BOINC Pentathlon 2019

[leadeater]

54 minutes ago, Windows7ge said:

Now I have a new issue. BOINC is only using 32 of my 64 thread server. I'm wondering if there's a soft limit of 32 concurrent tasks. It does appear to be using both CPU's but it's only using any 32 threads at random. I wonder if there's a workaround for that.

I get something similar on my servers, looking at the iLO system management it says the CPUs are 100% utilized so I'm assuming it's limiting to the true core count maybe.

 

54 minutes ago, Windows7ge said:

In the meantime I earned the Bronze badge for folding  and I'm 3/4ths to Silver. How does one acquire badges on the forum? I've heard you have to ask admin's like colonel_mortis but what are some of the actual requirements to earn them? I think I've been a member long enough it's time to earn some badges.

I'd wait until after the marathon event. Honestly I hate having them, I'd rather not.

[leadeater]

3 hours ago, Windows7ge said:

So...do we start now? Do we release the WU's?

Looks like most of the top teams bunkered hard, looking at the total points versus their current hourly output makes that really obvious.

 

Spoiler

Think we're 6th on hourly output.

[Windows7ge]

21 minutes ago, leadeater said:

I get something similar on my servers, looking at the iLO system management it says the CPUs are 100% utilized so I'm assuming it's limiting to the true core count maybe.

I don't know about that because the Ubuntu server is using all 32 threads of which only 16 are true (2x 2670's). That's why I'm confused and wondering if there's a 32 simultaneous task limit. I think I have a solution though. It's not the best but it's better than having those cores sit idle. I think I can use hyper-v to use all those unused cores in a VM and I'll adjust the max CPU utilization within BOINC within the VM low enough to where it doesn't smother itself and the host. I'm thinking 90% maybe 80% we'll see.

 

31 minutes ago, leadeater said:

I'd wait until after the marathon event. Honestly I hate having them, I'd rather not.

I plan to wait. I've been running BOINC for about 2 days and I'm already almost at Silver I want to see how far I get before I bring it up to any admin here. And what? Why? They're colorful, shiny, and interactive. Makes me a little jelly.

[leadeater]

1 minute ago, Windows7ge said:

I don't know about that because the Ubuntu server is using all 32 threads of which only 16 are true (2x 2670's). That's why I'm confused and wondering if there's a 32 simultaneous task limit. I think I have a solution though. It's not the best but it's better than having those cores sit idle. I think I can use hyper-v to use all those unused cores in a VM and I'll adjust the max CPU utilization within BOINC within the VM low enough to where it doesn't smother itself and the host. I'm thinking 90% maybe 80% we'll see.

Might be better performance to split out the host and VM in to a full socket each maybe?

[Windows7ge]

1 minute ago, leadeater said:

Might be better performance to split out the host and VM in to a full socket each maybe?

I've still never used this hypervisor before but if instead of just throwing 32 random cores at it Hyper-V is capable of going "Hey, VM, you see that barely utilized ENTIRE CPU over there? Yeah, just take it. Don't even ask me permission." then yeah I'll tick that box. Not sure if the performance gain will mean anything substantial but I'll do it if I find the setting.

 

10 minutes ago, leadeater said:

Looks like most of the top teams bunkered hard, looking at the total points versus their current hourly output makes that really obvious.

I tried to bunker but the "advanced bunkering techniques" didn't work on Windows Server and nobody answered my plea for assistance so I was only able to drop a mere 401 WU's. I KNOW I could have more than doubled that. Now that I think about it I could have virtualized the process and achieve the same result as adv bunkering...welp I guess that's a thought for next year 

[leadeater]

26 minutes ago, Windows7ge said:

I tried to bunker but the "advanced bunkering techniques" didn't work on Windows Server and nobody answered my plea for assistance so I was only able to drop a mere 401 WU's. I KNOW I could have more than doubled that. Now that I think about it I could have virtualized the process and achieve the same result as adv bunkering...welp I guess that's a thought for next year 

Shouldn't it be exactly the same was desktop Windows? Use the manager GUI to set 1KB/s up limit and set upload time to a single minute of the day?

 

My daily generation seems to have stabilized at 500k/day, realized that for only 4 of the 6 servers though. Server 1 and 6 aren't setup or have working network access which is what i was trying to fix to get them going.

[Windows7ge]

Just now, leadeater said:

Shouldn't it be exactly the same was desktop Windows? Use the manager GUI to set 1KB/s up limit and set upload time to a single minute of the day?

That was the kind-of "normal" bunkering. The Adv bunkering was where you get 2 instances of BOINC running at the same time allowing you to hold more jobs because there does appear to be a limit on how many jobs it'll download without you returning results. My hard cap was 200.

 

The issue I ran into was CMD didn't recognize the arguments that were appended onto the shortcut's directory where boinc.exe was located. Why? I don't know but it happened so...I think virtualization would be better. You could setup like 8 VMs, give them 4 or 8 cores each, each VM would download 200 jobs and you could just let them crunch until the event starts. However many got done you submit. Easy cheat method. Makes adv bunkering unnecessary.

 

12 minutes ago, leadeater said:

My daily generation seems to have stabilized at 500k/day, realized that for only 4 of the 6 servers though. Server 1 and 6 aren't setup or have working network access which is what i was trying to fix to get them going.

If you have ~ the same amount of cores as I do that doesn't sound right. Or I'm looking at the wrong numbers. Of course I have to get the VM online and get it crunching THEN wait 24hrs before I have my true average. Let's go by this. What do you have for "Avg. Points Per Calendar Day"? I'm at 5,422.99 & climbing.

