Another big one goes down...

blcjr

Golden Member
Oct 28, 1999
1,010
0
0
Well, Indy isn't the only with problems. I had to remove s@h yesterday from the 100+ computers I manage at the school where I teach. Complaints about the bandwidth being used, and the fact that we pay for bandwidth consumed, and not a flat rate.

At the present time, I really didn't have a choice in the matter. If the opportunity presents itself in the future, I'll try to make the argument that the bandwidth consumed is peanuts. What are we talking about? ~280 WU's a day at ~400 kb each (combined download and upload). That's 112 mb's by my calculation. Someone please check my math. I don't know what we pay for bandwidth, but surely this cannot cost that much.

-bazilla
 

Jay

Golden Member
Oct 9, 1999
1,728
7
81
Hmm, do you have Zip drives at home and school and a cable connection at home? I would think there would be something similar to the Floppy transport that was made for DNet (can't remember the name of it for the life of me.)
 

conjur

No Lifer
Jun 7, 2001
58,686
3
0
If they measured activity on ports used by, say, Morpheus or CounterStrike, I bet they'd find a LOT more bandwidth usage there! :|
 

RaySun2Be

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
16,565
6
71
:(:(

A moment of silence for lost fleets everywhere....

:(:(

BTW, do a check for other "bandwidth" stealers, such as screensaver programs that download new pics/screensavers to the desktop (ie Webshots, how big are those pretty pics, anyway), or Weatherbug programs, or other "non-essential" applications, such as Morpheus, I-Films, etc.. These may be the culprit of bandwidth issues.

Also, if you are in a position too, make sure you have several months of data & costs while SETI was running, and keep track of data & costs after SETI is shutdown if you can't convince them to keep it going.

SETI is quick and easy to blame, but there are a lot worse bandwidth using applications out there that people don't think about.

Also, they really should do an analysis of bandwidth usage to see what really is hogging the bandwidth before they start shutting down applications.

EDIT: also look for VoIP (voice over IP), and video-conferencing applications, like Polycom's ViaVideo, webcams, etc.
 

PieDerro

Senior member
Apr 19, 2000
813
0
0
Baz!! I feel for you mate :(

The only problem with SETI is bandwidth. Whether it be bandwidth out of Berkeley, or the size of each work unit. I suppose that's one thing that made RC5 so attractive. Even a fast dual processor machine wouldn't use more than 160KB of bandwidth in a day. Whereas the fastest dual Athlons probably get through 16WU/day, which translates into roughly about 6.4MB/day. Big difference.

Jay!! That's something I posted a question about before. I am certain that if there was such a way to do this "importing" of uncrunched WUs, I would be allowed to get my school network (of about 100 computers) up and running. It's the bandwidth that's stopping me at the moment. Personally, I wouldn't mind downloading 6 gigs of WU's each month to feel the computers, but the school just doesn't have the capability...

If there is anyway to import/export WUs from one machine to another (preferably over SETIQueue) please post this info I would look into this in greater detail, but my knowledge in this area is by far inferior to some people in here. :D Please, anyone????
 

Orange Kid

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
4,405
2,192
146
I come up with 109.375megs.........close enough:)

that is a day in your case........most pay by the month.....thats 3.2 gigs a month
 

RaySun2Be

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
16,565
6
71
PieDerro,
The "easiest" way I can think of is to use SETIDRIVER

Getting started:
1. On the connected PC, create a SETI folder just for the non-connected PC.
2. Start up SETIDRIVER in that folder, configure the # of WUs to cache, turn off auto-transmit, save config, then initiate transmit, let it download WUs.
3. Shutdown SETIDRIVER, copy all of SETI folder and subfolders to zip or CD-ROM,
4. take ZIP or CD-ROM to non-connected PC.
4. Copy the SETI folder and subfolders to the hard drive.
5. Start SETIDRIVER. Turn off auto-transmit. Save configuration.

