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Thread: BOINC 7.0.x, important changes in behavior

  1. #1
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    BOINC 7.0.x, important changes in behavior

    There are a couple of undocumented changes that everyone should be aware of.

    1) They changed the way "Computer is connected to the Internet about every x days" and "Maintain enough work for an additional" work. While the names of the cells are unchanged, the behavior is now completely different. They now represent a sort of min and max setting. It is apparently way more complicated than that, but min and max are a good shorthand. The impact to us: Many of us use 0 for "Computer is connected to the Internet about every", so that completed tasks are returned as quickly as possible. And that translates to having just enough tasks to cover the cores and GPUs, and no more. Regardless how big you set the "Maintain enough work for an additional", it just won't d/l any more tasks. So I have changed it from 0 and 1, to .5 and 1. Of course, if you are using both 6.12.x or earlier, and 7.0.x on machines, you will need to set two different locations. Otherwise you will be sending mixed signals to the BOINC clients.

    2) Setting a backup project to resource share of 0 is broken and no longer works. With a RS of 0, BOINC will continue to download work, even when there is plenty of work from projects with a RS > 1. It is not clear if this was an intentional change to the code, or an unanticipated consequence of changing something else. Also, it is not clear to me if the developers are aware of the problem.
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    Re: BOINC 7.0.x, important changes in behavior

    Quote Originally Posted by zombie67 View Post
    There are a couple of undocumented changes that everyone should be aware of.

    1) They changed the way "Computer is connected to the Internet about every x days" and "Maintain enough work for an additional" work. While the names of the cells are unchanged, the behavior is now completely different. They now represent a sort of min and max setting. It is apparently way more complicated than that, but min and max are a good shorthand. The impact to us: Many of us use 0 for "Computer is connected to the Internet about every", so that completed tasks are returned as quickly as possible. And that translates to having just enough tasks to cover the cores and GPUs, and no more. Regardless how big you set the "Maintain enough work for an additional", it just won't d/l any more tasks. So I have changed it from 0 and 1, to .5 and 1. Of course, if you are using both 6.12.x or earlier, and 7.0.x on machines, you will need to set two different locations. Otherwise you will be sending mixed signals to the BOINC clients.

    2) Setting a backup project to resource share of 0 is broken and no longer works. With a RS of 0, BOINC will continue to download work, even when there is plenty of work from projects with a RS > 1. It is not clear if this was an intentional change to the code, or an unanticipated consequence of changing something else. Also, it is not clear to me if the developers are aware of the problem.
    Wow, Keep fixing it till it's broke. Can't wait for Slicker to weigh in on this.



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    Re: BOINC 7.0.x, important changes in behavior

    Thanks for the good info, Z. That is stuff I wouldn't even know about until TOO LATE! Nothing like kicking a good product to the curb until no one wants to use it, huh? Did they implement and "good" or new "useable" features?

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    Re: BOINC 7.0.x, important changes in behavior

    If it isn't broke, fix it anyway. While fixing what works fine, try and make it even more complicated so it will take even less effort to break it in the future. That sure seems to be BOINC SOP.

    There is one additional change. There is OpenCL support in the 7.x.x client. Of course, OpenCL support on the client means nothing if the machine can't get work, runs out of work, or won't ask for work because it now wants to wait to connect to the network even if the preferences are set to the network always being available.
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    Re: BOINC 7.0.x, important changes in behavior

    Quote Originally Posted by Slicker View Post
    If it isn't broke, fix it anyway. While fixing what works fine, try and make it even more complicated so it will take even less effort to break it in the future. That sure seems to be BOINC SOP.

    There is one additional change. There is OpenCL support in the 7.x.x client. Of course, OpenCL support on the client means nothing if the machine can't get work, runs out of work, or won't ask for work because it now wants to wait to connect to the network even if the preferences are set to the network always being available.
    You are right on the money! But there is a simple fix. Rollback to BOINC v6.10.58.

    I think we need to clone Slicker, transform the clone into a Fringe shape shifter and then send it after DA (Body Snatcher Ninja attack!!!!!) Works for me.............................


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    Re: BOINC 7.0.x, important changes in behavior

    Quote Originally Posted by Fire$torm View Post
    You are right on the money! But there is a simple fix. Rollback to BOINC v6.10.58.
    Not possible if you want to run opencl project apps. 7.x is required.
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    Re: BOINC 7.0.x, important changes in behavior

    Quote Originally Posted by zombie67 View Post
    Not possible if you want to run opencl project apps. 7.x is required.
    So, when I start going after POEM MMs, I'm going to have to upgrade, aren't I? Damn.

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    Re: BOINC 7.0.x, important changes in behavior

    Quote Originally Posted by zombie67 View Post
    Not possible if you want to run opencl project apps. 7.x is required.
    You are referring to CPU OpenCL correct?


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    Re: BOINC 7.0.x, important changes in behavior

    Quote Originally Posted by Maxwell View Post
    So, when I start going after POEM MMs, I'm going to have to upgrade, aren't I? Damn.
    Yep.
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  10. #10
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    Re: BOINC 7.0.x, important changes in behavior

    Quote Originally Posted by Fire$torm View Post
    You are referring to CPU OpenCL correct?
    eh? No. I'm talking about ati and eventually nvidia GPU apps. All gpu apps will be opencl eventually.
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