Folding@Home

[The JoJo]

Clocker, you're equal to me in work units.
You'll soon pass me, go for it!

 

[Cliptin]

The problem with 3 computers is that they can't connect to the servers when only port 80 is available. So right now I'm running at about half capacity...

Have you tried setting them up for proxy like Jake and Clocker?

 

[The JoJo]

No, I haven't tried setting the clients up with a proxy. It's a firewall blocking the 8080 traffic. But the existing clients work ok, but the new ones can't connect.With the new ones I'm referring to new or old versions of the clients getting installed on a computer. Weird...

 

[Cliptin]

No, I haven't tried setting the clients up with a proxy. It's a firewall blocking the 8080 traffic. But the existing clients work ok, but the new ones can't connect.With the new ones I'm referring to new or old versions of the clients getting installed on a computer. Weird...

This might answer some questions.
http://forum.folding-community.org/viewtopic.php?t=698

 

[The JoJo]

Thanks for the link Cliptin.

Following the link and the then first url on that page showed me that I'm not alone with my problem.
Unfortunately no solutions that I could find.

I'll try the beta 4 client on monday. It's a little over a month old, but maybe it works better. Unless it's the server...

Very annoying when I for once could do some more crunching, but the program doesn't work .

 

[Tea]

This business of having Team Austech Info out-folding us is just not on. I just dug out a couple of systems and plugged them in here at the office, so as to do my little bit to keep them at bay. That leaves the Red Hill contributution to the Storage Forum team looking like this:


Tea (home):
Athlon XP 1800
Athlon Thunderbird 1333
(Both idle right now because I have hardly been home all week.)

Tea (office):
Athlon XP 1800
Athlon Thunderbird 1000A
(After an hour, the XP is still sitting there trying to get a work unit. Stanford's servers are dreadful.)

Tannin:
K6-III/450 @ 560 (about 20 hours per week)
K6-III/450 @ 500 (24 x 7)

Soup_Nazi
Athlon Thunderbird 1400

Mutiah
Athlon XP 1800 (at some ridiculous overclock, no doubt).

Kristi:
Nothing

I can see that I'm going to have to work on Kristi. She has an XP of some flavour, a 1700, I think. We better make sure that she plugs it in.

 

[P5-133XL]

To deal with the issues involved with a computer being idle because a server is not supplyuing WU's or being to busy to give another WU, try this solution.

Run multiple processes on a single CPU machine just like a multiple CPU machine. Have two work units continiously being worked on. When everything is working each is running at 50% speed. When one process is stalled, then the other is most likely running at 100%. Of course, there is some inefficiency because of the extra task switching, but the amount gained by eliminating the idle CPU syndrom from busy servers probably more than makes up for it.

 

[Clocker]

To deal with the issues involved with a computer being idle because a server is not supplyuing WU's or being to busy to give another WU, try this solution.

Run multiple processes on a single CPU machine just like a multiple CPU machine. Have two work units continiously being worked on. When everything is working each is running at 50% speed. When one process is stalled, then the other is most likely running at 100%. Of course, there is some inefficiency because of the extra task switching, but the amount gained by eliminating the idle CPU syndrom from busy servers probably more than makes up for it.

That will work OK as long as the relationship between the amount of points awarded and the time required to finish a work unit is linear (which I'm not sure if it is or not).

Also, there is a deadline as to how long one has to return a work unit for it to be of any value to the project. If the work unit is 'late' being turned it, it won't count toward the prject but you will still be given some points.

I wish there was a more detailed explanation as to how scoring exactly works...

C

 

[Clocker]

Something tells me CLippy has his new dually system up and running?

C

 

[P5-133XL]

From what I can see it is entirely linear. Stanford has a web page giving the values for completing specific work units Current Project Summary. Whenever one completes a specific protein one gets that value regardless of how long it takes. If it takes longer than the deadline, your WU will be reassigned, but you still get the points when you complete. That is why the P133 has points even though I doubt that it has completed anything in the allocated time.

 

[Tea]

Quite so, Mark. On my very intermittent connections, it is the only way to go. (Next week I am getting cable. I can't wait.)

The trouble with having two copies is that it is all too easy to start one copy twice, and that results in an instant nuke of your work in progress. You have to create two different folders with a copy of the console folder in each, and then remember (a) to type "-local" every time you start one, and (b) to check carefully which of your multiple copies is already running before you start an instance.

