F@H question... dual processor machine

[DaFinn]

Maybe I'm stoopid, but I could not find from the client a setting to make it use both processors. Currently it's using only 1. Or does it not use 2 processors???

 

[BlackMountainCow]

You have to run two instances in two separate folder to really use the two CPUs at once. Either two CLIs in separate folders or one CLI and one GUI, but still in separate folders. That's the only way.

:beer:😀:beer:

 

[DaFinn]

Originally posted by: BlackMountainCow
You have to run two instances in two separate folder to really use the two CPUs at once. Either two CLIs in separate folders or one CLI and one GUI, but still in separate folders. That's the only way.

:beer:😀:beer:

Doh... 🙂

 

[DaFinn]

Ok, moving F@H to a single processor machines. FaD seems to use 2 processors just nice.

AND WHATS WITH THESE F@H WUs... This one is huge, "time to completion 52 days" WTF? :Q Does that mean I wont show in the stats before I submit my first WU = 52 days 😀

 

[Uppsala9496]

It won't take 52 days.......
At least is shouldn't. Mine always say something crazy like 9 days, and finish in under 24 hours.

 

[bluestrobe]

Its benchmarking the time while you are using your computer. Your computer has to be "idle" or at a time you aren't using it to truely see what the WU time would be.

 

[Insidious]

52 days sounds like you are confusing the deadline for completion with the estimated time of completion.

When I do a work unit with a deadline of 52 days, it usually takes ~3 days to complete.

-Sid

 

[BlackMountainCow]

Yes, I also think that that was the deadline notification and not the estimated crunch time.

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: DaFinn
Maybe I'm stoopid, but I could not find from the client a setting to make it use both processors. Currently it's using only 1. Or does it not use 2 processors???

Toms Hardware and Maximum PC did an article on how to do this. Toms has a program they wrote that alows you to set affinity to a certain processor. Find it at Tomshardware.com and download it. The Maximum PC article was very informative.

 

[GLeeM]

Originally posted by: Insidious
52 days sounds like you are confusing the deadline for completion with the estimated time of completion.

When I do a work unit with a deadline of 52 days, it usually takes ~3 days to complete.

-Sid

Sid has it right!

In F@H each WU is created from the one before it. I think it is a sequential simulation, so the WUs need a deadline otherwise it would take too long to finish the sequence.

If you look at the Currently Running Projects you will see two deadlines. The Preferred (days) is the number of days before the WU will be re-issued to another cruncher. The Final deadline (days) is the number of days before you start losing points (I think). A 500Mhz (slower probably, I don't know) computer can finish before the Final deadline.

On my dual rig I don't set affinity. Windows XP Pro does it just fine 😀

 

[DaFinn]

Originally posted by: GLeeM

Originally posted by: Insidious
52 days sounds like you are confusing the deadline for completion with the estimated time of completion.

When I do a work unit with a deadline of 52 days, it usually takes ~3 days to complete.

-Sid

Sid has it right!

In F@H each WU is created from the one before it. I think it is a sequential simulation, so the WUs need a deadline otherwise it would take too long to finish the sequence.

If you look at the Currently Running Projects you will see two deadlines. The Preferred (days) is the number of days before the WU will be re-issued to another cruncher. The Final deadline (days) is the number of days before you start losing points (I think). A 500Mhz (slower probably, I don't know) computer can finish before the Final deadline.

On my dual rig I don't set affinity. Windows XP Pro does it just fine 😀

You are correct. I repeat what I said earlier, maybe I'm stoopid... 😉

My duallie w. W2KPro does not set affinity automatically. XPPro prolly does that.
Anyways I put FaD on the duallie and F@H on couple of single proc machines.

 

[MaskedAvenger]

I just switched over from SETI @ Home to Folding @ Home. With SETI, I could set affinity on each instance of S@H that I was running and it would stay set until the PC was re-booted. With F@H, affinity seems to be reset each time a WU is finished. I'm using 3 HT PC's, one of which is dual Xeon, and am using both the Home and Pro versions of XP. Someone mentioned that there was a program on Toms hardware to set affinity, but my search turned up nada. My question is this: does someone know how to automatically set affinity, and could someone feed my cat next weekend?