Once WUs are completed on non-connected PC:
1. On non-connected PC, stop SETIDRIVER, move SETI subfolders (1,2,3,4,etc..) to ZIP drive or CD-RW
2. Take to connected PC, copy/move SETIsubfolders to the SETI folder on the hard drive.
3. Startup SETIDRIVER, transmit completed WUs.
4. Once WUs transmitted, and new WUs filled, move/copy SETI subfolders to ZIP or CD-RW
5. Take to non-connected PC, copy/move subfolders to the SETI folder on hard drive. Start SETIDRIVER.
6. repeat steps 1 through 5.

This would work for several PCs, but would be a pain for lots of them.

NOTE: If using CD-RW, be sure to change the properties of the folders/files from READ ONLY after copying them to the hard drive fropm the CD

[edited to add the CD note. DOH. Forgot THAT important part! :Q]
 

GunDog

Senior member
Oct 17, 2001
497
0
0


<< PieDerro,
The "easiest" way I can think of is to use SETIDRIVER

Getting started:
1. On the connected PC, create a SETI folder just for the non-connected PC.
2. Start up SETIDRIVER in that folder, configure the # of WUs to cache, turn off auto-transmit, save config, then initiate transmit, let it download WUs.
3. Shutdown SETIDRIVER, copy all of SETI folder and subfolders to zip or CD-ROM,
4. take ZIP or CD-ROM to non-connected PC.
4. Copy the SETI folder and subfolders to the hard drive.
5. Start SETIDRIVER. Turn off auto-transmit. Save configuration.

Once WUs are completed on non-connected PC:
1. On non-connected PC, stop SETIDRIVER, move SETI subfolders (1,2,3,4,etc..) to ZIP drive or CD-RW
2. Take to connected PC, copy/move SETIsubfolders to the SETI folder on the hard drive.
3. Startup SETIDRIVER, transmit completed WUs.
4. Once WUs transmitted, and new WUs filled, move/copy SETI subfolders to ZIP or CD-RW
5. Take to non-connected PC, copy/move subfolders to the SETI folder on hard drive. Start SETIDRIVER.
6. repeat steps 1 through 5.

This would work for several PCs, but would be a pain for lots of them.
>>



A very important part missed :)

2. Take to connected PC, copy/move SETIsubfolders to the SETI folder on the hard drive.
2.5 right click on the folder and change attributes -r (change the whole folder at once) :)
3. Startup SETIDRIVER, transmit completed WUs.

You need to change the attributes twice actually. When moving from recordable media to the non-connected machine and when returning the completed WU's to the connected machine. :D

Force
 

Fornoth

Member
Jan 25, 2002
79
0
0
If all these machines were on the same network, and ONE of these machines had a zip drive/jaz drive - or some other LARGE media type would be to install SetiQueue on that machine. Then....when you configure it set the processing time for like 5 mins in the middle of the nite. Then point all the machiens on this local network to it. Then, at the end of the day shut down SetiQueue; copy it all to 1 or multiple zip disks; take it home; copy it over onto a machine with internet...set it to synchonize and then copy it back. That could be the most painless way to do it - only problem would be size. If you set all the machines to have a deep cache it could be a few zip disks. This wouldn't use bandwith because it would all go through the internal network.
 

aiex

Senior member
Jul 5, 2001
914
0
0
Hmm i feel for you, although i havn't lost my fleet atm i have lost 80% of their production :(

This is becuase due to network probems i have to use the GUI screensaver option, and they have just installed a new infocast screen saver. Although my machines are set to run all the time when they sit at the logon screen the screensaver used to kick in and start up seti, now that is no more so the only time seti is run is when a user is loged on and that is only about 30-40% of the time :(



Alex :D
 

Baldy18

Diamond Member
Oct 30, 2000
5,038
0
0
Here is what you do.