Windows, alas, does not seem to have the basic facility to specify if an executable (or shortcut to an executable) should create a fresh instance the second time it is invoked, or simply bring the already-running process to the foreground. (OS/2 has had this ability forever, I assume that Linux does it too - it would seem a pretty basic and sensible facility to have as part of the OS shell.)

In any case, the only way I know of to get around this is to use batch files.

Anyone who is interested can download this:

http://www.redhill.net.au/sf/foldit.zip

To use it, take an empty floppy disk. Copy the current version of the folding@home console client onto it, making sure that you rename it to "fold.exe". Unzip the contents of the zip file onto the disk too (in the root folder).

Then, every time you want to set up a new machine, simply insert the floppy disk and type "install".

Install.bat will:

1: Create a folder on your hard drive called "fold"

2: Copy the empty file "empty.dat" into it. This will serve as our "busy flag" so that we can't accidently run two copies of the same executable at the same time and thus nuke our work in progress.

3:Create the subfolders "1" and "2".

4: Copy fold.exe (the console client) into each of those subfolders, renaming it to "fold1.exe" and "fold2.exe".

5: Copy fold1.bat and fold2.bat into c:\fold

Now, simply drag a pair of shortcuts to those batch files onto your desktop (or to whatever other place is convenient).

------------

Disclaimer:

I've been using this method, more or less, for ages now, but didn't have my original batch files handy here at the office. So these are rewritten from memory. They look allright to my quick, rough eye, but I may have made a typo somewhere in them. I'll post again if I discover any errors.

 

[Groltz]

Updated table, sorted by week total

 

[i]

Oooh oooh ... I've got an idea! You kind folks can find me a job, and then I'll have some money with which to buy a new computer. Then I can start running the F@H software.

 

[Pradeep]

Tony, I believe the -local switch is now redundant with the implementation of the machine id#. I'm running 4 instances on the dual, and would like them to increase available machine ID#s to 8. It doesn't take long to crunch thru 4 genes.

 

[The JoJo]

Pradeep, are you trying to get me depressed ?

I'm glad you're crunching for us!

Me wan't duallie....

 

[Tea]

I set up an XP 1800 today, along with an Athlon 1000. The 1000 was re-using an existing install on a little old Fujitsi 1.1GB drive - slow as mud but who cares - and worked fine. The XP, on the other hand, was a fresh install of Win98 on a 2.1GB Fireball SE. Installed Windows, copied the software over, no problems. But it spent the entire day trying to connect to the Stanford server. It can ping my gateway, it can ping out past it to the web, I can fire up Explorer and surf - but it will not connect to the Stanford server. What is wrong with these guys? What's the point of having the damn project if their servers are down all the time?

Grumble

 

[The JoJo]

Tell me about it Tea....

 

[NRG = mc²]

Someone of us with programming skills should make a caching program... it really is stupid, not only due to the server outages but also for people on dialup.

 

[Cliptin]

Something tells me CLippy has his new dually system up and running?

C

Nope, not yet!
I read on in their forums about FAH not working properly with squid web caching. Apparently squid will cache the proteins and you won't get new ones. I turned it off and got an immediate bump. I will lose a PIII 1000 at the same time I add the dually so the increase won't be that big.

Once Tea gets her cable and The JoJo gets hs problems sorted, we should have 5-6 people in the >200 club.

 

[CougTek]

I will lose a PIII 1000 at the same time I add the dually so the increase won't be that big.

PIII are pityful F@h crunchers. With two high frequency Athlon, your production should increase quite noticeably versus the single PIII 1GHz. Of course, I know it's not your only computer on the project, but anyway, the boost should be significant.

A dual-Athlon XP/MP should give about 15 points/day by itself, compared to maybe 3 points/day max for a PIII 1GHz. That's +12 to your daily production, well enough to distance me in the short term.

 

[Tea]

And, if we add in my new XP 1800 as well, enough to get us back where we ought to be - out-crunching Team Austechinfo.

 

[The JoJo]

Could someone please post a link to the 3.00 folding client? Didn't have luck with the 3.1 or the 3.01.

And the beta5 is out of date...and before I woke up enough tol think about changing the clock backwards, I had already deleted it....

 

[The JoJo]

Yess!!! Finally!!!

The 3.1 client just got a connection to the server. Finally. This means that I can put 3 P3s to work. These really are lousy at crunching compared to Athlons.

 

[Tea]

My XP1800 has been trying to get an initial work unit for 36 hours now. No dice. There is no networking problem: I can ping out just fine, and surf the web from it too. What could be wrong?

 

[Clocker]

My XP1800 has been trying to get an initial work unit for 36 hours now. No dice. There is no networking problem: I can ping out just fine, and surf the web from it too. What could be wrong?

