| Index | Recent Threads | Unanswered Threads | Who's Active | Guidelines | Search |
 |
World Community Grid Forums
Category: Support
Forum: Suggestions / Feedback
Thread: Sub-Spec Machines - Handling |
| No member browsing this thread |
|
Thread Status: Active Total posts in this thread: 4
|
|
| Author |
|
|
Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
I have a number of lightly-loaded older machines that don't meet the "suggested" minimum spec - but on which the wcg software installed without error or warnings. Except, ever since, the Agent is showing paused. I have only installed on two of these old machines - as there isn't much point if they are of no use to the project. These machines typically have 100-166MHz processors and 32-40-64MByte memory and a hundred or so megs disk space available on the installation drive letter. But they do run 24/7 and are very lightly loaded. Mostly running NT Server and only doing things like email for up to a dozen or so people, or just as a bdc or print server.
My suggestions are: if sub-spec machines are no use - it would be much better to simply say "Sorry!", during installation. If they are of some use, then the wording of the minimum specification should say something like "Sub-spec machines are still useful to us but only for certain projects" or something similar. Some guidance on what to expect, would help. These machines were, AFAIK, making a useful contribution to UD -even though they could take several hundred hours to finish a work unit. If they are no use to you - you may as well say so and maybe even suggest another distributed project that may not be so choosy. But, in that case, the installation software should detect this and not install. I'll read here to see if I should bother loading the agent software on any more of them. |
||
|
|
Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Hello furgle,
Please accept my apologies. The Agent always installs, then looks for a project to download. If it does not find a project with acceptable minimum requirements, then it will simply idle and occasionally check the server for a new project. I suggest you uninstall the World Community Grid from any machine with less than 128 MB of RAM (120 MB on Linux). You might want to look at http://www.distributedcomputing.info/projects.html This lists all the active distributed computer projects. Some of these projects might interest you and offer a way to make use of your computers. mycrofth |
||
|
|
retsof
Former Community Advisor USA Joined: Jul 31, 2005 Post Count: 6824 Status: Offline Project Badges: 
|
Rosetta gives machines a workout. I was going to mention 128 Mb but you already did that.
----------------------------------------Are the minimum requirements for the Aids thingy coming up next week much/any different? I would suspect that Rosetta Phase II project would have similar requirements as now since it's just more detailed folding. It's too early to think about any other requirements for alternative projects next year, I suspect.
SUPPORT ADVISOR
Work+GPU i7 8700 12threads School i7 4770 8threads Default+GPU Ryzen 7 3700X 16threads Ryzen 7 3800X 16 threads Ryzen 9 3900X 24threads Home i7 3540M 4threads50% |
||
|
|
Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Hi Mycrofth,
Apologies accepted - although I am not sure why you offered them, unless you are responsible for the present policy of always installing Agent - irrespective of whether the machine is going to be of any use? Only fair that I offer my apologies for not reading the minimum spec until after I had problems - but I don't remeber seeing any mention of min spec before download and install? I do hope that someone (maybe you?) would reconsider either the download page, the agent installer design or the software itself - detecting the amount of memory, processor power and free disk space is pretty trivial - and would save pointless installs, deinstalls, network bandwidth, your server time, etc. If I missed the words and they were there, sorry. Thanks for the suggestion of where to look for some project that might make use of old machine's spare cycles. It may be some time before I replace them - most are old laptops (usually with u/s screens, uneconomic to repair) that use little electricity and little space, have self-contained UPS, can be moved without interrupting services and have proven very reliable - at least one has been running for five years, 24/7, non-stop (except when patches insist on a re-boot). I will just add our desktop machines to wcg - many of which have 2GByte memory and 500+ GBytes disk space and processors to match. LOL, an unusual arrangement, perhaps - laptop servers and RAID clients.. works for us. Again, many thanks for your prompt and helpful reply. |
||
|
|
|