Ram Drive

[Gandalf]

I'm contemplating installing the SuperSpeed RamDisk Plus to speed up the crunching activity of my computers. Every little bit helps.

From my research, I figure I can place the ProgramData part of the Boinc software in the Ram Drive and leave the Program Files part on the C: drive. The Plus version of SuperSpeed provides a function to save the Ram Drive contents during shutdown and revives it during bootup.

I want to copy my cache under a different folder name, create the drive, install BOINC with the ProgramData part into the RamDrive, copy the saved cache into the RamDrive.

Can anyone see anything wrong with my figuring? I know there are a lot of ways of tweeking to accomplish increased crunching. This is just one avenue I am currently investigating.

Thanks for the input.
Gandalf

[anubis]

You sure want to use Win?

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ilence-662116/

Found this, quite thorough step-by-step - just add wcg and go. Got me thinking anyway.

[Gandalf]

Nice find, but I'm doing Win7 64bit. If you're a Linux man, I wish you luck. If you resolve the issue of, as you put it, just add wcg, then put the solution here. My title didn't specify Windows or Linux, but I do hope to get some Win7 feedback.

[Gandalf]

Well, I did it. I installed a trial copy of the RamDrive (100% functional). I chickened out and waited until the cache was empty, since no megabrains came to my rescue. Small steps for man.

What I don't know is how to evaluate the WUs as to rather they are being completed any sooner than before.

[anubis]

Dont think you have to. How many cores on the patient-machine? Make a separate profile for it and allow CEP2 on all cores.

Should be the best benchmark.

[Gandalf]

What do you mean by profile?

I have a i7 quad I could use. I'm just waiting for a delivery of new memory strips. UPS. Grrrrr.
It's been acting up which is why I'm replacing the memory. Cheaper than replacing a CPU.
Besides the CPU passed an Intel CPU test.

[Gandalf]

What is the benchmark for CEP2 WUs?

[anubis]

CEP2 does about 32GiB reads and writes per WU - so RAMdrive is just the thing for it. I don't have a comparable machine - mine is 1,8Ghz opteron with 12c/12t and 64gb SSD - did a WU in 12h

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0269q9so9dy94yc/derp.png

Basically it needs a lot of IO

(if im not mistaken then with faster CPU this means the same amount of reads/writes within shorter period)

Profile <- create a separate for the RAMdrive host
https://www.dropbox.com/s/d7vdvur8bswmg00/1.PNG
CEP2
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6tpk4om29lkjdq4/2.PNG <- no of threads on the machine

How much ram does it have?

[Gandalf]

You are getting way over my head, my friend. I'm just a retired engineer.
Well, we'll put this on the back burner then until my memory strips arrive.

What have I gotten myself into?

[anubis]

Sigh. Ignored Your original question.

Found this.
http://boinc.berkeley.edu/dev/forum_thread.php?id=3316

Yes, the location is stored in the registry.

To move either or both program / data directories:

1: Use Windows uninstall to remove BOINC. Windows runs an uninstall script, which moves the data directory back to the same location as the program directory.

2) Re-install BOINC, use Advanced to get to where you can select the location for either or both.

3) Select the locations that you want. This will separate the prog & data directories again.

So, create ramdrive -> install BOINC with WU data on ramdrive -> Profit?

Ok.

http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/ms...viewDevices.do -> select the one that will be used as RAMdrive crashtestdummy

Device Name: <hostname>
Device Type: BOINC
Current Assigned Device Profile? Edit Device Profiles <- click here
Date Installed and Registered:


Lets take school - i think its unused in Your case

http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/ms...do?name=school

Available Projects

Select CEP2

+ If there is no work available for my computer for the projects I have selected above, please send me work from another project.

Disk Usage
Your RAMdisk size

Project Specific Settings
Number of threads available on the host

>Save<

http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/ms...viewDevices.do

click on the RAMdrive host

Assign "School"



On the host: BOINC manager -> Projects tab -> Update

[anubis]

Anyone care to check my logic?

A reference point for you:

Result Name App Version Number Status Sent Time Time Due /
Return Time CPU Time / Elapsed Time (hours) Claimed/ Granted BOINC Credit
E213197_ 055_ C.34.C28H15N3S3.01500050.2.set1d06_ 0-- 640 Valid 5/7/13 02:28:59 5/8/13 04:15:37 12.00 173.7 / 173.7

Project Name: The Clean Energy Project - Phase 2
Created: 05/06/2013 02:02:16
Name: E213197_055_C.34.C28H15N3S3.01500050.2.set1d06
Minimum Quorum: 1
Replication: 1

[Gandalf]

Anubis - take a read of this observation ... http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...35#post5187535

[Gandalf]

OK Anubis, I've cleared the cache and setup the Profile as you instructed.
Here is the initial setup report. If anything looks wrong, please advise.


http://i.imgur.com/I4JVCOb.png

I tried to post the image, but while the preview looked good the posted image wasn't readable so I did it this was.

[josh1980]

I though his up.. years ago. It works.. kinda. You need a ramdisk that is VERY big. In my tests with a 16 core machine and a small queue, 24GB of RAMdisk space wasn't enough!