1. Run setiQ and turn downloading off in the options.
2. Cart new WUs in on a cd and let results get uploaded like normal (bandwidth cut down to 25MB/month)

Easy as pie and you don't have to worry about carting WUs both ways.:)
 

blcjr

Golden Member
Oct 28, 1999
1,010
0
0


<< If they measured activity on ports used by, say, Morpheus or CounterStrike, I bet they'd find a LOT more bandwidth usage there! :| >>



Yeah, but we do watch for these and remove them when we find them. They are against the school's acceptable use policy.

Edit: Thanks to everybody else who's responded. Some good suggestions I'm going to digest. I think I can come up with something eventually (maybe over spring break).
 

Baldy18

Diamond Member
Oct 30, 2000
5,038
0
0
I'm not understanding how the file names would get messed up. All you have to do is burn them on a cd, then copy them from the cd to the user folder, and restart SETIQ so that it will recognise the changes.
 

narzy

Elite Member
Feb 26, 2000
7,006
1
81
watch yourself too, you may need to pay for the bandwidth you used...
 

Robor

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
16,979
0
76
Sorry to hear that man. We've really been hit hard lately.

One suggestion... Maybe you could ask them what 3.2 gigs costs per month and arrange something. Or as others have suggested, bring WU's in on CDROM and dump them to the queue that way. The results uploading is next to nothing. It's downloading the 350K WU's that takes up the bandwidth.

Also, I'll bet any mp3 or other filesharing program is eating up a hellova lot more bandwidth than SETI. :|
 

Poof

Diamond Member
Jul 27, 2000
4,305
0
0
I'm not understanding how the file names would get messed up. All you have to do is burn them on a cd, then copy them from the cd to the user folder, and restart SETIQ so that it will recognise the changes.

Setiqueue renames every file name with a unique alpha-numeric set of characters. I'm not sure where in its WU download process it stores the WUs name "work_unit.sah" before it renames them, but it renames them none the less.

Since every WU downloaded is named "work_unit.sah", then somehow you'd have to give each and every one a unique name (or number) eg., wu1, wu2, etc.

I'm not following you Baldy... :(

Unless you're saying to use an offsite queue to suck down a pile of WUs offsite, then transfer those via CD to the onsite Setiqueue?

 

Eltano1

Golden Member
Aug 6, 2000
1,897
0
0
I tried to set up SetiQ in my non connected pc at work, and then point all non internet pcs to my setiQ but it didn't work, if someone can explain in details how to set it up correctly, in my case I'm talking about 30 PIII 1 Gig MHZ that are sitting doing nothing, the only problem is there is not internet conexion.
I forgot to mention that we are in an internal network.

Eltano
 

blcjr

Golden Member
Oct 28, 1999
1,010
0
0
Thinking outloud...

I'd like to come up with a way to do it without using any of the school's bandwidth at all. There have been suggestions carry in the wu's, and just upload the results. And we all know that the bandwidth for that would be negligible, but I don't want to even fight for that right now.

Mass storage for moving wu's and results back and forth can be worked out.

Here's what I'm thinking. Isn't it possible to disable SetiQ from downloading WU's and uploading results? There are settings labeled "Upload pending results" and "Download new WUs". What if I set up a Q at school, disable these settings, and carry both WU's and results back and forth. E.g. burn WU's to a CD here at home, and take them in and drop them in the Q at school. I can probably zip results up to a single floppy drive, take them home, and drop them in the results folder at home.

Sounds so simple I must be missing something.

-baz
 

zeruty

Platinum Member
Jan 17, 2000
2,276
2
81
do you have a laptop that you can take every day or week or something?
if so, set up a setiqueue at the school... on one machine, and set up a queue on the laptop... and then have the queue at school upload/download from the laptop when you bring it in.. and take the laptop home and do your uploading and download from berkeley there
 
May 31, 2001
15,326
2
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What is it with ignorant people in high places smacking down SETI left and right, these days? Bandai, IndyJaws, blcjr.... :(
 

narzy

Elite Member
Feb 26, 2000
7,006
1
81


<< What is it with ignorant people in high places smacking down SETI left and right, these days? Bandai, IndyJaws, blcjr.... :( >>

bandwidth costs money, revolt agenst the telco's!