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World Community Grid Forums
Category: Support
Forum: BOINC Agent Support
Thread: WCG on BOINC doesn't free RAM. |
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Thread Status: Active Total posts in this thread: 13
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Ok, So I've just joined WCG. I run it through boinc as I already have that going.
I notice that the project is using an INSANE 250MB of RAM and immediatly suspend it. Except that it is still "in memory". My setup: Boinc 5.2.13. Other boinc projects: QMC & Einstein. Now. When I suspend either of them (either the specific work unit OR the project as a whole), the current work unit stops and a few seconds later it jumps out of the RAM to let something that has not been suspended run. This seems to be intended behaviour. However, when I suspend WCG, be it either the present work unit or the entire project, the work unit DOES stop, but it doesn't leave the ram. I'm using Process Explorer in place of Taskmanager so I can easily tell what's happening. Heck, I just tried the BOINC-wide "suspend" function (usual setting is "run always") and WCG is STILL in RAM. Any ideas? Why is WCG insisting on using 260MB of my RAM when it's totally suspended? |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Seems I can't edit my own post. Anyway, the program, as run from the command line is:
projects/www.worldcommunitygrid.org/wcg_faah_autodock_5.28_windows_intelx86 -dpf faah1324_d029n501_x2BPW_00.dpf -gpf d029n501_x2BPW_00.gpf if that helps narrow down what's going on. |
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Sekerob
Ace Cruncher Joined: Jul 24, 2005 Post Count: 20043 Status: Offline |
okay, 2 things:
----------------------------------------1. U need to upgrade to 5.4.11 Get it here: http://boinc.berkeley.edu/download_all.php 2. Which of the projects of WCG is being suspended in memory.... Help Defeat Cancer (HDC) e.g.... okay your command line code suggest u are loading a FAAH job. They use at peak 280 mb RAM (showing this minute on one job, with the leave in memory) Go to Systems Requirements to determine which projects u can run, but up front, the servers check if the client has the minimum specifications before sending a particular projects work. If 'leave in memory' is on, the project stays in ram when switching to another project. The advantage is that when returning to WCG is will continue where it was. With the option off, the project restarts at the last checkpoint. If u set project switching e.g. 4-6 hours, most WCG jobs will finish in 1 go. You can edit your post by hitting the little pencil icon next to the post title.
WCG
----------------------------------------Please help to make the Forums an enjoyable experience for All! [Edit 1 times, last edit by Sekerob at Feb 9, 2007 5:30:38 PM] |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Ok thanks.
----------------------------------------Several things. 1) Why 5.4 not 5.8? 5.8 is recommended. I thought it kept auto-updating itself (seems logical) but obviously it doesn't. 2) The only one I don't meet is HDC. I have 768MB of RAM. However this begs the question - if FAAH requires a system with 250MB of RAM, what happens when it runs and demands 260MB of RAM? 3) How do I turn off "leave in memory"? Personally I'd suggest this default to off. Taking 250MB of a systems' RAM full-time is NOT desirable, no matter how much RAM the system has. 4) In fact taking 1/3rd of my RAM at all is not desirable - this thing is supposed to be running "behind the scenes". How do I lessen it? Thanks again. Edit: I do have enough RAM for HDC - the require is 725MB for a BOINC install. [Edit 1 times, last edit by Former Member at Feb 9, 2007 5:55:27 PM] |
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Sekerob
Ace Cruncher Joined: Jul 24, 2005 Post Count: 20043 Status: Offline |
1. 5.8.8 was a bit premature (an opinion), which is why WCG sticks to 5.4.11 recommendation until all bugs are out.... 5.8.11 was just released given e.g. the work fetch issues.
