Do you use or do Distributed Computing? Why or Why not?

[ShawnD1]

Originally posted by: ShawnD1

Originally posted by: taltamir
if you wanna do folding... or any DC, just use BOINC. berkeley open infrustructure for N-something computing.
it works like a charm, and they actually have two seperate protein folding projects:
http://boinc.bakerlab.org/rosetta/
http://boinc.fzk.de/poem/

it will handle more cores than you have, and can even do multiple GPUs, all from within the same interface. (you can select how many cores and GPUs it is allowed to use on each computer)

Cool. I'll check this out.

Alright I've been dicking around for about an hour and it's honestly not any better than F@H. F@H pisses me off because I need to configure it 4 times on a quad core, but each configuration is pretty easy. BOINC has a lot more settings to go through and I need to add myself to the Anandtech team for every single project I want to be involved in. Another issue is that Rosetta does not have any GPU client at this time. Actually, most of the BOINC projects don't support GPU. This thing doesn't even work on my Phenom, it just keeps saying "communication deferred" and it has yet to download any Rosetta work units.

I don't know why distributed computing needs to be so unintuitive and difficult. BOINC doesn't work, F@H's easy to install client only uses 1 core, and F@H's SMP client has deadlines that are almost impossible to meet (a Phenom X4 overclocked to 2600mhz never meets the deadlines). The only thing that seems to work ok is installing F@H's console client 4 times.

 

[SinxarKnights]

Yes! I DC sometimes.

Einstein@Home is my favorite. No folding at my house.

 

[taltamir]

This thing doesn't even work on my Phenom, it just keeps saying "communication deferred" and it has yet to download any Rosetta work units.

Communication deferred means it is waiting before trying to reconnect to server to avoid hammering it, you can force it to communicate now by telling it "connect now". it is possible that whatever project you connected to is down for maintenance, has already provided you with work units (check your work units page), does not meet your criterion (check your space limitations, etc), or is simply out of work units. (although, I have only seen that happen to LHC at home... once they triple calculated the alignment of the magnets in the next portion of the large hadron collider there was no more work until a new segment was built and needed calibration)

BOINC has a lot more settings

All of which are optional; just leave them at default...
PS. you ARE using bam, right?

Oh, you need to have a project that has GPU code... so far I think only SETI@Home does for boinc. but its bound to happen

 

[Philippart]

aqua, milkyway, gpugrid and collatz have gpu support too!

 

[taltamir]

GPUGrid and milyway are both using BOINC

 

[sandorski]

Yes
Boinc: Rosetta; Climate Prediction; Einstein

I could do Folding@Home on my 4850, but have decided against it.

As for Why? Just to contribute to Research.

 

[konakona]

the included poll is a bit meh... I voted no but my main concern is not electricity.

 

[taltamir]

Originally posted by: sandorski
Yes
Boinc: Rosetta; Climate Prediction; Einstein

I could do Folding@Home on my 4850, but have decided against it.

As for Why? Just to contribute to Research.

why use cpu and not gpu? gpu costs you less money per work unit...

 

[nerp]

Originally posted by: ShawnD1

Originally posted by: taltamir
if you wanna do folding... or any DC, just use BOINC. berkeley open infrustructure for N-something computing.
it works like a charm, and they actually have two seperate protein folding projects:
http://boinc.bakerlab.org/rosetta/
http://boinc.fzk.de/poem/

it will handle more cores than you have, and can even do multiple GPUs, all from within the same interface. (you can select how many cores and GPUs it is allowed to use on each computer)

Cool. I'll check this out.

What constantly blows my mind is how the Russians are always near the top of every project. bionic teams, TSC Russia is #4. They were also near the top of UD when I followed that, then they were either #1 or #2 for FAD, they're #6 at F@H. Isn't Russia virtually a third world nation? The https://www.cia.gov/library/pu...-factbook/geos/rs.html">CIA</a> says their GDP is only $15,800 (roughly $8/h based on 40 hour weeks). How do they pay for all of this computing power?

Communism.

 

[taltamir]

russia has some of the fastest growing wealth in the world, they have been a capitalist nation for more than a decade now. It is the west, like europe, the US, canada, and australia that have been sinking into communism

 

[schenley101]

I only do dc at night because electricity is much cheaper then, and im obviously not using my computer then.

 

[narzy]

Originally posted by: konakona
the included poll is a bit meh... I voted no but my main concern is not electricity.

Do let me know what is missing Why don't you participate?

 

[narzy]

Originally posted by: ShawnD1

Originally posted by: ShawnD1

Originally posted by: taltamir
if you wanna do folding... or any DC, just use BOINC. berkeley open infrustructure for N-something computing.
it works like a charm, and they actually have two seperate protein folding projects:
http://boinc.bakerlab.org/rosetta/
http://boinc.fzk.de/poem/

it will handle more cores than you have, and can even do multiple GPUs, all from within the same interface. (you can select how many cores and GPUs it is allowed to use on each computer)

Cool. I'll check this out.

Alright I've been dicking around for about an hour and it's honestly not any better than F@H. F@H pisses me off because I need to configure it 4 times on a quad core, but each configuration is pretty easy. BOINC has a lot more settings to go through and I need to add myself to the Anandtech team for every single project I want to be involved in. Another issue is that Rosetta does not have any GPU client at this time. Actually, most of the BOINC projects don't support GPU. This thing doesn't even work on my Phenom, it just keeps saying "communication deferred" and it has yet to download any Rosetta work units.

I don't know why distributed computing needs to be so unintuitive and difficult. BOINC doesn't work, F@H's easy to install client only uses 1 core, and F@H's SMP client has deadlines that are almost impossible to meet (a Phenom X4 overclocked to 2600mhz never meets the deadlines). The only thing that seems to work ok is installing F@H's console client 4 times.

I know what you are talking about when you mention installation issues, I wish that projects were more graceful about it. It should only be a 2 step process IMO
1) Install
2) Enter optional information on who you are and what team you want to be on and if you want to use your GPU or not if the project supports it

everything else should configure automatically by doing a system inventory, but that is not how projects have been set up which I think is a shame.

 

[exar333]

Sure, why not?

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: ShawnD1
What constantly blows my mind is how the Russians are always near the top of every project. bionic teams, TSC Russia is #4. They were also near the top of UD when I followed that, then they were either #1 or #2 for FAD, they're #6 at F@H. Isn't Russia virtually a third world nation? The https://www.cia.gov/library/pu...-factbook/geos/rs.html">CIA</a> says their GDP is only $15,800 (roughly $8/h based on 40 hour weeks). How do they pay for all of this computing power?

How else do you think that they pay for it? Carding, spyware, you name it. It rakes in some big bucks these days.