 

[GLeeM]

MaskedAvenger, welcome to TA F@H 🙂

We really appreciate and need your help!

I run XP Pro on a dual HT Xeon and when I tried setting affinity on four instances it did not improve the speed of crunching over just letting the OS do it.

I am not sure about XP Home, how about some help from someone else on this?

When running more than one instance on a computer you must configure the second instance with a different MachineID, when in config mode you have to answer "yes" to enter Advanced Options and then a different # when you get to MachineID. The first instance will default to "1". Each instance has to run from its own folder. The TeAm number is 198. If you have already configured, you can re-enter config mode by running the console with the -config or -configonly flag.

If you have never installed the GUI you don't have to worry about the "-local" flag. If you have you will have to add a space and the -local flag to the end of the string in the Target textbox of the Properties of the startup shortcut. (Right click the shortcut and select Properties.)

Hope I didn't confuse, I should really let someone else answer. 😛

 

[JeffCos]

not that it matters much to me because i don't have a dually, but how do the DC programs know to use the second processor? Is there something in the OS that says "hey F@H2 folder, don't use this processor, there's a perfectly good one over on the other side of the motherboard you can use!" So if you had an dually HT then you could run 4 instances...OOOH uber points!!

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: MaskedAvenger
I just switched over from SETI @ Home to Folding @ Home. With SETI, I could set affinity on each instance of S@H that I was running and it would stay set until the PC was re-booted. With F@H, affinity seems to be reset each time a WU is finished. I'm using 3 HT PC's, one of which is dual Xeon, and am using both the Home and Pro versions of XP. Someone mentioned that there was a program on Toms hardware to set affinity, but my search turned up nada. My question is this: does someone know how to automatically set affinity, and could someone feed my cat next weekend?

That was me, the download link is somewhere in an article on dual processors (i may be wrong but I think it mentioned folding at home) from 2003 or 2004. I have it on my HDD somewhere and if I hope I can find it. In the mean time keep searching TomsHardware.com and let me know if you can locate it. Also Maximum PC has a how to guide to fAH on dual processors, it's also a differant aproach than the one on tomshardware. Search their website, it's one of the few articles that they made public.

 

[Rattledagger]

It's possible to set the affinity on the folding-client, any child-processes started by this will inherit the parents affinity, atleast under win2k. 😉

The problem is when you starts up folding, the 1st wu will normally start immediately so if you starts all instances at the same time it's very difficult to know which is the parent and which is the child. Setting the affinity on the parent will not influence a child-process that has already started, just the next.

There are 3 ways to solve this problem, one is to start folding-clients from a cmd-prompt, in this method just set the affinity on cmd before starting folding.
A 2nd slightly more difficult method is to start 1 folding-process, and set the affinity on this and the wu-process, and so start 2nd folding-process and so on.

The 3rd, and absolute easiest method, is to install Folding@home as a FireDaemon-service. When yuo're using firedaemon, you can set the affinity in firedaemon, and as an added bonus the folding-process will be installed as service and therefore always run even when no-one logged in. 😎

 

[bluestrobe]

I tried to install 2 instances of F@H graphical with different folder name and it was a no go. I guess i'll be reading up on tomshardware when I wake up.

edit: hopefully it isn't too confusing as this is a server that has other uses.

 

[InlineFive]

Originally posted by: bluestrobe
I tried to install 2 instances of F@H graphical with different folder name and it was a no go. I guess i'll be reading up on tomshardware when I wake up.

edit: hopefully it isn't too confusing as this is a server that has other uses.

You need to use one graphical and one CLI.

 

[GLeeM]

@bluestrobe

Or two CLI.

Run the CLI as a service would be best for you I think.

@JeffCos

Yep. I have run four instances of F@H. XP Pro handles everything nicely. Task Manager shows four CPUs and they are all at max.

I can get better ppd if they are not all the same type of WU.

Actually I usually run two or three F@H and one or two of something else. This seems to get better ppd overall because different projects use different parts of the CPU, usually.