[leadeater]

2 minutes ago, Windows7ge said:

That was the kind-of "normal" bunkering. The Adv bunkering was where you get 2 instances of BOINC running at the same time allowing you to hold more jobs because there does appear to be a limit on how many jobs it'll download without you returning results. My hard cap was 200.

Hmm, not that I managed to try it but the manager app can connect to remote/other instances. Should have been able to just put in the IP/ComputerName:port and change the limits. Too late now I guess.

[leadeater]

4 minutes ago, Windows7ge said:

If you have ~ the same amount of cores as I do that doesn't sound right. Or I'm looking at the wrong numbers. Of course I have to get the VM online and get it crunching THEN wait 24hrs before I have my true average. Let's go by this. What do you have for "Avg. Points Per Calendar Day"? I'm at 5,422.99 & climbing.

 

Remember I only actually have 48 cores active.

 

 

 

Those random 2 others is my work desktop and my gaming PC (which is not active, just used it for setup test).

[Windows7ge]

2 minutes ago, leadeater said:

Hmm, not that I managed to try it but the manager app can connect to remote/other instances. Should have been able to just put in the IP/ComputerName:port and change the limits. Too late now I guess.

I tried removing the "use no more than x GB" restriction and told it to download more days worth of work but it just didn't do it 

[Windows7ge]

@leadeater Weird. You have numbers way beyond mine but I still have numbers that almost touch yours:

Maybe it just needs more time to update? No idea.

[leadeater]

1 minute ago, Windows7ge said:

@leadeater Weird. You have numbers way beyond mine but I still have numbers that almost touch yours:

Maybe it just needs more time to update? No idea.

I think this is far more useful

https://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/ms/viewMemberStatHistory.do

 

You can track your actual daily output day by day.

[Windows7ge]

1 minute ago, leadeater said:

You can track your actual daily output day by day.

Yeah that's probably a better metric to go by comparing performance against others. I'll need a couple days before I find my true max output.

[leadeater]

2 minutes ago, Windows7ge said:

Yeah that's probably a better metric to go by comparing performance against others. I'll need a couple days before I find my true max output.

Better get cracking, expecting big output from you 

[Windows7ge]

15 minutes ago, leadeater said:

Better get cracking, expecting big output from you 

If I can just get Hyper-V to find my NIC (which it's only seeing the onboard) I'll be on your tail. Just you wait.

 

Edit: Found a tutorial. Got Hyper-V to find my AIC NIC.

[Mattias Edeslatt]

6 hours ago, Windows7ge said:

In the meantime I earned the Bronze badge for folding  and I'm 3/4ths to Silver. How does one acquire badges on the forum? I've heard you have to ask admin's like colonel_mortis but what are some of the actual requirements to earn them? I think I've been a member long enough it's time to earn some badges.

 

You are not mixing up the badges at the forum and the badges at BOINC/WCG page? 

[leadeater]

Just now, Mattias Edeslatt said:

You are not mixing up the badges at the forum and the badges at BOINC/WCG page? 

The badges are manual on the forum so need to be asked for. However for some things like folding events a list of members and their status is submitted in bulk then applied. I know I didn't ask for mine, didn't want them but they are there.

[porina]

7 hours ago, leadeater said:

Like if it's close enough I want to know if I should start up more servers.

Just be aware some may bunker and only dump towards the end of each stage.

6 hours ago, Windows7ge said:

Now I have a new issue. BOINC is only using 32 of my 64 thread server. I'm wondering if there's a soft limit of 32 concurrent tasks. It does appear to be using both CPU's but it's only using any 32 threads at random. I wonder if there's a workaround for that.

While poking through the (web) settings there was a task limit option that can be set as number of tasks or % of CPU. Maybe that's set to limit? Can be found on the website of a project. Think boinc uses the last project settings you edit, as they are global but on every project page.

[leadeater]

1 minute ago, porina said:

Just be aware some may bunker and only dump towards the end of each stage.

Mostly waiting to see the per hour credits stabilize across the teams then I'll get a better handle on what things are like. Some teams still have crazy high credit per hour and if that is real we have zero chance lol. I mean I'm doing around 20k/h and even if I double that it's still 10x minimum less than what some teams are ahead of us by per hour.

[GOTSpectrum]

1 hour ago, leadeater said:

Mostly waiting to see the per hour credits stabilize across the teams then I'll get a better handle on what things are like. Some teams still have crazy high credit per hour and if that is real we have zero chance lol. I mean I'm doing around 20k/h and even if I double that it's still 10x minimum less than what some teams are ahead of us by per hour.

We got 17th last year, all we gotta do is better ourselves. 

[GOTSpectrum]

My main rig is out of action atm, will have her up and running this evening/ tomorrow morn. 

[leadeater]

8 minutes ago, Ben Quigley said:

We got 17th last year, all we gotta do is better ourselves. 

Oh.... well that is not as good as I'd hope. Good thing this is a new year, bigger and better 

[porina]

We're competing against much bigger communities and/or dedicated boinc teams. If more of the LTT community could be mobilised I think there is plenty of opportunity to do better, but crunching isn't what it used to be.

[GOTSpectrum]

3 minutes ago, porina said:

We're competing against much bigger communities and/or dedicated boinc teams. If more of the LTT community could be mobilised I think there is plenty of opportunity to do better, but crunching isn't what it used to be.

Jake is going to do shout outs I believe soon. 

[leadeater]

2 minutes ago, Ben Quigley said:

Jake is going to do shout outs I believe soon. 

I was hoping it would get mentioned on WAN Show, the next one is a bit late