Recent Changes in projects

[StefanR5R]

Asteroids@home

No Asteroids last week, for anybody. :-|

This downtime will apparently last until September or October.
Source: project site

 

[Fardringle]

Minecraft@home now has a CPU project. The Minecraft GPU project has always (in my experience) been very inefficient and pretty much not worth running except to get another stats milestone.

However, the CPU project looks like it will be VERY good for credit rewards.

I've only done a small amount of testing on a secondary computer so far, but the results are interesting.

Quadro K2200 GPU averages about 3.2 hours per task. Credits range from around 2400 to 3100 per task. The Quadro is a temporary (had it in a desk drawer at work) replacement for a GTX 750ti that died recently. The 750ti was averaging about 2.9 hours per task for the same credit range. Approximately 25K credits per day.

Intel i7-4790 (not K) averages about 2.4 hours per single thread task, running 6 tasks simultaneously and leaving 2 threads for the GPU. Credits are locked at 2500 per task. Approximately 25K per day per CPU thread, based on a few hours of testing. And that's on a 7-year-old CPU. I have a feeling they won't leave the credits that high for very long. That's even more credits than Universe@home gives.

RAM usage is almost nonexistent. GPU tasks use about 60MB of RAM, and CPU tasks use 1.3MB per task.

When I'm in the mood, I'll test the apps on my GTX 1060 and Ryzen 9 3900X as well to see how they compare. The computer that is running it now is the one that my girls use to play Minecraft so it seemed appropriate.

edit:
The GTX 1060 is averaging around 55 minutes per task and the Ryzen 9 3900X is averaging around 2 hours and 1 minute per task. That puts the GPU estimate around 78.5K per day (lame) and the CPU at about 30K per day per CPU thread, so somewhere around 660K per day running 22 tasks. That's pretty silly for a CPU project, but I just might have to run it for a while to boost my stats milestone in the project - at least until they drop the credits down to a reasonable number...

Definitely moving the GPUs to different projects, though!


On a side note, one of the project devs has been doing their development and testing on a Pi 4 and it is averaging around 4 hours per task, so if you have any lonely/lazy Pi 4 boards lying around, they could score around 40K per day (10K per core).

 

[StefanR5R]

World Community Grid
You may have seen it in your boinc notices:
IBM is handing the operation of WCG over to a Toronto based research institute.
According to the announcement, the way how WCG works (not just hosting of projects, but I presume also the curating of the projects) is supposed to stay the same. There is no explanation for why IBM is withdrawing (if I may call it this way).

World Community Grid finds a new home at Krembil Research Institute

 

[StefanR5R]

The WCG web pages look rather different now. I just discovered it, therefore haven't looked around enough to make up my mind if for the better or worse.

Edit:
So far the changes seem to be cosmetic, not about functionality. The personal "history", "devices" and "results" pages now have a button with which you can download these tables in CSV format. Is this new?

The change must have been made already early in the past week. At least that's what the dates of the inevitable complaints in the WCG forum are indicating.

 

[StefanR5R]

NFS@Home
The project URL was switched to HTTPS, i.e. it changed from http://escatter11.fullerton.edu/nfs/ to https://escatter11.fullerton.edu/nfs/.

Out of curiosity, I hit 'update' on NFS on a computer which has the old URL (while the project is at 'no new work'), and got this message in the client log:

You are attached to this project twice. Please remove projects named NFS@Home, then add https://escatter11.fullerton.edu/nfs/

Well, the computer is not attached twice. Anyway, moral of the story: Before the next time one wants to run NFS@Home, it has to be removed from the client, then re-attached.

I haven't looked up what happens if you are actively running NFS right now. The proper cause of action would certainly be to set it to 'no new work' right away, wait until all tasks are completed and reported, then remove and re-attach.

 

[Skivelitis2]

I'm currently running NFS for WUProp hour purposes (nothing to do with FB sprint) until the WCG challenge. I am getting the " using an old url ...Please detach/reattach when convenient" message.

Edit: My bad.....thought a sprint for this project may have started!

