> > For those of you that are using the BOINC Client that keep having
> problems
> > downloading new work units, try the following: click the Projects tab,
> then
> > right click your SETI@home project and click Update. Do this every ten
> > seconds or so. Try doing this a dozen times, or until the server finally
> > responds and uploads to you.
> >
>
> Better solution would be to stop boinc, wait an hour, restart it
>
> you'll not get it exactly at an hour, so you'll randomize when you connect.

> I've tried that and it seems to work sometimes.

> Using one of BOINC's built-in functions is not quite "spamming" Matt. Spam is
> unsolicited e-mail advertisement. I didn't say that people should try to
> Update a thousand times, just a dozen man. The server operators must expect
> this type scenario.

70,000 users requesting more work a dozen times is a LOT of requests to the server. As for them expecting this type of scenario... No. 1) the client is actually supposed to back off for at least 10 minutes between server requests and retrying before this SHOULD result in a "bug off" message from the server and no work. I suspect you are getting "no schedulers responded" messages which means a connection to the server could not be fully established so the "bug off" message was not recieved by your client. 2) This is still the OLD server. They are working on migrating to a new one that should be able to handle this load much better but as of now, they simply cannot do it so no amount of admin "planning" can change that.

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A member of The Knights Who Say NI!
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The new servers are designed to handle this kind of load, and since the command script requests are not REDUNDANT, the server should have no prob processing them. If it did, it would be offline right now, and as can see on the server status page, it's working just fine. And what if the number of SETI/BOINC users goes up from 70,000 to 140,000, then what?

> The new servers are designed to handle this kind of load, and since the
> command script requests are not REDUNDANT, the server should have no prob
> processing them. If it did, it would be offline right now, and as can see on
> the server status page, it's working just fine. And what if the number of
> SETI/BOINC users goes up from 70,000 to 140,000, then what?
>

The BOINC client is designed to do exponential backoff so the servers isn't flooded with requests. When for some reason there isn't any work, the servers is designed to tell the client to not ask again for some time, and the client is designed to wait as long as asked to wait, or the exponential backoff-time, whichever is longest.

When you're constantly hitting "retry", you're not doing as either the client or the servers was designed to do, and isn't helping things out.

In case the problem was on your end, example your internet-connection was down or another configuring-problem like not enough disk space, the client is still allowing you to bypass this backoff-time.


Also, another design-desision was to make BOINC a multi-project-platform, so when one project is out of work users can still get work from other projects and keep crunching. If you don't want to run other projects, this is your decision, but this means you're ocassionally can run out of work.


In "classic", users was recommended to not run the client in a tight while loop, but instead insert a
sleep 21600
Due to the exponential backoff, the BOINC-client is using something similar to help ease the server-load and network-load.

Okay Ingleside, your point on the exponential backoff is well taken. Again, I'll say that I wasn't the one having problems with getting new WU's since I just usually just get one at a time. And since you mentioned the project being "out of work", after seeing your recent WU credits, I can see why this may be the case. How about I revise my advise about Updating about every ten seconds or so for a doze times, to Updating to every few minutes or so for a dozen times. It is not practical to wait for long periods of time to get new WU's sometimes.

If you've got a permanent connection it's normally no reason to manually hit update, BOINC takes care of this for you.

My RAC being high or low have more to do with zig-zagging between the different projects, than due to any of them being out of work.

Even neither of us have any problems with shortage of work, can still point out your suggestion of constantly hitting "retry" isn't a good idea. ;)

> If you've got a permanent connection it's normally no reason to manually hit
> update, BOINC takes care of this for you.
>
> My RAC being high or low have more to do with zig-zagging between the
> different projects, than due to any of them being out of work.
>
> Even neither of us have any problems with shortage of work, can still point
> out your suggestion of constantly hitting "retry" isn't a good idea. ;)
>
>My connection is permanent. However, sometimes Windows breaks off the connection after awhile and BOINC does not allways establish a connection, so it needs the Update command to communicate.

The server still looks good.

So Alex,
You just join the 22 Jan 2005, and what makes you an expert on how Boinc works?
If you keep pressing update the server will mark you computer to wait for workunits, you will not get any wu faster. You are better off to wait an hour then retry. The data base, not the server, is the problem. The repeated request for work just bogs down the data base so nothing get done. The best solution is to attach to a backup project.

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Fred
BOINC Alpha, BOINC Beta, LHC Alpha, Einstein Alpha

Predictor is a pretty good project for WU's They run for me around 35 to 45 mins.

http://predictor.scripps.edu/

You can just set the preferences to say 5 and that way SETI will be your main project, and Predictor will take up the slack whenever SETI has problems. Believe me though, SETI right now is a heck of alot better than when it just emerged into post-beta.

==================
Beta tester for SETI, LHC, Einstein, Predictor, CPDN, and Pirates.

Sign up for CPDN, you will never run out of work.

And if you can get an account on one of the other projects like LHC@Home, Predictor@Home, or Einstein@Home ...

I think one of them is still giving out a free water glass with each fill-up ...

With 3 projects of any of the active ones you can get into, well, never any loss of idle time.

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CPDN is THE solution for the dry season.

and hey, while looking up to the stars, don't forget about the good old mother earth

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> So Alex,
> You just join the 22 Jan 2005, and what makes you an expert on how Boinc
> works?
> If you keep pressing update the server will mark you computer to wait for
> workunits, you will not get any wu faster. You are better off to wait an hour
> then retry. The data base, not the server, is the problem. The repeated
> request for work just bogs down the data base so nothing get done. The best
> solution is to attach to a backup project.
>
>Well fharmon, I sense a... little bitterness in your reply to me, as if you somehow feel exclusive for being here longer. I can't remember saying I was an expert on how BOINC works, although I am an expert on server ops, and it doesn't really take me and a lot of other users that long to figure out a prog like this one. I never like looking down on people myself, so I try to avoid using phrases like "what makes you an expert".

I thought we were here to try to help each other?

Okay guys, I'm thinking about CPDN and some of the other projects as well. It's just that looking for aliens with SETI, and doing climate research are two completely different things.

Mother Earth looks gooood Ozgur!

It would be interesting to find out which of the projects - seti or cpdn etc - people would like to see a result for.
You know:- Predictor finding a cure for cancer or seti finding a signal with alien information.

I hope predictor brings results but just imagine the impact on the world of proof of alien life. I think this is a powerful draw.

Nairb

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That's why my Seti:Predictor:Climate:Einstein:LHC ratio is 1:1:1:1:1 :)

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> I hope predictor brings results but just imagine the impact on the world of
> proof of alien life. I think this is a powerful draw.

Well, I have 3 projects running: Seti, CPDN, and Predictor. But I run Seti at 70%, because I hardly can wait for E.T.!!!! :)

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If you are worried about not having work units to process then why dont you just change your preferences and set the "conenct to network" setting to 10

this will download 10 days of work units..... and even tho you have 10 days worth your client still "tops up" with work units every day or so

this way the seti servers can go down for days with no problems

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I was nearly out of work yesterday but downloaded about 40 wu's over last few hours in drips and drabs and have enough for about 4 days now.

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......In Space No One Can Hear You Scream......

Hi Rach

I am on the same procedure, was running empty last night but on my last one was getting 30 WUs what´s 4 days worth.

greetz from Germany
Mike

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With each crime and every kindness we birth our future.

I have each of my computers signed up for every project that will run on that machine. I have not run out of work since August 2004 when there were only 2 active projects, and both of them went down.

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