| Index | Recent Threads | Unanswered Threads | Who's Active | Guidelines | Search |
 |
World Community Grid Forums
Category: Retired Forums
Forum: UD Windows Agent Support [Read Only]
Thread: Autoinstaller for multiple machines |
| No member browsing this thread |
|
Thread Status: Active Total posts in this thread: 14
|
|
| Author |
|
|
Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
This is most likely a repeat message, but I'll ask since I was not successful in my searching...
  -=Background Info=-  I maintain and image labs at the college I work at. The OS currently installed is Windows XP Professional with SP2. To install the agent on every machine (300+ and this is not including staff/faculty stations) and then register it every time would be a hassle. So, instead, I decided to run Symantec's AI Snapshot and Builder utility which does what it sounds like it does. I first took an initial snapshot of the machine's config, next I ran the installer and registered as an existing user, then I took a second snapshot of the system and after doing so, the utility compared the difference and created a package. This works REALLY well with a majority of software I frequently need to load onto these machines daily/weekly. The following step after creating the package is to deploy it effortlessly on all lab machines within minutes. So basically, the computers get the exact same setup without additional needed input or hours of walking around to install the software and set it up.  -=Question 1=-  If I do this, does every machine report to the WCG server as 1 device total? If so, do all the machines work on the same result or is the WCG server smart enough to send out a different file to work on every time regardless of this method of install? I just want to make sure that our efforts are not wasted.  -=Question 2=- Since we have our students login to the machines every time, is there a way to set the program to utilize the computer at the login prompt? I currently plan on using a screen saver to utilize the agent. I also enforce that students log out after their use on the machines for security reasons. -=Question 3=- How does the agent work with other programs when they are started or are in use? Has anyone in a lab/classroom environment run the agent all the time during classes rather than just screen savers? Ideally I'd love to have the program run during the user's time on the machine. I'm curious about the performance hit since we have some software such as Alias' Maya 7 and other multimedia intensive applications that utilize CPU/Memory quite a bit. People who simply run MS Word or do PowerPoint presentations may not be affected so much, but I am concerned a bit.  |
||
|
|
Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
I can't answer all your questions, but I will do what I can:
I don't like snapshot utilities - far better to do a more controlled administrative install. I don't know which install features the UD installer has, though. The best way to run WCG at the login prompt is to set it up as a service. Alternatively (or as well), you could set the login screensaver to the WCG screensaver. Find out how to run it as a service at http://www.unofficialworldcommunitygrid.com. WCG runs at the lowest possible priority. In theory, it will yield for any other process, using only unused clock cycles. In practice, this works almost perfectly, with a few caveats: you can expect some heavy swap file use, even if you have a lot of memory available. This will be particularly noticable when some other program allocates a lot of memory. Also, a few low priority threads may be affected. Hopefully, you won't notice it - but if a particular system has other problems, WCG will amplify them. So, in summary: WCG plays nice with all applications, and is effectively invisible. The only time I would advise pausing or disabling the client is when doing real-time work, such as video capture. Windows (and Linux) are not real-time operating systems, and tend to struggle with these scenarios. To avoid swap file problems, keep defragged drives with a sensible amount of free space and sensible pagefile settings. If you do this, the paging will be unnoticable. |
||
|
|
Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Hello bergeron,
I can only give my opinion. Many people know more than I do. This is a very easy program to copy, with no tricky registry entries. The problem is that a unique Device ID is created during the installation communication with the server and stored in the WCG directory. So if you run that Device ID on multiple machines, pretty soon the server will decide that it gets nothing but nonsense from your computer, as it sends a work unit and then shortly later gets the results back with an incorrect work unit sequence number from that Device ID. An auto installer has to be programmed with a script to communicate with the server to create a Device ID. Nobody has ever posted such a script in the forum. I too would be worried about running this in non-screensaver mode with intensive multimedia programs. I would cheerfully install it as a service on office computers used for word processing and database files, but I would expect a performance hit with natural voice programs running on minimal computer systems, for example. My suggestion is that you send a 'Contact Us' email to the staff stating your situation and ask for their advice. A number of colleges have become partners, and have gained a great deal of helpful experience. I suspect that your best option is to make a partnership presentation to your administration. Then you would be in a much better position to adjust to the needs of individual departments, running as a service on some, as a screensaver on others. mycrofth |
||
|
|
Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
I have tried many times to repackage the UD agent to install and register automatically, however, each PC had to be registerd individually.
