DNETC and MilkyWay down

[Assimilator1]

So how do you alter these parameters, couldn't find any answers at MW forum .

 

[Sunny129]

i saw your post on the MW@ forums...hopefully someone will respond with some useful information. i myself do not know the specifics b/c i haven't had to manipulate those parameters. i don't have the GUI lag problem that others are experiencing b/c the 5870 GPU i use for MW@H is not the same GPU i run my display with (recall that my display is powered by my mobo's integrated HD 3300 GPU). consequently, i do not have an app_info.xml file in my MW@H project folder. not only that, but i don't believe i've ever really looked at an app_info.xml file for MW@H, so i don't know exactly where in that file those parameters can be found.

there is a gentleman who goes by the username "arkayne" on the MW forums. i believe he has a put together a package that contains the most recent MW@H app v0.62 and an app_info.xml file to go with it, and you can download it from his website HERE. perhaps you could PM him on the MW boards for more specific instructions on how to manipulate those parameters...

 

[Sunny129]

ok, so i figured out exactly how to manipulate those parameters. i don't know how familiar you are with application optimization, so i'll spell it out b/c its important you don't miss anything or have any syntax errors in your code. first you need to create an app_info.xml file (if you didn't already download it from the website i provided a link to in my last post). all you need to do is open notepad and copy the following lines of text into it.

<app_info>
<app>
<name>milkyway</name>
</app>
<file_info>
<name>milkyway_0.59_windows_intelx86__ati14.exe</name>
<executable/>
</file_info>
<app_version>
<app_name>milkyway</app_name>
<version_num>57</version_num>
<plan_class>ati14</plan_class>
<flops>1.0e11</flops>
<avg_ncpus>0.05</avg_ncpus>
<max_ncpus>1</max_ncpus>
<coproc>
<type>ATI</type>
<count>0.5</count>
</coproc>
<cmdline>--gpu-target-frequency 30</cmdline>
<cmdline>--gpu-polling-mode 1</cmdline
<file_ref>
<file_name>milkyway_0.59_windows_intelx86__ati14.exe</file_name>
<main_program/>
</file_ref>
</app_version>
</app_info>

also, don't forget to edit out the syntax error in the 5th to last line of text (remove the blank space in the middle of the ".exe" part). you're probably wondering why i didn't just post up the app_info file without the syntax error...believe me, i tried, but the error cannot be removed or edited out of my post for some reason. when you're done, change the file name from "app_info.txt" to "app_info.xml" and place it in your Milkyway project folder. if BOINC was running while you did this, you'll have to close and reopen BOINc for it to recognize the new app_info.xml file. likewise, if and whenever you make changes to the lag parameters (or anything else in the app_info.xml file), you'll again have to restart BOINC for the changes to take effect. note the bolded lines - these are the parameters that Matt introduced into the MW@H v0.62 code. in brief summary of what each does, i'll quote Matt from the MW forums:

This should fix the slowdown on Windows if you have a high CPU load.


You can now configure the polling mode sort of like what the old one had.

The --gpu-target-frequency <number> is similar to the -f flag the old one had. The default is 30 hz. This can be used in place of the --responsiveness-factor one I added in the last minor release (or in addition to, although I don't know why you would want to. I would recommend using this one instead and I'll probably remove the other at some point).

The --gpu-polling-mode <int> is similar to the -b flag the old one had. A negative integer will use busy waiting and have a high CPU load (like what always happened in 0.58). 0 will use the same method that was used in 0.59. A positive integer > 0 sets the polling frequency in milliseconds. The default now is to poll every 1 ms which seems to have solved the slowdowns with a high cpu load without increasing the cpu usage much.

Update: Now at 0.62 since I'm good at screwing up

hope this helps a bit more

 

[petrusbroder]

Thanks!

 

[Assimilator1]

Thanks sunny , all the info in one easy place now .

I've had no email from the MW forum so either the sub is off or no-one replied, I'll check in a bit.


Hmm, just tried yours sunny & I got this 'state file error missing app file milkyway_0.62_ etc

Oh wait I see you typo'd ,5th line up there's a space.