CEP2 is by far the biggest per WU. There's also WUs failing outright if you run out of space(which happens pretty quickly if WCG stops receiving WUs like they do for nightly maintenance). Other WUs that are smaller may work, but what you should do is make sure that your disk usage is never more than 33% full during normal operation. I found that even if you let it go to 40% you risk WUs failing during any downtime/temporary broken internet/etc. You'll quickly hit that 24 hour blacklist limit.

Good luck

Edit: A free alternative to Ramdisk Plus is ImDisk.

Another edit: I just noticed that link I posted first isn't the one I mean it to be for. I know I have a thread involving Ramdisk Plus(I used it for years, then ditched it for ImDisk because I didn't want to pay for the upgrade cost) but I can't find it.

[Evantaur]

wouldn't it be better to have just the slots in ramdisk?

http://www.boinc-wiki.info/Slots_Directory

[Gandalf]

I've got a 10GB RAMDrive setup for the 8 WUs. Well, we'll see what happens.

I tried to read your attachments, but you guys are well over my head.
I'm just a retired engineer. Now that I'm a wizard, I'm even dumber.
I find it interesting that the CPU is only used about 50% of the time.
Of course that means that a 15 hour WU will require 30 hours to run.
Is that to allow R/W time to a HDD? That seems like a lot of R/W time.

[Gandalf]

First completed WUs... http://i.imgur.com/cw9qJSw.png

Current status... http://i.imgur.com/ZbsrbYy.png

All's going as planned. I guess!

[D_A]

Check your profile. It looks like you're running with a severe throttle setting. The default on any BOINC profile is 60%, from memory, and you have to change that to use 100%. Also if you still have a app_config file from GPU crunching it could be interfering.

[Gandalf]

Check your profile. It looks like you're running with a severe throttle setting. The default on any BOINC profile is 60%, from memory, and you have to change that to use 100%. Also if you still have a app_config file from GPU crunching it could be interfering.

No app_config file.
The BOINC Manager > Tools > Computer preferences...



Virtual memory showed 75%. The other two indicated 100%.
Modified setting...

Memory Usage
Leave applications in memory while suspended? Yes
Use no more than: 100.0 % of memory while computer in use
Use no more than: 100.0 % of memory while computer idle
Use no more than: 100.0 % of virtual memory

Rebooted BOINC just in case.

[Gandalf]

D_A - what should I be looking for in terms of improvement, if I was being throttled?

[D_A]

Well that depends. If it's just the regular CPU time setting that's the problem then you're looking at about double the output (CEP2 units all run the same amount of time, you would just get more return for them). If, on the other hand, it's not that at all and your system is IO bound (ie it's paging out to swap because there's not enough RAM for the workloads and the RAM drive) then that setting won't help. Only way to know for sure is to check it (WCG page > My Grid > Device Manager > {name of profile you're using} and check the "100% of processor time" near the top and the right number of processors under the Processor Settings heading.

[D_A]

No app_config file.
The BOINC Manager > Tools > Computer preferences...



Virtual memory showed 75%. The other two indicated 100%.
Modified setting...

Memory Usage
Leave applications in memory while suspended? Yes
Use no more than: 100.0 % of memory while computer in use
Use no more than: 100.0 % of memory while computer idle
Use no more than: 100.0 % of virtual memory

Rebooted BOINC just in case.

I'd put those back to default and check the Processor Usage tab instead.

[Gandalf]

Well that depends. If it's just the regular CPU time setting that's the problem then you're looking at about double the output (CEP2 units all run the same amount of time, you would just get more return for them). If, on the other hand, it's not that at all and your system is IO bound (ie it's paging out to swap because there's not enough RAM for the workloads and the RAM drive) then that setting won't help. Only way to know for sure is to check it (WCG page > My Grid > Device Manager > {name of profile you're using} and check the "100% of processor time" near the top and the right number of processors under the Processor Settings heading.

Use no more than: 100.0 % of processor time

Advanced Options
Processor Usage
Do work while computer is in use? Yes
Do work on my graphics card while computer is in use? Yes
Do work only after computer is idle for: minutes
Do work while computer is running on batteries? Yes
Stop work after computer is idle for: 0.0 minutes
Allow research to run on my CPU? Yes
Suspend work if CPU usage is above 0.0 % of cpu
If you set this value to 0, it means no restriction is enforced. This setting is used version 6.10.30+ of the BOINC agent.
If you are using version 6.2 of the software, then the number of processors used will be the lesser of the two fields below. If you are using a version before 6.2, then only the 'at most' field will be used.
On multiprocessors, at most use: 8 processors
On multiprocessors, use: 100.0 % of processors

[Gandalf]

I'd put those back to default and check the Processor Usage tab instead.

[D_A]

You'll get more output if you change the While processor usage is less than to either a higher number or just to zero. If you're not GPU crunching as well, and it's not causing you issues with something else you're doing, I'd just set it to zero. The "Switch between applications" should be a sensible figure as well, though it probably makes no difference at all if you're only running one project ie just WCG. It makes no difference between the various WCG sub-projects or running work units.