They use 10 threads each

On my system i have limited them to only one TTAFold Task at a time.
It's using a maximum of 62% of my CPU time which works out at just under 8 threads. So it's effectively using 8.
Yet the processing rate is the same as when 12 of them were fighting over 12 threads in total, so they really only need 1.

Actually I have a different experience. I have a Ryzen 9 3900XT and a Ryzen 9 3900X (pretty much the same CPU). On one of them I told Boinc to allocate 9.6 threads (as it appeared to use about 9.6 on average when only one task was running). On the other CPU I didn't get round to it, and didn't care so much as it only runs Boinc and there's no GPU to slow down. The 9.6 thread one takes 2 hours to complete a task, the 1 thread one takes 23 hours. So from what I'm seeing it does use the threads it's given.

Anyway we can't trust the progress as we don't know it's reliable, it could just be a timer.

The 9.6 thread one takes 2 hours to complete a task, the 1 thread one takes 23 hours. So from what I'm seeing it does use the threads it's given.

All of your Tasks have errored out.
Some of them may have finished, but then failed when it came to return the result.
Yet another thing they need to fix if that is the case.


And the times between the 2 systems are all over the place.
The one with the 1 day 4 hour Tasks also has 5min, 30min, & 7 hour Tasks.
The one that is consistently around 5hrs 30min, also has some 5min tasks.
If the extra threads are doing more work, then it's not 8 times better, maybe 3 times. Waste of resources if that is the case.
They need to fix all the other errors, then either optimise the multiprocessing or do away with it.

Anyway we can't trust the progress as we don't know it's reliable, it could just be a timer.

The Runtime is the elapsed time, which is a timer. There should also be CPU time but that's broken. The progress done does indicate how far along it is- hence it's slowing down as the Task's run time drags on.

The progress done simply indicates when it wants to finish. Rosetta 4.2 will make this about 8 hours, no matter how much actual work was done. So when you run 8 threads, you might actually be doing 8 times the work in the same task.

It depends whether they want the best throughput or fast returns. Using 8 threads to do 3 threads of work is good if each task is returned 3 times earlier. Folding@Home for example loves quick returns so they can calculate the next task from the results. Faster at the expense of lower efficiency is therefore ok.

Anyway there's so many bugs we can't draw much in the way of conclusions.

I'm just telling my computers to allocate the number of threads the tasks want to use, so everything runs smoothly.

It would be good if an admin replied. Are they even reading our posts and using the information?

Seems that some computers can run correctly the new app, for example:

AuthenticAMD AMD Ryzen 9 5950X 16-Core Processor
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (24575MB) driver: 546.01

So, we need a little monster pc to crunch?

Seems that some computers can run correctly the new app, for example:

AuthenticAMD AMD Ryzen 9 5950X 16-Core Processor
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (24575MB) driver: 546.01

So, we need a little monster pc to crunch?

Is this app only supposed to be given to PCs with a Nvidia?

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (24575MB) driver: 546.01

Is this app only supposed to be given to PCs with a Nvidia?

Perhaps
(and not a little Nvidia)

(and not a little Nvidia)

For example this guy has some pcs
The wus run correctly on a 3060, but not on a 4060 (ex. wu 5460613)
This is strange.

Is this app only supposed to be given to PCs with a Nvidia?

Not according to the home page

We are initially targeting only Windows machines with or without Nvidia GPUs for this test.

Which is really odd wording- it's the same as saying "We are initially targeting only Windows machines with or without AMD GPUs for this test." or "We are initially targeting only Windows machines with or without Intel GPUs for this test." or "We are initially targeting only Windows machines with or without Apple GPUs for this test."
ie what they are saying is "We are initially targeting only Windows machines for this test."

(and not a little Nvidia)

For example this guy has some pcs
The wus run correctly on a 3060, but not on a 4060 (ex. wu 5460613)
This is strange.

Different video drivers.

Upload failure.
Task 5456545

Stderr output
<core_client_version>8.0.2</core_client_version>
<![CDATA[
<stderr_txt>
00:01:02 (16016): called boinc_finish(0)

</stderr_txt>
<message>
upload failure: <file_xfer_error>
  <file_name>RF_SAVE_ALL_OUT_NOJRAN_IGNORE_THE_REST_validation_env_f_pred_88_16902_2_0_r1516067865_0</file_name>
  <error_code>-240 (stat() failed)</error_code>
</file_xfer_error>
</message>
]]>

How do you know the rate is the same? We don't know how the task is counting progress. It could be timed like the standard Rosetta 4.2 tasks. Those take 8 hours on any speed of CPU.

Looks like those extra threads do have an impact- a Task finished in just under 4 hours (previously 20+ hrs and no sign of ending).

But then it failed like yours with an upload issue-
It also shows signs of trying to use my video card, but not being able to find CUDA support (it does have CUDA sport, (or did have)).

