Messages

Okay, but how does BoincTasks know when to discard the Messages list and start over? I mean when something like this happens:

• Computer B has messages 1-10, which BoincTasks running on Computer A is showing on it's Messages tab.
• Computer A gets hang and doesn't retrieve messages for few minutes.
• Meanwhile Computer B gets restarted and starts storing messages from 1. It now has a new buffer of messages 1-15.
• Computer A recovers and BoincTasks asks for messages starting from 11 and gets messages 11-15 from the new messages buffer. It happily appends them to the old buffer of 1-10 and thus creating the original problem.

So basically I'm wondering that there's no way for BoincTasks to detect a client restart and refresh it's message buffer in a situation like this?

What happens if BoincTasks asks for messages from 11 and instead gets a response that there are only messages 1-5 in the buffer? Does it clear it's old messages in this case?

If there is no gap in the numbering, I can't do anything about it. The problem is in the BOINC client.

Do you always transfers all messages from the start or does BoincTasks have some kind of cache for the messages? If there is, maybe there's a missing "clear cache" call somewhere?

1) A while back I complained about numerous non-CPU intensive FreeHAL WUs taking too much space. There was a change later to make FreeHAL WUs say "Use 0.025C" because previously they didn't say anything. Now, they have added CPU-intensive WUs and

When a project is non CPU intensive and gives no resource information BT inserts 0.05C, because for some rules and warnings it needs a value there.
FreeHALL should comply to the rules and remove the non CPU i from the project and add the real recourses it uses.
But at FreeHALL they do other strange things.
This also messes up BOINC in assuming the CPU task takes up little time.

And to make sure there is no special FreeHALL code in BT.

Ah, okay, I just thought you specifically detected FreeHALL and inserted 0.05C there but looks like you are (correctly) detecting the "non-cpu intensive" flag of the project and then inserting 0.05C (if it's missing). If so, this is fine and I do agree that FreeHALL should change (and I'm already trying to report this to them but haven't checked back yet).

Hmm, are you really inserting 0.05C or did that switch to 0.025C in some version? If so, maybe FreeHALL is already reporting some resource information since their tasks are now showing 0.025C there. (Even for the CPU intensive tasks but that's not BTs fault.)

2) Any zero digits seems to be removed in Use field. This is good, because "0.05C + 1NV" is much nicer. However, it seems it doesn't

2) There is no such thing as 0 a CPU always uses something. All other values are assigned by the project / task.

I meant the zeros after the dot. The part where BT condenses the "x + 1.00 NV" to "x + 1NV". This condensing isn't happening when there are 2 (or more!) nVidia (or ATI) cards used by the project. I mean that BT still shows "x + 2.00 NV" and not "x + 2NV". Shouldn't the condensing algorithm work in these cases too? (Maybe by replacing all .00 instances with blanks in the string? If it's a string at all.)

Hello,

1) A while back I complained about numerous non-CPU intensive FreeHAL WUs taking too much space. There was a change later to make FreeHAL WUs say "Use 0.025C" because previously they didn't say anything. Now, they have added CPU-intensive WUs and actually have one WU limit. So no even the CPU-intensive jobs are marked as "Use 0.025C" in BoincTasks. One could detect non-CPU intensive WUs from Name that starts with fh_nci_ and CPU intensive that start with fh_ci_. Not sure if it's a good idea to try detect these or just remove any special code dealing with FreeHAL.. They really should fix their reporting errors.

2) Any zero digits seems to be removed in Use field. This is good, because "0.05C + 1NV" is much nicer. However, it seems it doesn't work when you have more than one required resources. For example, I can see "0.75C + 2.00NV" or "1C + 3.00NV". Hopefully it also supports ATI cards as I'm about to add such beasts to my arsenal.

The only BOINC releasenote 'bullet' I've really been interested in is

Fix: Elasped time tracking issue

and how it might affect BT's performance

I don't think that will affect that much since this one line code change seems to only affect situations where a WU gets restarted after a checkpoint. (Restart might be due to preempting it, restart of workstation/BOINC, crash or whatever.) Previously the elapsed time starts again from zero but after the fix the elapsed time until the checkpoint is used. Which is correct, since that's where the calculation should continue from anyway.

You might want to debug by enabling <app_msg_receive> logging to see if the values project returns to BOINC seems sane. If not, you can report it to project.