 

[Sunny129]

sometimes you just gotta go to the MW@H forums and check the status of the thread(s) you're subscribed to. for some reason i don't always get an email when someone responds to a thread i'm subscribed to...must be a MW@H message board thing.

at any rate, definitely check the thread b/c a few folks have responded to your request. one person went into a bit more detail than i did with regard to the actual manipulation of the GUI lag parameters. this is nice b/c it gives you some direction on how to manipulate these parameters (as opposed to just starting blind and having to figure out for yourself whether to increase or decrease a certain parameter, how much it needs to be changed, etc).

if you have any further questions, i'll do my best to help...just know that i myself have not had the GUI lag problems that so many others are having, and so i haven't had to play with the GUI lag parameters...i just happen to know where they reside in the app_info.xml file.

 

[Assimilator1]

OK it works now but it's not crunching

Set freq to 40 changed nothing else.

 

[Sunny129]

hmm...was MW@H crunching normally before you placed an app_info file in the MW@H project folder? does MW@H crunch normally (ignoring any GUI lag) with an app_info file and the target freq. and/or polling rate parameters set to their default values of 30 and 1 respectively?

cut-n-paste your app_info.xml file here for us to look at...perhaps i can spot a simple syntax error or something. i suppose there could be any number of reasons for this kind of problem to crop up, but i'd be willing to bet that there's a silly syntax error or something in the coding of the app_info file, assuming everything was working fine before you started using an app_info file...

 

[Assimilator1]

Yea crunchees normally before adding app info & does again without it.

No point in pasting it here as it's your one without the syntax error mentioned earlier (which btw you haven't changed) & with the target freq set to 40 as mentioned .

I'll try app info with defaults now. [update] yep it works, guess it doesn't like 40

Set to 60, works but still getting GUI lag.
Same with 90
At 120 now, marginal improvement in GUI lag.

 

[Sunny129]

Hmm, just tried yours sunny & I got this 'state file error missing app file milkyway_0.62_ etc

Oh wait I see you typo'd ,5th line up there's a space.

i see you ninja edited your post after my subsequent post . good catch on the syntax error...i didn't even notice it myself until you said something about it. i tried to go back to my previous post and edit out the syntax error, but it turns out that it was never there in the first place when i originally made that post - good old AT forums added the space when i submitted the post. when i click the "edit" button, the syntax error is no longer there (i.e. there is no space to remove from the line of text). when i click "save," the syntax error reappears...go figure. at least that explains why my MW@H project is running fine with the app_info file - my actual app_info file has no syntax errors, while the one i posted here does, and i cannot remove it thanks to the stupid AT forums. other than the AT forums glitch that is forcing a syntax error into the app_info file i posted above, it is identical to the one i run at home.

anyways, let me know how it goes with the syntax error fixed and the default parameter values...

 

[Sunny129]

I'll try app info with defaults now. [update] yep it works, guess it doesn't like 40

hmm...i don't know. have you tried any target frequency values between 30 and 40? have you tried any value above 40? someone on the MW@H forums suggested trying a target freq. of 60...

 

[Assimilator1]

Lol, wierd! ,check out my latter edits .

Not tried between 30-40.

 

[Sunny129]

I'll try app info with defaults now. [update] yep it works, guess it doesn't like 40

Set to 60, works but still getting GUI lag.
Same with 90
At 120 now, marginal improvement in GUI lag.

Not tried between 30-40.

i wish i could offer more help, but you've now reached a point that is beyond my experience. again, i know how to access those parameters, but i don't really have any experience manipulating them b/c i haven't had to yet. i have no idea what the ideal range of values for either parameter is. nor do i know if you have to start manipulating one parameter once the other parameter reaches a critical value. for all intents and purposes, you're sailing uncharted waters...even those with some experience have only been playing with these parameters for 10 days or so (since the release of MW@H v0.60).

 

[Assimilator1]

Yea no worries, thx for your help so far anyway .
Think I'l have to post more in the MW forum......

Think I have to alter polling too ....

 

[Assimilator1]

Tried changing polling to 2 then 3, no change.

I've stopped running MW now , the lag is doing my head in & I've also noticed that F@Hs output has nosedived since the update. I'll experiment with the settings some more if anyone in the MW thread can help. http://milkyway.cs.rpi.edu/milkyway/forum_thread.php?id=2353

If the lag can be resolved & most of F@Hs output returns then I'll run MW again, it's a shame I've had to stop it really .