Tea-
Have you tried looking here:

http://forum.folding-community.org/viewforum.php?f=11 ?

Have you tried manually configuring your client (advanced options) to use a different port? Maybe your ISP is blocking the default port? I've successfully used port 80 before.

Jus some ideas...I can't remember the last time I had trouble getting work.

C

 

[Tea]

Thanks Clocker. I'll chase that up a little later (I'm here at the office working late doing Tannin's horrible bloody tax return for him and not free to spend any time worth talking about right now.) (Typical Tannin, by the way. It's just like him to bugger off into na-na land with the faries and leave me here to sort out his mess on my own.)

I wonder if it could be a machine-specific thing, or maybe there is a differrent server for first-time units, because I can access the rest of the web just fine from this machine, ping to my heart's content, and the other machines on the exact same network running through the exact same gateway box to the exact same ISP are getting their units in theusual sluggish-but-gets-there-eventually style.

It's a mystery.

 

[The JoJo]

Tea, I couldn't get new computers to access the server for, what, 4 days?
So it's probably just the servers messing around...

 

[The JoJo]

And once again the servers haunt me:

+ Attempting to send results
- Connecting to server (171.64.122.115:8080)
+ Network send failure
- Error: Could not transmit unit 04. Keeping unit in queue.

+ Attempting to send results
- Connecting to server (171.64.122.115:8080)
+ Network send failure
- Error: Could not transmit unit 04. Keeping unit in queue.
+ Attempting to get work packet
- Connecting to assignment server
- Successful: assigned to (171.64.122.115).
+ News From Folding@Home: Welcome to Folding@Home
- Connecting to server (171.64.122.115) on port 8080
- Error: Getwork #1 failed, and no other work to do. Waiting before retry
+ Attempting to get work packet
- Connecting to assignment server
- Successful: assigned to (171.64.122.115).
+ News From Folding@Home: Welcome to Folding@Home
- Connecting to server (171.64.122.115) on port 8080
- Error: Getwork #2 failed, and no other work to do. Waiting before retry

 

[Tea]

Yup. My new XP 1800 has been trying to get an initial work packet since Sunday AM. It's now Tuesday AM.

 

[Pradeep]

I find that when trying to connect via ICS on win2k, I can only receive new work and not send results. But when connected directly on dial up it sends and receives fine. I did have a day or two recently where it wouldn't connect at all.

 

[NRG = mc²]

grr, G@H stayed idle for 26 hours today waiting for me to connect... <sigh>

 

[The JoJo]

RED ALERT!!! RED ALERT!!!

That austech team is getting to be a really serious threat!

I'm even trying to sell my girlfriends 333MHz computer now (a good opportunity arose) and am thinking about building another faster computer for her instead .

 

[Tea]

My productivity just improved quite a bit with the installation of cable here at home. So I now have 2 real 24x7 machines, the XP 1800 and the TB1333. The office cable connection is coming on Monday next week. Right now I have zero crunching at work: neither of my two machines (TB1000 and XP 1800) can connect at all. Tannin has 1.25 K6-III 500s, which are still running. I don't know why my Athlons won't get work units, but maybe the cable will help.

 

[The JoJo]

Great work Tea! Keep up the good work!

I'll ask Tannin to give you some extra bananas for your effort .

 

[Dozer]

Still trying to get the Dual-Celery processor up and running...need a new drive for it. Running my XP 1800 and PIII 800, as well as a PII 200. At work, I've got a PIII 1 ghz and a PII 400 (although my co-worker keeps closing F@H on me--grrr! I'd like to build another crunching-dedicated machine--this will fill up my hub!!! Everyone keep up the great work and we'll move up in the ranks before we know it--gotta keep Team Austech at bay!

 

[Groltz]

Team SF is #50

Sorted by weekly total:

 

[Buck]

My overclocked XP1800 was off-line the past few days. I just fired it back up today, hopefully that will help a bit.

 

[Mars]

Hi Guys - Been an SR reader for a -long- time. Never realized so many of you had migrated over here. I found your team interesting - I added an Athlon XP 2000+, a PIII 733, and a Duron 800 to your group today

 

[NRG = mc²]

Welcome & thanks!

 

[Groltz]

Hi Guys - Been an SR reader for a -long- time. Never realized so many of you had migrated over here. I found your team interesting - I added an Athlon XP 2000+, a PIII 733, and a Duron 800 to your group today

Welcome Mars, and thanks for throwing some horsepower into our folding team.