----------------------------------------2. If it doesn't find the RAM, it will push off into swap file and slow down. 5.8. has new features to allow the 'busy' ram allocation and an 'idle' ram allocation. The defaults are 50% / 90% respectively. The 256mb is really pittance for these complicated jobs. U should not notice any material system performance impact, except for *maybe* HDC....to go up to 1gb ;O 3. Is explained already.... with project switching like the default 60 minutes, the job would jump back to the last checkpoint. With 5.8 it will continue until reaching a checkpoint before switching, at which time the 'leave in memory' could be switched off.....see 1 on 5.8. If BOINC gets in the way, u can set it to go in suspend up until X minutes after not using the machine. I've got it running all the time, even when streaming video from the internet. edit corrected version number
WCG
----------------------------------------Please help to make the Forums an enjoyable experience for All! [Edit 3 times, last edit by Sekerob at Feb 9, 2007 6:26:48 PM] |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
And to answer 4:
WCG are quite forthcoming about the resources needed for their projects. The minimum requirements page shows what each project needs. HDC, for example, needs over a gigabyte. That's just the way these projects are. Some of the WCG projects can run in far less memory. If you really can't spare the memory (WCG leave a large margin for your normal computing use) then I suggest you change your project preferences. Help Cure Muscular Dystropy and Genome Comparison have very low memory requirements - you may be more comfortable running just those. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
The 256mb is really pittance for these complicated jobs. That may well be, but remember that these things are supposed to be running full-time in the background for many users. For most systems 250MB is NOT pittance. Is explained already.... with project switching like the default 60 minutes, the job would jump back to the last checkpoint. With 5.8 it will continue until reaching a checkpoint before switching, at which time the 'leave in memory' could be switched off.....see 1 on 5.8. Sorry, but this isn't making much sense. There isn't a nice little button I can press to turn this "leave in memory" thing off? I have to carefully time/schedule my system use or something? If BOINC gets in the way, u can set it to go in suspend up until X minutes after not using the machine. Except as I pointed out in my first post, suspending BOINC does NOT free up my RAM from WGC! Personally I view that as a bug. WCG are quite forthcoming about the resources needed for their projects. Yes and no. They do specify the minimum requirements, but they don't specify how much RAM the programs themselves will use. Help Cure Muscular Dystropy and Genome Comparison have very low memory requirements - you may be more comfortable running just those. Apparently Muscular Dystropy isn't available for BOINC at this time. Thanks guys. I get the feeling I'll just "detach" from WGC. It's too much of a system hog and doesn't know when to free up resources. But thanks again anyway. |
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Sekerob
Ace Cruncher Joined: Jul 24, 2005 Post Count: 20043 Status: Offline |
BOINC on ALL projects, be it Einstein or Seti or Hashclash or WCG have the same 4 standard profiles, default, home, school, work including the option 'Leave in Memory': http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/ms/device/v...iguration.do?name=Default
----------------------------------------These are some of the options: Processor Usage Do work while computer is in use? Do work only after computer is idle for: 5 minutes Do work while computer is running on batteries? No On multiprocessors, at most use: 1 processors Project Weight: Switch between applications every: 60 minutes Disk and Memory Usage Use no more than: 5 Gigabytes of disk space Leave at least: 1 Gigabytes of disk space free Use no more than: 75 % of total disk space Write to disk at most every: 60 seconds Leave applications in memory while preempted? Yes The 2 bolded have been commented on in above posts.
WCG
Please help to make the Forums an enjoyable experience for All! |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Thanks, I found them a few mins ago whilst fiddling with other projects.
The default for "leave in memory" is no - at least for the other things I've tried. I'm just curious why WGC has the default as Yes. After all it uses more RAM than most other projects I've been attached too (expecially HGC I suspect). Anyhow. Thanks again. |
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Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
OK, so apparently there IS a bug.
Having just looked at my "default" properties I see: "Leave applications in memory while preempted? NO". It's set to No. I didn't change that, therefore it must always have been set to that right? Also, having now seen it, I re-run WGC in my BOINC and when I suspend the process the WGC REMAINS in memory. Inspite of that setting being set to No. So I'm guessing WGC default is "no", but for some reason WGC ignores it. |
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