Make it communicate
2 Jul 2005 15:36:56 UTC
Topic 189472
(moderation:
How do you work this thing? I'm running the new OSX version with a graphical front end and I'm on 56K dial up. When it gets chunks of data to process I guess I'm happy. But now I'm told there are three chunks of work at 100% complete ready to report. The Messages pane says that "Deferring communication with project for 2 days, 22 hours, 10 mins and 30 seconds"
What if I don't want to wait. How do I make it transfer results now? 2 Days seems absurd to me.
I have the File/Run Always option set so I shouldn't be waiting on any preferences set at Einstein@Home.
All advice appreciated.
Make it communicate
)
OK, this is what happened:
it tried to get through, and failed, and then sets a long wait till the next try. It does this so if the central server goes down, all the clients in the world don't all come in at once when the server comes up again.
In your case it most likely tried when you were not connected to the net. The deferral is doing you a favour, else the computer would be very sluggish if BOINC was re-trying every few seconds!
But before I go on: people on an 'always on' connection, please do not overide a deferred connection unless you are sure it was a local error, not a central one. If everyone does a manual re-try just after a server outage, you will knock the servers out again.
Anyway, with dial up it is pretty sure it was a local effect (like you were not dialled in at the time). So force a retry manually.
This is what you do. Dial in as normal, either especially for E@h or when you wanted to surf anyway. Test the connection with the browser is a good idea. Bring up the BOINC window in the projects pane, and "Update" - the exact method depends on the version of BOINC you are running.
With ver 4.19 you right click the name of the project, and choose "Update" from the little menu that appears.
With later versions you click on the project to highlight it, and then click the link or button that says "Update". It may even say "Update (retry now)".
That should get you uploading stuff.
Good luck!
~~gravywavy
One other important point
)
One other important point about dial up and this project:
E@H has quite large data files, compared to some other projects. On the plus side, once you have the data on your machine, sometimes the project will give you some more work to do on the same data, which saves the download time. On the downside, some modem users find the upload times at the end of each work unit are longer than they would prefer.
If you find you are staying connected for longer than you are happy with, then nobody here would be offended if you went to another project. We'd say thanks for whatver you've done while you wwere here. Of all the projects I know, this is the one that is most likely to feel uncomfortable for modem users. See how you go - if you find it OK, fine; but if you find it is too intensive please do not let E@H put you off contributing to other projects instead.
I know you have been with us since Feb, almost as long as me, so I guess you must be happy enough - I just thought I'd mention it for any other dial up users reading this thread.
~~gravywavy
RE: I have the File/Run
)
This controls when you are crunching. It does not affect defferal of connections.
~~gravywavy
RE: RE: ... How do I make
)
So the key is to use the
)
So the key is to use the Update button on the Project pane? I was looking in the Transfer pane. What purpose does that serve?
I'll be happy to let my OSX box crunch a few numbers, I just have to understand how to get comfortable with this app.
Would somebody care to explain the graphic or point me to a web explanation? I see a celestial sphere with a read out of RA and Dec. The RA is changing pretty rapidly as the sphere appears to spin. What point does the RA/Dec refer to? And what are the purple dots that appear in a band around the sphere? The big orange circle with cross hairs is the Sun? What are the other symbols?
BTW, I know who Wavy Gravy was, did you take your name from him?
RE: So the key is to use
)
The Project pane records which project(s) you are linked to. It will tell you how much credit you have in each project. This credit is work that has already been sent back and then verified. That means that the credit will not appear immediately.
The work pane tells you the progress of the work units you currently have on your system. If you are attached to more than one project it will have wu from more than one. It will tell you which wu are downloading, ready to run, running, pre-empted (means it started but is now running one of the others), ready for upload, uploading, ready to report (happens after upload of results).
The transfer pane will often be empty. When the oftware is downloading a new application, or some new data, or when it is uploading results, it will show the progress of that net activity.
~~gravywavy
RE: ... I see a celestial
)
The data is like a hologram - it contains every point in the sky all bundled together. The software goes through the data multiple times, each time looking at one point in the sky, as represented in the data. The RA & Dec and the cross hairs refer to that position.
The L shaped markers show you whic part of the sky is vertically above each of the three observatories at the time you are looking at the creen (assuming your machine's clock is correct). These are not related to the data, but to the real time.
I don't have the link to hand, but there is more info somewhere - anyone else know where?
~~gravywavy
RE: BTW, I know who Wavy
)
no, please tell me more because I never heard of him!
The name is a pun on "gravity wave" which a friend of mine insists on calling "gravy waves".
~~gravywavy
RE: I don't have the link
)
There's a link on the front page that says Screensaver Description
RE: RE: BTW, I know who
)
I thought he was dead but a quick Google search reveals he's still kicking. He is the hippie generation's clown & political activist. He was the MC at Woodstock, friend of the Grateful Dead, member of the group Ken Keasy toured with. Sort of an anit-establishment icon for years.
We might need more folks like him now.