RF_SAVE_ALL_OUT_NOJRAN_IGNORE_THE_REST_validation_env_f_pred_340_16902_6_0

<core_client_version>8.0.2</core_client_version>
<![CDATA[
<stderr_txt>
C:ProgramDataBOINCprojectsralph.bakerlab.orgev0libsite-packagestorchcuda__init__.py:52: UserWarning: CUDA initialization: CUDA driver initialization failed, you might not have a CUDA gpu. (Triggered internally at  ..c10cudaCUDAFunctions.cpp:115.)
  return torch._C._cuda_getDeviceCount() > 0
19:19:49 (9548): called boinc_finish(0)

</stderr_txt>
<message>
upload failure: <file_xfer_error>
  <file_name>RF_SAVE_ALL_OUT_NOJRAN_IGNORE_THE_REST_validation_env_f_pred_340_16902_6_0_r1143327185_0</file_name>
  <error_code>-240 (stat() failed)</error_code>
</file_xfer_error>
</message>
]]>

Different video drivers.

Uh, are we in such shape that a different driver can cause the failure of a wu?
This would be a nightmare!

Upload failure.
Task 5456545

Stderr output
<core_client_version>8.0.2</core_client_version>
<![CDATA[
<stderr_txt>
00:01:02 (16016): called boinc_finish(0)

</stderr_txt>
<message>
upload failure: <file_xfer_error>
  <file_name>RF_SAVE_ALL_OUT_NOJRAN_IGNORE_THE_REST_validation_env_f_pred_88_16902_2_0_r1516067865_0</file_name>
  <error_code>-240 (stat() failed)</error_code>
</file_xfer_error>
</message>
]]>

Report deadline 14 Jun 2024, 1:08:41 UTC
Received 14 Jun 2024, 4:04:05 UTC

I'm wondering if all these file transfer issues are due to the Ralph server not cancelling Tasks on the computer once they've been cancelled on the sever?
You complete the task, but it can't be returned because it's been cancelled for missing the deadline on the server?

Different video drivers.

Uh, are we in such shape that a different driver can cause the failure of a wu?
This would be a nightmare!

If there is a significant difference in the CUDA version between driver versions, and the TTAFold application makes use of calls that are only available in the most recent version, fail time.

Report deadline 14 Jun 2024, 1:08:41 UTC
Received 14 Jun 2024, 4:04:05 UTC

I'm wondering if all these file transfer issues are due to the Ralph server not cancelling Tasks on the computer once they've been cancelled on the sever?
You complete the task, but it can't be returned because it's been cancelled for missing the deadline on the server?

My failed upload Task details.

Report deadline  14 Jun 2024, 8:49:48 UTC
Received         14 Jun 2024, 9:51:17 UTC

P Hucker

Report deadline  14 Jun 2024, 8:25:06 UTC
Received         14 Jun 2024, 9:46:38 UTC

Anyone noticing a pattern here with the failed file transfers?


And every single Ralph Task on my system is past the deadline, and even the ones not yet started aren't being removed by the server.
If i can't return the result, there's not much point keeping them...

---

Grant
Darwin NT

Is this app only supposed to be given to PCs with a Nvidia?

Not according to the home page

We are initially targeting only Windows machines with or without Nvidia GPUs for this test.

Which is really odd wording- it's the same as saying "We are initially targeting only Windows machines with or without AMD GPUs for this test." or "We are initially targeting only Windows machines with or without Intel GPUs for this test." or "We are initially targeting only Windows machines with or without Apple GPUs for this test."
ie what they are saying is "We are initially targeting only Windows machines for this test."

Seems plain to me. You must have windows. A Nvidia will be used if you have it. Other GPUs will not be used.

Different video drivers.

Uh, are we in such shape that a different driver can cause the failure of a wu?
This would be a nightmare!

This is often the case with many projects. Primegrid has a list of which versions to avoid - Nvidia are well known for buggy drivers.

Report deadline 14 Jun 2024, 1:08:41 UTC
Received 14 Jun 2024, 4:04:05 UTC

I'm wondering if all these file transfer issues are due to the Ralph server not cancelling Tasks on the computer once they've been cancelled on the sever?
You complete the task, but it can't be returned because it's been cancelled for missing the deadline on the server?

My failed upload Task details.

Report deadline  14 Jun 2024, 8:49:48 UTC
Received         14 Jun 2024, 9:51:17 UTC

P Hucker

Report deadline  14 Jun 2024, 8:25:06 UTC
Received         14 Jun 2024, 9:46:38 UTC

Anyone noticing a pattern here with the failed file transfers?


And every single Ralph Task on my system is past the deadline, and even the ones not yet started aren't being removed by the server.
If i can't return the result, there's not much point keeping them...

The normal way to do things is let you report (and get credit for) a late task. But on the deadline it's resent incase your computer is never going to do it (eg. it broke). If yours is returned before the other guy starts it, his PC is told to not bother. If he's started it, he finishes it too, and it's used for comparison (and not to upset silly people who think they've wasted their time, but actually, they're wasting more time by completing a task already done by you).

It also shows signs of trying to use my video card, but not being able to find CUDA support (it does have CUDA sport, (or did have)).

GPU-Z says i have CUDA.

---

Grant
Darwin NT

Note: One can also limit the number of cores in Windows 11 by setting "number of processors" in Advanced Boot options (run msconfig).

I've opted to use max_concurrent to limit the number of cores/threads avalable to the TTAFold Tasks, leaving the others available for other processes.
As i have found, they are pigs. 1 Task = 8 threads.

I am an idiot! All we have to do is set the percentage of CPUs in our account preferences. I set my 10 cores hyperthreaded (20) to 10% and run 2 tasks.