CPU/ATI GPU hybrid AstroPulse for Windows released

[Raistmer]

This build uses ATI GPU as coprocessor to perform some part of AstroPulse algorithm on GPU instead of CPU. This will free CPU for other tasks.
For better use of hardware resources I recommend to use this app as addition to opt CPU SETI MB app (AKv8b) and to take participation into some other project that can make use of ATI GPUs like MilkyWay.
Currently it’s possible to run up to 2 app instances per GPU.
That is, for quad with 2 ATI GPUs installed it’s possible to run 4 SETI CPU MB + 4 SETI hybrid AP tasks at once.
Catalyst 9.x or higher drivers required.
List of supported GPUs one can see here:
http://developer.amd.com/gpu/ATIStreamSDK/pages/ATIStreamSystemRequirements.aspx#cards
Please, take note that NO_DOUBLE modification should be used for GPUs w/o double precision support.
Approximate app_info.xml section that could be used to run this app on SETI project:

Code: [Select]

<app>
<name>astropulse_v505</name>
</app>
<file_info>
        <name>ap_5.05_win_x86_SSE3_BROOK_r280.exe</name>
        <executable/>
    </file_info>
    <app_version>
        <app_name>astropulse_v505</app_name>
        <version_num>505</version_num>
<avg_ncpus>0.1</avg_ncpus>
<max_ncpus>0.1</max_ncpus>
<coproc>
             <plan_class>ati13ati</plan_class>
            <coproc>
                  <type>ATI</type>
              <count>0.5</count>
            </coproc>
           <flops>6000000000</flops>
</coproc>
        <file_ref>
            <file_name>ap_5.05_win_x86_SSE3_BROOK_r280.exe</file_name>
            <main_program/>                           
        </file_ref>
    </app_version>
Please, edit <max/avg_ncpus> and <count> tags values as appropriate for your config.
For hosts participating in other ATI-based projects               <count>0.5</count> can be changed to               <count>0.1</count>

I would like to thank Jason G and Josef W. Segur for continual app features and algorithm discussions and useful hints, alpha testers: Arnulf, arkayn, heinz and Urs Echternacht for early spot of some app issues and useful comments about app behaviour, Gipsel for sharing some MW design approaches about sharing GPU between apps and all beta testers who tried app usability on their hosts.

[glk63]

07.11.2009 8:27:09   SETI@home   [error] State file error: missing application file ap_5.05_win_x86_SSE3_BROOK_r280_NO_DOUBLE.exe

А... моя ошибка, забыл исправить одну строчку в app_info на ap_5.05_win_x86_SSE3_BROOK_r280_NO_DOUBLE.exe

[@Home]

07.11.2009 8:27:09   SETI@home   [error] State file error: missing application file ap_5.05_win_x86_SSE3_BROOK_r280_NO_DOUBLE.exe

Have you also copied brook.dll and brook_cal.dll to the appropriate directory??

[glk63]

my mistake, forgot to fix one line in app_info on ap_5.05_win_x86_SSE3_BROOK_r280_NO_DOUBLE.exe

[Raistmer]

07.11.2009 8:27:09   SETI@home   [error] State file error: missing application file ap_5.05_win_x86_SSE3_BROOK_r280_NO_DOUBLE.exe

А... моя ошибка, забыл исправить одну строчку в app_info на ap_5.05_win_x86_SSE3_BROOK_r280_NO_DOUBLE.exe

бывает

[timiman]

Thanks Raistmer.

I'm going to use a 4870x2 only for SETI.
What are the correct settings for a 4 CPU SETI MB + 4 SETI GPU AP for <avg_ncpus>, <max_ncpus> and <count> ?
0.2, 2 and 0.02 ?

[cristipurdel]

On my 2600 XT, this is what I'm getting:
07/11/2009 08:41:26   SETI@home   Sending scheduler request: To fetch work.
07/11/2009 08:41:26   SETI@home   Requesting new tasks for CPU
07/11/2009 08:41:31   SETI@home   Scheduler request completed: got 0 new tasks
07/11/2009 08:41:31   SETI@home   Message from server: No work sent
07/11/2009 08:41:31   SETI@home   Message from server: No work is available for Astropulse v5
07/11/2009 08:41:31   SETI@home   Message from server: Your app_info.xml file doesn't have a version of SETI@home Enhanced.
my app_info is:

<app_info>
    <app>
   <name>astropulse_v505</name>
    </app>
    <file_info>
        <name>ap_5.05_win_x86_SSE3_BROOK_r280_NO_DOUBLE.exe</name>
        <executable/>
    </file_info>
    <app_version>
        <app_name>astropulse_v505</app_name>
        <version_num>505</version_num>
        <avg_ncpus>0.1</avg_ncpus>
        <max_ncpus>1</max_ncpus>
        <coproc>
        <type>ATI</type>
   <count>0.01</count>
   </coproc>
        <file_ref>
            <file_name>ap_5.05_win_x86_SSE3_BROOK_r280_NO_DOUBLE.exe</file_name>
            <main_program/>                           
        </file_ref>
     </app_version>
</app_info>
any suggestions? (GPU & CPU preferences yes on seti)

[Raistmer]

Thanks Raistmer.

