then change the preferences to; If no work for selected applications is available, accept work from other applications? yes If you let it fill up on 10 days of MultiBeams, it will take too long to create any room for AstroPulses when they are back. If you could receive 100 APs, that would last you through most AP outages. When you see the MultiBeam total channels to do: back to around 100, change it back to; If no work for selected applications is available, accept work from other applications? NO and set the Work buffer back to 10 days. |
Shrevnitz Send message Joined: 2 Apr 02 Posts: 19 Credit: 4,761,791 RAC: 0 ![]() |
TBar, Thanks again for all the advice. I have changed the setting for the CPU Max to 90% on both machines. I have a couple of additional questions I was hoping you would comment upon. Currently, I have only 7 tasks in progress for the 7750 machine. Do you have a recommended number of tasks at which I should change my settings to begin accepting MB tasks again? Do you have a ballpark idea of how long an astropulse should take to process? I am wondering how long it should take before I begin to see an increase in my RAC. Your assistance is much appreciated. |
TBar Send message Joined: 22 May 99 Posts: 5204 Credit: 840,779,836 RAC: 2,768 ![]() ![]() |
It looks like the Turks Host finished a few CPU APs. Since you were running all 4 cores for most of the time, those times are a little long. They still net more RAC than the MBs though. Running just 3 out of 4 CPUs will improve the times quite a bit, you'll just have to let it run and see what it does. It looks like all those Aborted GPU tasks has you quota bound, you probably won't even see a GPU AP resend until after midnight on the Turks host...if you're lucky. You might as well reset the Minimum work buffer to around 1-2 days on that host and set it to; If no work for selected applications is available, accept work from other applications? yes The 7750 managed to download a few GPU APs, you could wait a while on that one before changing the preferences to receive MBs. You might receive a few resends on that one. Both the machines showed long GPU run times with Low CPU use. Hopefully, freeing a CPU core will help that. There was another Turks Host with Driver/OpenCL problems such as yours a few days ago. He isn't using the CPUs and has a lower clocked GPU, check out his times - All tasks for computer 7082393. Most of those haven't validated, but they look good to me. Note the Run Times of the GPU APs verses GPU MBs, and the points awarded. Some people around here make a big deal because the nVidia cards score higher running APs than MBs. Well, on ATI cards the difference is about 4 times as bad as on the NV cards. If you want higher RAC on a ATI card, run APs. Just let it run with a free CPU core and see how it goes for now ;-) |
Shrevnitz Send message Joined: 2 Apr 02 Posts: 19 Credit: 4,761,791 RAC: 0 ![]() |
I do not see an option to change the work unit preferences for an individual host at http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/prefs.php?subset=project Do I need to assign each host to a specific location profile (i.e. home, school, etc.) in order to change its preferences separately? Thanks |
TBar Send message Joined: 22 May 99 Posts: 5204 Credit: 840,779,836 RAC: 2,768 ![]() ![]() |
All my Hosts have separate preferences. After you set the preferences, go to the Host Details and assign the Location at the bottom, Computer 6852707 After you make changes on the Webpages, it's a good idea to go to the Projects Tab in the BOINC Manager and hit Update until you see the changes listed in the Event Log. Set the Minimum work buffer lower Before you set/change the Preferences, else you might get 10 days of MBs in one download. |
TBar Send message Joined: 22 May 99 Posts: 5204 Credit: 840,779,836 RAC: 2,768 ![]() ![]() |
Hmmm... ATI 7750 Un-Blanked AP runtimes of 8,888.18, 10,636.40, 21,480.88, & 22,626.02? Everything is validating, so, I suppose it's working correctly. Is this an Athlon II X4 635 thing? The Athlon II X4 645 isn't doing much better. I've never owned an AMD processor, much less run one with SETI, is this normal? I would expect the Turks 6670 to preform similar to this, http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/results.php?hostid=7082393&offset=0&show_names=0&state=0&appid= The 7750 Cape Verde similar to http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/results.php?hostid=6796475&offset=100&show_names=0&state=0&appid=12 Not sure about what is actually happening. Install Ubuntu on the 635 and see if the performance is similar? Strange stuff, ideas? |
TBar Send message Joined: 22 May 99 Posts: 5204 Credit: 840,779,836 RAC: 2,768 ![]() ![]() |
No Ideas? Well, here's a Dual core Opteron 3350 HE running Two 7750s in Linux; Computer 5824571 My 7750 gave similar times in Mountain Lion, it's 5 minutes slower in Mavericks... |
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