error
16 Aug 2008 1:38:59 UTC
Topic 193860
(moderation:
Had an error on a WU. I haven't ever had any before and wondered what this one was about
http://einsteinathome.org/workunit/42478556
error
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Okay, just guessing here since I don't run Vista and havn't yet tried a 6.2.x release of BOINC, but...
I'm not positive, but that looks like the app tried to write or read a lockfile (I can't quite tell which).
Again, speculating, but I'm going to guess that file is in the 'new' place that BOINC keeps data (somewhere off the Documents and Settings tree now, I think).
Is there any chance that a virus scanning program was running at the time? That could potentially deny BOINC access to the file or perhaps even the entire folder that it was trying to access.
For a more authoritative answer, I'll leave it to those who run Vista and 6.2.x clients (which is another way of saying 'Nuts who like beta testing software for Bill Gates and David Anderson, in my opinion' ;-)
Good luck... hope someone with more of a clue comes along soon!
RE: Is there any chance
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Thanks for the input, I appreciate the help.
There was McAfee running at one point during the run of this WU but not when this happened and it had been running for some time afterward. I did have a fairly major update of windows last night thru windows update that required a restart but the WU was running fine most of the day afterwards. Around 3:14PM pacific time I started getting this message,
8/15/2008 3:14:51 PM|Einstein@Home|Restarting task h1_0608.10_S5R4__434_S5R4a_1 using einstein_S5R4 version 604
8/15/2008 3:15:32 PM|Einstein@Home|Task h1_0608.10_S5R4__434_S5R4a_1 exited with zero status but no 'finished' file
8/15/2008 3:15:32 PM|Einstein@Home|If this happens repeatedly you may need to reset the project.
8/15/2008 3:15:32 PM|Einstein@Home|Restarting task h1_0608.10_S5R4__434_S5R4a_1 using einstein_S5R4 version 604
8/15/2008 3:16:13 PM|Einstein@Home|Task h1_0608.10_S5R4__434_S5R4a_1 exited with zero status but no 'finished' file
8/15/2008 3:16:13 PM|Einstein@Home|If this happens repeatedly you may need to reset the project.
This went on till
8/15/2008 4:23:14 PM|Einstein@Home|Restarting task h1_0608.10_S5R4__434_S5R4a_1 using einstein_S5R4 version 604
8/15/2008 4:23:55 PM|Einstein@Home|Task h1_0608.10_S5R4__434_S5R4a_1 exited with zero status but no 'finished' file
8/15/2008 4:23:55 PM|Einstein@Home|If this happens repeatedly you may need to reset the project.
8/15/2008 4:24:36 PM|Einstein@Home|Computation for task h1_0608.10_S5R4__434_S5R4a_1 finished
8/15/2008 4:24:36 PM|Einstein@Home|Output file h1_0608.10_S5R4__434_S5R4a_1_0 for task h1_0608.10_S5R4__434_S5R4a_1 absent
I wasn't around when this was going on and have never reset a project. I'm also running another WU right now and there doesn't seem to be a problem with it.
When BOINC will find itself
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When BOINC will find itself in the situation where it is restarting the application multiple times after each other, it will only do so for 100 times. Keeping count, when it gets to 101 restarts, it will exit the application and give an error on it.
I see you have a dual CPU system.
Were you also using the throttle function in BOINC?
If you were, either do not use the throttle function as this is causing problems with multiple CPUs, or set your CPU amount in BOINC to 1 only. The throttle function will be fixed in a future version of BOINC, meaning 6.4 or 6.6, not any of the 6.2's.
RE: When BOINC will find
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Thanks for the info, but I'm not sure what the throttle function is. Is this when I allow both cpu's to do WU's. I usually do a SETI and Einstein at the same time. Aslo should I just go back to version 5.10 or is this a problem with this version too. I moved up to 6.2.16 because I had read it was better with Vista though I must admit I was having no problems with version 5.
RE: Thanks for the info,
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"Throttling" is when you tell BOINC not to use 100% of the CPU by setting XX in
to less than 100 in your computing preferences.
You should reset it to 100 and instead only use one of your two CPUs. That results in an over all usage of 50%.
To do so, with BOINC 5.x set
with BOINC 6.x set
Gruß,
Gundolf
Computer sind nicht alles im Leben. (Kleiner Scherz)
RE: Thanks for the info,
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In either your web-based preferences, or BOINC Manager's Advanced preferences, you can set to use the CPU throttle function. Recognizable as Use at most x percent of CPU time. If it's set to less than 100%, your BOINC will suspend and resume the running application a couple of times per minute to counter heat built-up in the CPU. It's for thermal throttling use only, not for a sustained "only use so many CPU cycles as I tell you to" usage.
So, if set to 50%, it will suspend for 1 second, run for 1 second, continuously.
RE: RE: Thanks for the
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Thanks. I've put the settings to what you suggested. I had it set for Use CPU time 75% of the time. One more question though, is it possible to have a setting that lets me continue doing two WU's at a time without having to risk the error I got the last time, and still be fairly efficient with doing the WU's, or is this just a limitation of my system in general?
RE: and still be fairly
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What is fairly efficient in your opinion? Running two Einstein tasks at the same time isn't efficient enough? ;-)
RE: RE: and still be
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Yes it would be, but the settings that Gundolf Jahn suggested only allowed me to run one WU at a time. I just tried what you suggested and it will run two again just much slower than it was..Which is fine if that's what it takes to not have the error. I was just looking for what the best I could hope for. I've been runnig the lastest S5R4's since they recently started without a problem so in the end I may just put it back and see if the error happens again. I might also try going back to Boinc 5.10 to see if I can avoid it that way. If I have to I'll throttle it back down, but I'd like to be able to keep it going as quickly as possible without wasting everyone's time, so I was just looking for options. thanks for your input
RE: I just tried what you
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I didn't say you had to throttle to 50%, I was giving an example as to what BOINC will do when throttled to 50%, what you will see happening in BOINC Manager and Task Manager.
When you use more than one CPU (Hyperthreading, dual CPU, multicore), do not use the throttling. Set it to 100%. Or use only one CPU if you need the throttling.