I'm going to use a 4870x2 only for SETI.
What are the correct settings for a 4 CPU SETI MB + 4 SETI GPU AP for <avg_ncpus>, <max_ncpus> and <count> ?
0.2, 2 and 0.02 ?

The biggest problem with these settings - I even don't know what can be considered as "correct" ones.
IMO BOINC can't handle applications of such hybrid type correctly at all, but will see what peoples will invent ultimately.
But in particular, <max_ncpus> definitely should not exceed 1.
Better leave them as I wrote above.
These numbers just tell BOINC how many app instances it can run and can it run another apps with this one or not. Best configuretion is overcommitted CPU (that is, CPU should run same amount tasks as it did before this AP app installation + this AstroPulse app) and count number for coproc should give 1 in total (with other GPU-oriented project).
That is, if you run Milkyway + SETI - set MW's count to 0.48 or 0.49 and leave count for AP on 0.01.
The number of GPUs installed should not afect on those numbers.

[Claggy]

On my 2600 XT, this is what I'm getting:
07/11/2009 08:41:26   SETI@home   Sending scheduler request: To fetch work.
07/11/2009 08:41:26   SETI@home   Requesting new tasks for CPU
07/11/2009 08:41:31   SETI@home   Scheduler request completed: got 0 new tasks
07/11/2009 08:41:31   SETI@home   Message from server: No work sent
07/11/2009 08:41:31   SETI@home   Message from server: No work is available for Astropulse v5
07/11/2009 08:41:31   SETI@home   Message from server: Your app_info.xml file doesn't have a version of SETI@home Enhanced.
my app_info is:

<app_info>
    <app>
   <name>astropulse_v505</name>
    </app>
    <file_info>
        <name>ap_5.05_win_x86_SSE3_BROOK_r280_NO_DOUBLE.exe</name>
        <executable/>
    </file_info>
    <app_version>
        <app_name>astropulse_v505</app_name>
        <version_num>505</version_num>
        <avg_ncpus>0.1</avg_ncpus>
        <max_ncpus>1</max_ncpus>
        <coproc>
        <type>ATI</type>
   <count>0.01</count>
   </coproc>
        <file_ref>
            <file_name>ap_5.05_win_x86_SSE3_BROOK_r280_NO_DOUBLE.exe</file_name>
            <main_program/>                           
        </file_ref>
     </app_version>
</app_info>
any suggestions? (GPU & CPU preferences yes on seti)

Set your Setiathome Preferences like this:

Run only the selected applications SETI@home Enhanced: no
Astropulse: yes
Astropulse v5: yes
 
If no work for selected applications is available, accept work from other applications? yes

Boinc will ask for Astropulse and Astropulse_v5 work, and since there is none available of those,
you'll be sent work from the other (unselected) applications, ie seti@home_enhanced and Astropulse_v505,
subject to what app's are listed in your app_info, and if there's any work to send to them.

Claggy

[corsair]

and what about x64 version?? I use not to run any x32 if I can.

Same messages:

58   SETI@home   07-11-2009 13:12:35   Message from server: No work sent   
59   SETI@home   07-11-2009 13:12:35   Message from server: No work is available for Astropulse v5   

Run only the selected applications:
SETI@home Enhanced - yes
Astropulse - yes
Astropulse v5 - yes
If no work for selected applications is available, accept work from other applications? - yes
Use Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) if available   - yes
Use Central Processing Unit (CPU)   - yes

[Raistmer]

On my 2600 XT, this is what I'm getting:
07/11/2009 08:41:26   SETI@home   Sending scheduler request: To fetch work.
07/11/2009 08:41:26   SETI@home   Requesting new tasks for CPU
07/11/2009 08:41:31   SETI@home   Scheduler request completed: got 0 new tasks
07/11/2009 08:41:31   SETI@home   Message from server: No work sent
07/11/2009 08:41:31   SETI@home   Message from server: No work is available for Astropulse v5
07/11/2009 08:41:31   SETI@home   Message from server: Your app_info.xml file doesn't have a version of SETI@home Enhanced.
my app_info is:

