F@H newbie

[Babbles]

So I just downloaded and installed the Folding@Home software and configured it with Team Anandtech's number (198, right??) and I registered myself with the Team Anandtech distributed computing homepage; username "chemzen" for Team Anandtech and the F@H client configuration thing.

I figured that since I am looking into a bioinformatics graduate program that perhaps in the least I could get involved with this entire F@H program.

I read ProviaFan's FAQ but have not read all of those other sites linked in the AT FAQ and I think I got most of everything figured out. I still do not understand what all of the stats and numbers mean, though.

What's up with this FireDaemon thing? Is this something I should be using?
Also is there anything else I need to do to become registered and have my 'folds' count towards Team Anandtech?

 

[MDE]

Your points are coming to AT as long as your team number is 198 (so you're good there). If you could give some specific examples as to what stats and numbers you don't get we'd be glad to help you out. FireDaemon just allows programs to run as a background service in Windows NT-based OSes. The new F@H client will atomatically do this for you, so FireDaemon isn't really needed anymore.

 

[ICXRa]

First off welcome to TeAm F@H! It is great to have you folding with us and nice to see you posting as well. I download and install the latest version that installs as a service which removes the need to use FireDaemon to start the service unless you are using FireDaemon to run this service along with others. If F@H is all you are running as a service, only available with Windows 2000 and XP BTW then I wouldn't bother with it.

 

[ICXRa]

Guess I need to type faster!

Thanks MDE :beer:

 

[GLeeM]

Welcome to the TeAm, Babbles

 

[BlackMountainCow]

:beer::beer:

Welcome Babbles or chemzen to TA and especially F@H!!

:beer::beer:

 

[MDE]

Originally posted by: ICXRa
Guess I need to type faster!

Thanks MDE :beer:

No problem, it gives me something to do during class .

 

[Insidious]

Originally posted by: BlackMountainCow
:beer::beer:

Welcome Babbles or chemzen to TA and especially F@H!!

:beer::beer:

Good to see ya

:thumbsup:

-Sid

 

[Pokey]

Welcome to the TeAm Babbles.........er.............chemzen

Glad to have you on board. Sounds like you are well on your way.

One of my favorite stats sites is:

Extremeoverclocking.com find our team (27th place) and then your own name. You will show up after you have returned a work unit.

Congratulations by the way to all the MM's too.

 

[Malak]

Welcome to the team!

 

[Wolfsraider]

Welcome ,

Glad to see you posting here.

I:beer:

Mike

 

[natethegreat]

Welcome to the TeAm:beer:

I know you will enjoy being a part of this TeAm

 

[Babbles]

Awesome, appreciate the warm welcome!

Checking the name thing on the download section of the Stanford page, "Babbles" was already in use so I used "chemzen" (my yahoo ID) instead. I imagine others had similar situations.

I am running Win2K Pro but did not realize that the new F@H client installed itself as a server. Guess it makes sense.

In regards to the stats I do not understand how the score is calculated. I assume it is based off the Work Units but evidently it is not a 1:1 ratio. Also what exactly is one WU? Is it one complete computer model fold, or is a WU just a partial fold and multiple WUs make one complete protein fold?

What type of reproducibility does the F@H utilize? Is each WU processed by different people to see if the results match or does one user do a WU multiple times to "check" themselves from a quality control standpoint?
Not that it really matters, I suppose, but I am just curious.

Is there a log of what WU were done by a particular user and can that be tracked to a certain protein research project? It would be interesting and "fun" to be able to look at a project and know if you were a part of that project. I assume the "Working On" section of the display would answer part of my question, however again I am not sure how that information is related to the Stanford website.

Computer question here: I have another PC on my home network that is available to crunch some data so if I assume I can just download and install the client and enter in the user/team information and be good to go, right? Or is there something I have to do to inform the server, or client, that I have two clients running on seperate PCs?

 

[GLeeM]

The client is not a server. It can be installed as a service, runs unseen from the desktop. It will then continue to run if the computer is left at the logon. You can use a monitor program to follow progress.

Your score for a WU is based on how long it takes to finish compared to Stanfords benchmark computer.

One WU is a small part of the proteins fold. (a few nanoseconds?, not sure)

I think most WUs are crunched once. Some might be sent out a second time.

You can see all of the projects that you have crunched WUs from on Stanfords web stats pages. There is information about the individual projects there also.

That is right, just install on as many computers as you can

If you have dual processor or HT computer and want to run more than one client you have to change the MachineID on the second client and add the -local flag to the startup shortcut.

Thanks for the questions. Folks here are anxious to help!

 

[Babbles]

Doh, mean to say service not server.

Also can I change what ports that it goes through? For whatever reason when I try to run a particular application that connects to the net - okay, it's a game, WoW - they don't seem to tolerate each other very well and I have to shut down the F@H client.

 

[GLeeM]

I don't think the ports can be changed.

The only time the FAH client connects to the internet is after a WU is finished, which is not very often.

It may be that the other program needs all of the processor. The FAH client is designed to run as an idle process and give up cycles to other programs when they need them. It's only supposed to use the cycles that you don't. Maybe some parts of the game run at a lower priority.

If you installed as a service, it might be easier to stop the client when you need to if you switch to not run as a service.

 

[Babbles]

I'll just monkey around with it. Not that big of a deal. I can just stop the client if it interfers with something.