 

[StefanR5R]

GPUGrid
had issues with an outdated SSL certificate, but as far as I can tell they have resolved it now.

 

[StefanR5R]

CPDN
published a modest batch of Linux work ("UK Met Office HadAM4 at N144 resolution") a couple of days ago. Also, next week some Windows work may become available.
(source)

 

[StefanR5R]

PrimeGrid Generalized Fermat Prime Search subprojects (GFN)

cpuGFN20: updated from Genefer 3.3.4 to Genefer 3.3.5
cpuGFN19: updated from Genefer 3.3.4 to Genefer 3.3.5
cpuGFN18: updated from Genefer 3.3.4 to Genefer 3.3.5
cpuGFN17MEGA: new; based on Genefer 3.3.5
cpuGFN17LOW: updated from Genefer 3.3.4 to Genefer 3.3.5
cpuGFN16: new; based on Genefer 3.3.5

• 
  [
• All of these applications are singlethreaded.

In May 2022, multithreaded application versions have been added: cpuGFN16_mt, cpuGFN17MEGA_mt, cpuGFN18_mt, cpuGFN19_mt, cpuGFN20_mt.

(Genefer-17-Low has been completed by now. cpuGFN21 was updated in May 2022 too, but I don't know in which aspects; it used to support multithreading. There wasn't, isn't, and presumably won't be a CPU-only application for GFN-22 and DYFL.)

 

[Orange Kid]

DENIS@home is back.

DENIS@home

Official web page of the volunteer computing project DENIS@Home. This project is developed using BOINC and maintained by the CoMBA research group at the University San Jorge (Zaragoza, Spain)

denis.usj.es

 

[Icecold]

DENIS@home is back.

DENIS@home

Official web page of the volunteer computing project DENIS@Home. This project is developed using BOINC and maintained by the CoMBA research group at the University San Jorge (Zaragoza, Spain)

denis.usj.es

If anybody has any issues registering, try registering through BOINC Manager (not BOINC Tasks). The website registration gives an error that it wants you to consent to a checkbox that doesn't exist, and adding through BOINC Tasks doesn't work either, but it does through BOINC Manager. @Kiska tracked down the solution for this.

 

[cellarnoise]

Looks like a great project!

I've never ran it before, but will this fall.

 

[Fardringle]

If anybody has any issues registering, try registering through BOINC Manager (not BOINC Tasks). The website registration gives an error that it wants you to consent to a checkbox that doesn't exist, and adding through BOINC Tasks doesn't work either, but it does through BOINC Manager. @Kiska tracked down the solution for this.

For clarification, you can add computers to the project in BOINC Tasks. You just can't create a new account from there.

 

[TennesseeTony]

Don't forget to tell DENIS to allow exporting of stats...

 

[StefanR5R]

PrimeGrid Generalized Fermat Prime Search subprojects (GFN)

A major application update has been installed for GFN-18:

• Self-tests and proof tasks have been implemented, very similar to LLR2.
• The transform was generalized to one which is able to cover any of the GFN subprojects up to b = 2,000,000,000.

Both of these combined cause main tasks to take a few percent longer on Turing and Ampere GPUs, ≈10% on RDNA GPUs, but ≈1.5 ≈1.28 times as long as before on Pascal GPUs. The latter regression will be investigated, but a quick fix is not on the horizon. There is however a large uplift in overall project throughput, because the "fast proof tasks" replaced the "double-checker tasks".
(source)

If this application update works well, it will apparently be rolled out to GFN-19, -20, -21, -22, and -DYFL too, but maybe not to GFN-15, -16, and -17 Mega due to their generally shorter tasks versus the server-side overhead of the fast proof infrastructure.
(source, in German)

I take this opportunity to complain about PrimeGrid's poor communications habits. They rarely use their message board for announcements anymore. Well, at least they still stick around there for explanations after the fact.

 

[StefanR5R]

PS:

The transform was generalized to one which is able to cover any of the GFN subprojects up to b = 2,000,000,000.

