Forum > GPU crunching
Can't get CPU work
Purple Rabbit:
Poor (Host Potato) has a problem. He has been crunching right along, but I recently changed to BOINC 6.6 28 and the beta installer. He's still crunching, but I can't get the short term debt to to stop increasing for GPU only or (in a another trial) to get the CPU to take over when the short term debt debt (it got over over 33,000 several times so far with no luck) might require it. I've been suspending the task to fix the the short term debt. I changed the SETI preferences to allow both CPU and GPU processing.
I originally set him up as a GPU only client with stock stuff. I then added the Beta installer. I've screwed up somewhere. I think I need help (or at least therapy) ;D
I think I've read all the posts, but a relevant RTFM reference is appropriate . I'm at a loss to explain this. I've done what I can.
Rick
sunu:
What CPU work do you want to run? Astropulse, multibeam, both? Have you checked the corresponding boxes in the beta installer?
Seti has run out of astropulse wus, so you're not going to get these for some time.
Please read carefully these:
First post from raistmer here especially where he says "What should not be used".
First post from Jason G here, it's a small readme on the beta installer.
If you want to zero your debt, close all boinc and client apps and open your client_state.xml and client_state_prev.xml files found in your boinc directory with a text editor. Then make a search in these files for the word debt and change the corresponding values to 0.000000.
It would also help if you post your app_info.xml file here.
Purple Rabbit:
Thanks sunu,
I'm just running multibeam (with other BOINC projects). Both the AK_vb8_win_SSSE3 and MB_608_mod_CUDA_V11_VLAR_refined were installed by the beta installer. The processor is a Q6600 and has run SSSE3 successfully before.
I've zeroed the debt a number of times. I've got the LTD stable at 0 (or close to it), but the STD continues to grow very large just running CUDA. I thought running some CPU units would knock that back some, but it never switched. I have checked (and checked) the preferences on the site and they seem to be correct.
I had been running v10_team for both CUDA and CPU under BOINC 6.4.6. These worked fine within their limitations. I can't get to the Jason G link (access denied). I do remember an admonition to get everything working with stock first. I didn't do that for the CPU. I'll go back to stock for everything (after I get through my current tasks) and try that next.
app_info.xml:
<app_info>
<app>
<name>setiathome_enhanced</name>
</app>
<file_info>
<name>AK_v8b_win_SSSE3x.exe</name>
<executable/>
</file_info>
<app_version>
<app_name>setiathome_enhanced</app_name>
<version_num>528</version_num>
<file_ref>
<file_name>AK_v8b_win_SSSE3x.exe</file_name>
<main_program/>
</file_ref>
</app_version>
<app_version>
<app_name>setiathome_enhanced</app_name>
<version_num>603</version_num>
<file_ref>
<file_name>AK_v8b_win_SSSE3x.exe</file_name>
<main_program/>
</file_ref>
</app_version>
<app>
<name>setiathome_enhanced</name>
</app>
<file_info>
<name>MB_6.08_mod_CUDA_V11_VLARKill_refined.exe</name>
<executable/>
</file_info>
<file_info>
<name>cudart.dll</name>
<executable/>
</file_info>
<file_info>
<name>cufft.dll</name>
<executable/>
</file_info>
<file_info>
<name>libfftw3f-3-1-1a_upx.dll</name>
<executable/>
</file_info>
<app_version>
<app_name>setiathome_enhanced</app_name>
<version_num>608</version_num>
<plan_class>cuda</plan_class>
<avg_ncpus>0.040000</avg_ncpus>
<max_ncpus>0.040000</max_ncpus>
<coproc>
<type>CUDA</type>
<count>1</count>
</coproc>
<file_ref>
<file_name>MB_6.08_mod_CUDA_V11_VLARKill_refined.exe</file_name>
<main_program/>
</file_ref>
<file_ref>
<file_name>cudart.dll</file_name>
</file_ref>
<file_ref>
<file_name>cufft.dll</file_name>
</file_ref>
<file_ref>
<file_name>libfftw3f-3-1-1a_upx.dll</file_name>
</file_ref>
</app_version>
</app_info>
Jason G:
Hi there,
app_info looks fine, as the bog standard generated one from beta should, now some ~730 downloads.
I tend to stick to a single project these days, most of the time, so don't know the ins & outs of debt calculation. I would expect it to be primarily related to Boinc internal calculations and resource shares, than anything to do with applications themselves (or app_infos). I can imagine, though, that if the GPU is happily munching through Multibeam WU's, and these count toward Seti's resource share as they should, then if no other GPU enabled project is attached, then Seti work would tend to GPU, and other projects to CPU.
I can imagine (guess at) three possible situations though, that might be induced by new boinc version changes combined with specific resource shares & project combinations:
1) (Unlikely) If the ratio of performance between the GPU(s) against combined CPUs (and associated applications for each), is roughly equivalent to the resource share per project allocations, then Boinc, since it asks for GPU work first, might be satisfying the seti share, leaving the CPU dry of that, and no debt would accumulate, everyone's happy, but no cpu work for seti.
2) (Could happen) If, looking at another angle, the CPU performance outstripped the GPU, then other projects would quickly consume their resource share and request Seti@home CPU (specific) work.
3) (Likely?) The third scenario I can picture, which I think might be applicable here, is that GPU performance on seti is outstripping CPU performance, thus exceeding resource share by virtue of having no work from other gpu enabled projects. (And not requesting Seti@home CPU work accordingly)
If #3 'feels' the most likely situation, then a couple of simple resolutions may be possible. Either Increase seti's resource share to compensate for its performance boost obtained from its sole GPU ownership, Or alternatively attach to another project that has suitable GPU apps to help balance the debts out.
No idea if that will help, but a fun mental exercise. A simple test may be to temporarily set that machine to crunch only Seti, And see what happens. If things settle and start requesting both GPU & CPU work, then IMO it's an indicator of lack of GPU apps for other projects, and suitable resource share adjustment, since Boinc will always try to keep the GPU busy, with whatever it can get .... Even if it's only one project that has already consumed resource share, so won't request cpu work.
Good luck with that, and I hope you get it sorted.
Jason
Purple Rabbit:
Thanks a bunch Jason. #3 seems to apply. The GPU (8600GTS) tasks take about 40 to 60 minutes. CPU tasks were taking a bit over an hour (70 to 90 minutes). I've been reducing the SETI share to fix the problem. I'll try increasing them (I'll try anything!)
This still begs the question of running SETI GPU only without CPU tasks. (OK, I'm changing the question...sigh). I'm guessing this is a BOINC 6.6.xx question. I'll be happy with anything that I don't have to nursemaid tho ;)
I'll be back ;D
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