SR Cancer/Anthrax Research

[Clocker]

I've dropeed to 7th place during my vacation. Here are the standings:
http://members.ud.com/services/team...0A9FFE-E81C-4868-AF12-858D40C4E3DF&ord=POINTS

Keep crunching guys!!

CLocker

 

[Tannin]

Hey Clocker, great to see you back. You have just finally reminded me to join the team. If I'd known how easy it was, I would have done it long since.

Now, seeing as I have my home system on the job (an Athlon XP 1700), what can I do about using up a few of those surplus MHz at the office?

There is another Athlon XP 1700 and a K6-III/500 that both run 24/7, usually doing nothing. Alas, the XP runs ECS and the K6 runs OS/2 and the software is for Win32 only, so they are no help.

Then there is another K6-III/500 that is dual boot. It tends to run maybe 40 hours a week or so, and it's dual boot 98SE and OS/2, running each one maybe half the time. That one does have a web connection (or at least it's easy enough to grovel under the desk and switch the XP's modem cable over to it if I want to get it on the web for a while), so it shouldn't be too hard. Is 20-odd hours a week on a K6-III worth having? And how often would it need to connect to upload/download?

Then there is the NT box. It's yet another K6-III, and it runs 24/7. It's networked to all the other office machines, but it has no direct web connection and it would be inconvenient to buggerise about giving it a modem. Not to mention the waste of phone calls.

The network, however is not a TCP/IP one, but rather the old-fashioned sort, the proper name of which escapes me. Microsoft call it "Windows Networking", IBM call it "IBM Peer Networking". I've never converted it over to a TCP/IP network (a) because it works just fine the way it is, (b) because I don't know how, and (c) because although I can nearly hook up my motely collection of machines with their motely collection of different operating systems in my sleep now, I know SFA about TCP/IP security and am paranoid about having my office machines hacked or infected.

In short, what would I need to know about firewalls and other related matters in order to safely hook up my NT box to the main machine, so that it can upload/download data from the Athlon?

(PS: I know, I just went way out of your field, Clocker. I trust that one of our networking wizzards will come to my rescue here.)

 

[Pradeep]

Tony, so the NT4 box is connected to the Athlon which has a modem? What is the modem Athlon running as an OS? The easiest way I could think if you were running some type of windows would be to enable ICS (internet connection sharing) on the modem box, then when you open up a browser etc on any of the other networked PCs they should use the modem connection for dl/ul. You can also set it to dial on demand, ie you popen a browser on a network box and the athlon dials up automatically. The most important security precaution to take is to ensure that you DO NOT have file and printer sharing and all that MS networking shebang enabled on the dial up connection. This makes it impossible for the ebil 10 year old haXors to have a nice browse of your internal network. Oh and passwords would be a good idea too (if you don't use them now)[/b]

 

[Clocker]

Is 20-odd hours a week on a K6-III worth having? And how often would it need to connect to upload/download?

Of course 20 hours a week is worth having. I'll take anything I can get to help reduce the need for possible rectal polyp popping!

How often your system needs up upload/download will vary a lot. The work units give to machines vary in size. Depending on the machine, a work unit can take from 0.5 days up to about 2-3 days (a guess).

I seeyou have joined, Tony. Great!!

Clocker

 

[Pradeep]

Oh and you can use any number of free software firewalls, I'm using Zone Alarm.

http://download.cnet.com/downloads/0-10105-108-57636.html?tag=upd

 

[Pradeep]

How often your system needs up upload/download will vary a lot. The work units give to machines vary in size. Depending on the machine, a work unit can take from 0.5 days up to about 2-3 days (a guess).

Good to see you back Clocker. Is the client capable of caching work and recrunching it's existing work if it can't find a Net connection?

 

[Clocker]

Pradeep-
I'm not sure of the answer to your question. But, why would you want to recrunch a work unit that has already been completed?

His is more complete answers to some FAQs

http://members.ud.com/support/

Sorry I could not be of more help at the moment!! I have floursecent lighting to install downstairs!!

Clocker

 

[Tannin]

Thanks Pradeep. Haven't followed you link yet, but I already have a firewall or two - ECS comes with a vast array of freeware these days, rather like most Linux distributions. I just don't know how to use the damn things!

I think I'll start another thread for this stuff though, perhaps in Tech Support. A sort of "let's all educate Tannin the cave dweller about modern TCP/IP networking and security". Hopefully, it will provide a useful resource here, as well as let me learn a little of the stuff that you guys know.

 

[Pradeep]

Pradeep-
I'm not sure of the answer to your question. But, why would you want to recrunch a work unit that has already been completed?

His is more complete answers to some FAQs

http://members.ud.com/support/

The reason I ask is because the client I run (genome@home) can use a different seed each time it processes a work unit, enabling the client to be run without a permanent net connection, and allowing me to leave it unattended for a few weeks, then dump the cache when I want to.

 

[Bozo]

My computer is not on line or even turned on all the time. The program works its magic whenever the computer is on and uploads/downloads whenever I connect to the net.


Bozo

 

[Tannin]

Hi Bozo! Great to see you here. I've got two machines running it now, but the little one here at the office (a K6-3) is only cnnected to the web every three weeks or so. Does anyone know how much the program downloads at a time - i.e., how does it work out how many tasks to store to keep it busy till the next network connection. I can't find a control for this anywhere.

 

[Clocker]

AFAIK, Think only downloads one unit at a time. You work on it until it is done and then the results are uploaded and a new 'job' is retrieved. Jobs can vary in size from anywhere in the range of several hours to a few days long...

C

 

[HellDiver]

Basically, you can do the caching using 3rd party tools like UD Monitor. This way the rig has to go online once every couple of days, or something (i.e. you can have 3-5-20 tasks cached). The only problem is that if you don't return the (Cancer project) result within about 4 days (should be re-checked as this number changes) your result won't be accepted at all (discarded).

A PIII-600 + 512MB crunches about 2 Cancer tasks a day or about 1 Anthrax task every two days.

 

[HellDiver]

By 3-5-20 I meant any number you want, of course, not just those three...

 

[Tea]

So, Captain Clocker, now that United Devices is closing up, where are we heading?

 

[Clocker]

So, Captain Clocker, now that United Devices is closing up, where are we heading?

I'm not 100% that is going to happen. Heck, they just released a new vewsion of the software yesterday:

http://members.ud.com/download/gold/ud.htm

We'll wait and see I guess!!

C

 

[Tea]

Stay calm, man my post, don't shoot till I see the whites of their eyes, and stand by for further orders. Yesir!

 

[James]

Site says the anthrax research is finished already. Hmmm. What's left?

 

[Prof.Wizard]

Let's stick to UD till it closes...

But if we are to change... how you like Stanford's Folding@home?
Other suggestions?

 

[Pradeep]

Stanford's Genome@home :mrgrn:

 

[James]

I'd like something that actually supports SMP...

 

[Cliptin]

I am running both UD and Genome@home.

You can run multiple instances of G@h, James.

 

[Prof.Wizard]

Genome@home... ppfff... I don't like it... :x

I'll try to run a 2nd instance with Folding@home.