This is only true for the GPU implementation. The CPU-only counterpart has got lower limits:

On CPU, the limit is fuzzy and is b ~ 500M (n = 12), 380M (n = 13), 300M (n = 14), 230M (n = 15), 170M (n = 16), 130M (n = 17), 95M (n = 18), 70M (n = 19), 55M (n = 20), 45M (n = 21), 35M (n = 22), 25M (n = 23).

(source – pun not intended)

Currently, the CPU-only version can therefore be used on GFN-17 Mega, GFN-18…-22, and on GFN-DYFL, but is past its b limit on GFN-15 and GFN-16. (It seems already somewhat close to the limit at GFN-17 Mega, but there is ample headroom still at the larger GFNs.)
(source)

Edit:
Genefer 17 Mega was switched to version 4.01 with fast proofs too now.

 

[StefanR5R]

GFN-19, GFN-20 and GFN-21 were switched to application version 4.01 (genefer22) two days ago.
GFN-22 was switched to 4.01 today.

FP64 capable GPUs are therefore slower now at both GFN-21 (which could use FP64 for random parts of current workunits) and GFN-22 (which could use FP64 for the entire workunit until now).

GFN-DYFL is still at version 3.21, but my guess is that this one will be switched soon too.

Edit:
Before the switch, GFN-22 was for GPUs only. Now both a GPU application version and a multithreaded CPU-only application version are provided.

 

[Skillz]

Dang, so now GFN-22 wont benefit from FP64? Crap-o-la

 

[emoga]

Adsl/SPT@home, or whatever it's calling itself these days, seems to have unleashed some fresh (and hopefully glitch-free) tasks into the wild.

Currently, we're holding a steady position as the runner-up, just a step behind L'Alliance Francophone. But, of course, who can predict how long that will last?.

Link to project

 

[Markfw]

Adsl/SPT@home, or whatever it's calling itself these days, seems to have unleashed some fresh (and hopefully glitch-free) tasks into the wild.

Currently, we're holding a steady position as the runner-up, just a step behind L'Alliance Francophone. But, of course, who can predict how long that will last?.

Link to project

We will be first very soon. The Genoa fleet has been unleased !!

 

[mmonnin03]

The E@H GPU app FGRP1BG will be ending soon

Important news on BRP7 and FGRPB1 work on E@H | Einstein@Home

einsteinathome.org

Dear crunchers at Einstein@Home

We have some important news to share with you which potentially call for some action on your part.
If you have configured some or all of your hosts to EXCLUSIVELY run the FGRP1BG search (not to be confused with the FGRP5 search), please read the following very carefully to avoid an unwanted interruption in your crunching activity!

Because of an evolution of our scientific priorities, the following changes will happen on E@H:

1) The FGRP1BG (G for GPU) search will wind down (for now, see below) and will run out of new work in approximately 2 to 3 weeks from now.

2) The FGRP1BG search might be restarted later, but even then it will likely be on-and-off depending on the availability of interesting pulsar candidate data to feed to E@H. So beginning 2 weeks from now, you should no longer rely on a steady stream of work for FGRP1BG!

3) The BRP7 search will move up in our scientific priority as far as electromagnetic astronomy is concerned

4) Of course, the Gravitational Wave search (currently O3 All Sky search) will continue and is not affected by the change. Please continue support for this search!!

We are fully aware that the FGRP1BG search is very popular with many volunteers, including many of our most productive crunchers. We are extremely grateful for your continued support over the years and your considerable investment in this search. Your massive contributions in computing power have helped us process a vast amount of data for the most promising gamma-ray pulsar candidates, and with your help we have now reached the point where candidates from other searches like BRP7 have become more scientifically promising and urgent.

Is there any action volunteers have to take now?

Only volunteers who have opted out of all other searches except FGRP1BG need to take action to make sure they will still receive work from E@H in the future. In this case, you should use the projects web-configuration to allow other work, especially BRP7, for your hosts. There is no need to deactivate FGRP1BG since it might resume later. If you need help with the configuration process, please feel free to ask us for help here.

Note: If you have installed an app_info.xml file (BOINC "anonymous platform" feature) this will limit the host in question to work for applications defined in that file only! In that case you might want to consider deleting the app_info.xml file altogether and go back to "stock" E@H appications or include apps for other E@H searches (e.g. BRP7) in your app_info.xml file.