<app_info>
    <app>
   <name>astropulse_v505</name>
    </app>
    <file_info>
        <name>ap_5.05_win_x86_SSE3_BROOK_r280_NO_DOUBLE.exe</name>
        <executable/>
    </file_info>
    <app_version>
        <app_name>astropulse_v505</app_name>
        <version_num>505</version_num>
        <avg_ncpus>0.1</avg_ncpus>
        <max_ncpus>1</max_ncpus>
        <coproc>
        <type>ATI</type>
   <count>0.01</count>
   </coproc>
        <file_ref>
            <file_name>ap_5.05_win_x86_SSE3_BROOK_r280_NO_DOUBLE.exe</file_name>
            <main_program/>                           
        </file_ref>
     </app_version>
</app_info>
any suggestions? (GPU & CPU preferences yes on seti)

Set your Setiathome Preferences like this:

Run only the selected applications SETI@home Enhanced: no
Astropulse: yes
Astropulse v5: yes
 
If no work for selected applications is available, accept work from other applications? yes

Boinc will ask for Astropulse and Astropulse_v5 work, and since there is none available of those,
you'll be sent work from the other (unselected) applications, ie seti@home_enhanced and Astropulse_v505,
subject to what app's are listed in your app_info, and if there's any work to send to them.

Claggy

Pay attention to highlighted line (in green).
If your app_info has no SETI MB application listed, BOINC will not be able to download any MB work !
And there is no AP work currently available at all on SETI main, only MB. So you need to add AKv8b enty to your app_info.
The best way to construct correct app_info file is to use Lunatics installer for initial optimization and then add corresponding section for hybrid AstroPulse to app_info, leaving all other entries intact.

[Raistmer]

and what about x64 version?? I use not to run any x32 if I can.

Well, I could try to build but because my ATI-enabled host still uses x86 OS (not because it's better, just because of my laziness ) it would be hard to test it for me.
Let's wait when I  install Win7 x64 on my quad first

Same messages:

58   SETI@home   07-11-2009 13:12:35   Message from server: No work sent   
59   SETI@home   07-11-2009 13:12:35   Message from server: No work is available for Astropulse v5   

Run only the selected applications:
SETI@home Enhanced - yes
Astropulse - yes
Astropulse v5 - yes
If no work for selected applications is available, accept work from other applications? - yes
Use Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) if available   - yes
Use Central Processing Unit (CPU)   - yes

If there is no work - there is no work.
Even "this wonderful app" can't make workunits from the air. If server will not supply work - there will be no work to process...
Look this page for further info:
http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/sah_status.html

[cristipurdel]

Pay attention to highlighted line (in green).
If your app_info has no SETI MB application listed, BOINC will not be able to download any MB work !
And there is no AP work currently available at all on SETI main, only MB. So you need to add AKv8b enty to your app_info.
The best way to construct correct app_info file is to use Lunatics installer for initial optimization and then add corresponding section for hybrid AstroPulse to app_info, leaving all other entries intact.

I want to test only the beta app for AstroPulse using the ATI GPU, and not also the SETI enhanced or AKv8b (which is for MB if I'm not mistaken)
From what I'm figuring out, there are no WUs available right now for AP.
Can anybody post a script for my app_info pls. I want to crunch only for the SETI AP and in the same time for collatz.

[alexander77]

For better use of hardware resources I recommend to use this app as addition to opt CPU SETI MB app (AKv8b) and to take participation into some other project that can make use of ATI GPUs like MilkyWay.

Hi,
coul'd anyone plese give an example, how the .xml file would look like to run both apps?

[Raistmer]

It's for SSSE3-enabled host, x86 OS.

<app_info>
   <app>
      <name>astropulse_v505</name>
   </app>
   <file_info>
           <name>ap_5.05_win_x86_SSE3_BROOK_r280.exe</name>
           <executable/>
       </file_info>
       <app_version>
           <app_name>astropulse_v505</app_name>
           <version_num>506</version_num>
      <avg_ncpus>0.1</avg_ncpus>
      <max_ncpus>1</max_ncpus>
   <coproc>
   <type>ATI</type>
   <count>0.01</count>
   </coproc>
             <file_ref>
                  <file_name>ap_5.05_win_x86_SSE3_BROOK_r280.exe</file_name>
                  <main_program/>                           
           </file_ref>
       </app_version>
<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>603</version_num>
   <platform>windows_intelx86</platform>
   <flops>4127010920</flops>
   <avg_ncpus>1.00</avg_ncpus>
   <max_ncpus>1.00</max_ncpus>
   <file_ref>
      <file_name>AK_v8b_win_SSSE3x.exe</file_name>
      <main_program/>
   </file_ref>
</app_version>
</app_info>