I would suggest that you go straight for the BOINC client. To deploy the BOINC client, run the setup file with the /a switch to create an administration install. On one client PC, run BOINC. This will create a number of files, but the ones you are interested in are • account_www.worldcommunitygrid.org.xml • gui_rpc_auth.cfg • remote_hosts.cfg These files need to be integrated into your MSI package (I use InstallShield). When you then deploy this package to your PCs they will all register themselves with the WCG servers. I would suggest running the service (which has to be activated in the msi) 24/7. See if there are any problem for your users running any heavy duty applications. If there are you can - a) modify the running of the service times from the WCG device management page. b) Use the device profiles (again on the WCG device management page) to set the running times for a group of PCs c) Use BOINCView, which runs on one of your networked PCs and allows you to monitor all of the PCs on your network. If you don't have the required msi modifying software and would like to go this way, post back here and I'll sort out getting a package to you. (Hope this isn't against forum rules )Hope This helps |
||
|
|
Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Hi Slug,
Hope this isn't against forum rules  I would be delighted to have complete instructions for a bulk install of any of our platforms. Once it was confirmed to work, I would post it in Start Here. mycrofth |
||
|
|
Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Morning mycrofth.
----------------------------------------I would be delighted to have complete instructions for a bulk install of any of our platforms. Once it was confirmed to work, I would post it in Start Here. I'd be more than happy to. My package is built using InstallShield (Macrovision nowdays) AdminStudio, which is not the cheapest software package in the world at £1307.81 for the standard version (£2973.81 for the pro version), so I think its best to redo my instructions using Microsoft's Orca msi editor, which is freely downloadable as part of the Microsoft Installer SDK. Obviously Orca doesn't quite have the finesse of AdminStudio, but fortunately, the BOINC installer is a relatively simple package. Give me a couple of days and I'll post back in a new thread. I'll also include the top tip of ensuring that you uninstall the package before you retire any PCs and give them away. See Delete UD Agent still returning results ???? for more info. [EDIT] I hadn't noticed before, but the BOINC website has 90% of the info required on it already. See Here However, if you haven't used orca before, you'll probably need a few pointers, on including the xml file, and other usefull tweaks. Regards Slug [Edit 1 times, last edit by Former Member at Jan 29, 2006 10:43:50 AM] |
||
|
|
Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Good morning Slug.
I have always stayed in the center of the ice floe, where the orcas can't get me. Yes, I do need some help. Thanks for the link ( http://boinc.berkeley.edu/win_install.php ).  mycrofth |
||
|
|
Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Thank you didactylos and all for your info!
Actually, I've been crazily developing an AI that will work... and I think I did it!!! I bacially captured everything up until when the register window opens. I closed the window, did a snap shot of what was installed and then decided to add to the package a macro. I created the VBS file using "sendkeys" and I can post the script if people are interested (assuming that's okay here). The script auto registers with the username and password provided and since the device ID by default is the computer name, it works! The only issue now is to ideally get it the way I want it to run there after, which really isn't a HUGE issue, but I just need more info to figure out what needs/can be done. -didactylos: You mentioned a logon screensaver... Does this actually do some crunching and results? I have not seen anything that shows the logon screensaver method is working... It only shows the WCG logo bouncing around and nothing more. Has someone been successful with this method? The service idea is VERY appealing, but I'm concerned about the user's experience during the process...  |
||
|
|
Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
Hello bergeron,
I can post the script if people are interested (assuming that's okay here) If it's not obscene, post away!! People who want to install over large networks will probably have special security programs giving them problems. I expect that we will need a number of different methods available, plus some examples of ways to work around these problems. I do not think that 'one size fits all' when it comes to systems programming. Computer networks are too protean (  ).In short, we need to develop a whole tool kit of installation methods. mycrofth |
||
|
|
Former Member
Cruncher Joined: May 22, 2018 Post Count: 0 Status: Offline |
If only I knew that "Boinc isn't just for Linux anymore" before I installed UD on my machines. I still haven't had (free) time to figure out the service hack, wheras Boinc makes it so easy.
Slug, I'll be eagerly awaiting your info. Thanks!! |
||
|
|
|