Unintended consequences

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Steven Gaber

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Message 2009396 - Posted: 26 Aug 2019, 19:23:03 UTC

Something has changed in the way my compute is processing or at least selecting tasks.

Previously, my computer would crunch three S@H tasks simultaneously, or any combination of S@H, Asteroids and one Rosetta task (Rosetta is a resource hog).

Now it will only run two tasks at once, which is slowing down my S@H RAC.

I don't know how this change took place.

There are 29 S@H tasks ready to start with only two running, where it would previously run three.

In addition, I have 67 Asteroids tasks suspended, and 15 Rosetta tasks suspended. Both of those projects have impossible deadlines, so I specified No New Tasks for them.

My preference is to run two S@H tasks and one Asteroids or Rosetta task, but I don't know how to do that.

Suggestions requested.

Thank you.
Steven Gaber
Oldsmar, FL
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Message 2009453 - Posted: 27 Aug 2019, 0:49:19 UTC
Last modified: 27 Aug 2019, 0:53:06 UTC

I am running 8 SETI@home CPU tasks plus one GPU task on a Windows 10 PC with Ryzen 5 1400 CPU. I am running Science United on a Windows 8.1 PC with A10-6700 CPU but it gives me only Milkyway@home tasks, 4 CPU tasks and one GPU.
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Grant (SSSF)
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Message 2009479 - Posted: 27 Aug 2019, 6:28:19 UTC - in response to Message 2009396.  

My preference is to run two S@H tasks and one Asteroids or Rosetta task, but I don't know how to do that.
In simple terms, it's not really possible to do that consistently.

The way work is processed is according to your resource share settings. Given that Seti has different types of WUs (Work Units or Tasks)- GreenBank Telescope (GBT) & Arecibo, and within those WUs there are ones that process very quickly, others that take a more usual length of time, and others that take a very long time (and the very occasional ones that take even longer). And then there are the different processing times for the other projects WUs.

So even if you were to limit the number of WUs a given project could run at a time, there would be periods where one or more projects wouldn't process any work at all in order for the Manager to meet your resource share settings.
And the more projects you do, and the large your cache settings, and if you suspend then re-enable work for a project, then the longer it takes for the resource share settings to be met, and the more instances of all or some or just one project will be processed at any given time will occur.
Grant
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Steven Gaber

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Message 2010418 - Posted: 2 Sep 2019, 3:11:24 UTC - in response to Message 2009479.  

Thanks, Grant.

However, when last week would only run two tasks at once, somehow it corrected itself, and will now run three.

The reason I suspend Rosetta and sometimes Asteroids is that they both sent me very long task lists that were impossible to accomplish. Then they, especially Rosetta, would take will take over and I'd get no SETI work done.

If they sent me reasonable numbers of tasks with reasonable deadlines, I wouldn't have to do that.

Also, S@H is my favorite. After nearly 19 years, I have a great deal of loyalty towards it. The others are just late-comers.

Steve Gaber
Oldsmar, FL
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Message 2011043 - Posted: 7 Sep 2019, 3:00:17 UTC - in response to Message 2010418.  

Thanks, Grant.

However, when last week would only run two tasks at once, somehow it corrected itself, and will now run three.

The reason I suspend Rosetta and sometimes Asteroids is that they both sent me very long task lists that were impossible to accomplish. Then they, especially Rosetta, would take will take over and I'd get no SETI work done.

If they sent me reasonable numbers of tasks with reasonable deadlines, I wouldn't have to do that.

Also, S@H is my favorite. After nearly 19 years, I have a great deal of loyalty towards it. The others are just late-comers.

Steve Gaber
Oldsmar, FL

Hello and sorry for the late post. I may be wrong on some of these points, but here is my experience.
A recommendation, at least when you first join a new project, is to set Boinc to have a very small cache of work.
This can be found under either computing preferences on a project's website, or in Boinc's computing options.
It appears similar to keep X days of work and an additional X days of work.
This especially applies when you're running 2 or 3 projects at a time, it's generally been my experience that having this set to a smaller number generally helps deadlines be kept and there will always be some sort of work to be done with multiple projects selected.
Also don't forget that under Roseta's specific preferences (under the Roseta project preferences), you can set your target runtime to less than the default - I believe the least amount is 1 hour.
If you'd like less of a resource hog yet retain the ability to help in the medical field, may I recommend World community grid.
As for me, I've only recently begun branching out of my comfortable place and trying out different projects in the long term. It's fun seeing projects like this one that have a lively community and, from all accounts, communicative staff that keep us up to date on findings and new advancements in both the science and the program versions that allow us to crunch them.
Hope that helps!
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Message boards : Number crunching : Unintended consequences


 
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