So, what is BRP7 all about?

BRP7 is an exciting search for binary radio pulsars in the data collected by the TRAPUM collaboration, using a very powerful network of radio telescopes, MeerKAT.

Einstein@Home is searching for pulsars in MeerKAT observations of globular clusters - dense groups of old stars that often contain large numbers of pulsars, and particularly exotic binary systems. One target for BRP7 is the Terzan 5 cluster, which contains 49 known pulsars, more than any other globular cluster, including the fastest known pulsar spinning 716 times per second! The TRAPUM project has already discovered 79 new globular cluster pulsars, and with BRP7 we hope to expand this number with searches sensitive to very short period binary pulsars. These pulsars may provide the most sensitive tests of Einstein's theory of General Relativity, but they cannot be found without sensitive observations and enormous computational resources.

The BRP7 app is also highly optimized and makes very efficient use of your GPUs. If you had planned to keep your home warm in winter with E@H, the BRP7 app won't let you down !

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions or concerns regarding the changes outlined above.

Happy crunching
The E@H team

 

[mmonnin03]

Some PG apps are ending

PPS-Sieve, PPSE, GFN-15, SGS, and AP27 are shutting down

• October 4th: (Previously announced) The CPU portion of PPS-Sieve will be shut off.
• October 15th: GFN-15 is very small compared to the computing power of today's computers, and it's no longer eligible for the Top 5000 Primes list.
• November 15th: SGS has succeeded in its goals of finding an SGS pair and a twin pair at n=1290000 and will be shut down. It's possible we may start a new SGS search at a higher n sometime in the future.
• December 15th: PPSE is exceptionally unlikely to ever find a Fermat divisor, is very small, and is no longer eligible for the Top 5000 Primes list.
• January 15th, or 30 days after CW-Sieve ends, whichever is later: The GPU portion of PPS-Sieve. This sieve has advanced very far ahead of the PPS projects, and the sieving being done today won't be needed for many years. This sieve is being suspended until more work is needed. In the future it is possible that we may sieve a small subset of k's currently being sieved.
• March 15th, or 60 days after CW-Sieve ends, whichever is later: AP27 has achieved its goal of finding an AP27 and will shut down. It's extremely unlikely that we will find an AP 28 with the current hardware and software.

I need to get my GFN 15 and PPS WUProp Hours in before this shuts down.

With all the GPU apps being dropped, get your credits in now as the higher RAC apps are leaving for years.

 

[mmonnin03]

Prediction has been restarted.

USPEX@HOME

Windows only atm, 1 task her host. vbox only. Teams haven't been enabled yet.

 

[mmonnin03]

Asteroids now has an AMD OpenCL GPU app for Windows and Linux. Same app name, another plan_class.

New OpenCL application for AMD GPUs

asteroidsathome.net

Hi everyone,

We are proud to announce our new OpenCL applications for AMD GPUs!
Development process took some time but we finally managed to build it.
There are still many rough edges to be polished but thanks to you guys and to your feedback we'll continue to improve the code.

Linux application requires 64 bit OS with GLIBC v2.31 or higher and will run on most AMD Radeon GPU cards and some AMD Integrated Graphics with support of OpenCL 1.1 or higher.

Windows application requres 64bit Windows 10 or 11 and will run on most AMD Radeon cards and some AMD Integrated Graphics with support of OpenCL 1.2 or higher.

Happy crunching and thank you for your support!

Asteroids@home team

 

[Fardringle]

Prediction has been restarted.

USPEX@HOME

Windows only atm, 1 task her host. vbox only. Teams haven't been enabled yet.

At least it's not another Russian math project.

From the basic info, it looks like it's attempting to predict the Ion Conductivity of Lithium Phosphides, at least in part to try to improve battery technology. Could be interesting, but probably won't be added to the stats sites for a while due to the .ru site domain.

The TeAm has been created:
https://uspex-at-home.ru/prediction/team_display.php?teamid=8