1 - after exit from BT, size and position of the window when restarted BT not saved.

1 - Works with me, use File -> exit to store these settings.

This has never worked for me..  not even using File -> Exit that I tried. BoincTasks always starts with default size and on my

Don't know why, I've seen it myself, something between versions.
I use a second monitor as well and haven't seen any problems.
And.... Windows treats the whole screen, of the 2 monitors as one virtual screen, so the program doesn't see the difference.

Interesting.. I did some debugging on this issue on v0.61 and here's the registry entries that are storing the main window position (as far as I can tell):

Code Select Expand

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\eFMer\BoincTasks\window_position]
"main_show"=dword:00000001
"main_bottom"=dword:00000306
"main_left"=dword:fffff88e
"main_right"=dword:fffffffd
"main_top"=dword:00000003

Those main_left and main_right values look interesting.. Could it be that BoincTasks think they are invalid or have they been stored incorrectly due to some overflow or something?

Maybe it's relevant that I'm moving BoincTasks window to my monitor that's located on the left side of my primary monitor? When I keep BoincTasks window on my primary monitor, BoincTasks saves and restored the window position correctly. But when I start with the quoted registry values BoincTasks starts with a default window position (on my primary monitor).

Hope this helps you to debug this issue further as it would be nice to not always have to move BoincTasks window after restart. Not that I restart my workstation or BoincTasks that often anyway but still..

1 - after exit from BT, size and position of the window when restarted BT not saved.

1 - Works with me, use File -> exit to store these settings.

This has never worked for me..  not even using File -> Exit that I tried. BoincTasks always starts with default size and on my primary monitor. Could it be that it gets confused because I always place it on my second monitor? This is also on Win 7 x64, which may be relevant..

i learn also the sudoku project from iSGTW but the web site mention in the article remain inaccessible? (http://www.isgtw.org/?pid=1000570) any idea?

Even though this is slightly off-topic for this forum.. The Sudoku Project has been down since about 19. Nov 2009 and there hasn't been much contributed to it since Feb/Mar 2009 according to http://boincstats.com/stats/project_graph.php?pr=sudoku. Which is sad, since that's one project I would have liked to contribute to but it was shutdown just as I found about it..

I wanted to use the command line parameter to  allow_remote_gui_rpc  so i dont need the address file but cant get boincmgr to recognise any parameters.

That parameter should be recognised by the boinc.exe and not boincmgr.exe so try using it with that there instead.

BTW, you don't even need to run boincmgr on the host if you are going to manage it remotely using BoincTasks (or with a remote boincmgr, for that matter). However, boinctray.exe should be run in addition to boinc.exe to my knowledge.

Hi,

My guess is that they are not new fields. Please, read "WU regulator" section in the manual (http://www.efmer.eu/boinc/boinc_tasks/manual.html) which I think explains those fields. Although, I have never used them so don't know if they work or what they end up doing in the end..

[EDIT} - I just checked the task manager and I do NOT see anything like %99 utilization for collatz.

If you have a quad core CPU then 25% in Task Manager would mean the process takes one CPU (or actually one core). Seeing 99% would mean the process is using ALL four cores.

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\eFMer\BoincTasks\sorting]
"transfer_p"=dword:00000200
"project_p"=dword:00000100
"history_p"=dword:00000106
"tasks_p"=dword:00000100
"tasks_s"=dword:00000106
"project_s"=dword:00000205
"tasks_t"=dword:000000ff
"history_s"=dword:00000204
"project_t"=dword:00000109
"transfer_s"=dword:00000106
"transfer_t"=dword:000000ff

I have six computers that I'm monitoring.

OK, I renamed HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\eFMer\BoincTasks\sorting key and looks like the crash went away. Both of them so I can now have history enabled again (which gave me back my number of tasks in Projects like you promised). Awesome, thanks for helping! Do you want the sorting registry key contents?

The Task column in projects is linked to the history tab. History should be enabled for this to work.

Ah! That'll explain it since I just disabled history. Thanks.

1) Is there anything in the transfer.
2) Did you reboot your computer?

1) Yeah, I have pending Uploads in my Tasks tab. First Seti@Home Beta and now FreeHAL.
2) I've rebooted after BoincTasks update due to other patches.

Hmm, now I seem to also get a crash every time something is uploaded and History is enabled. It might be somehow related to the same crash when going to Transfers-tab.

Hi,

Upgraded to 0.47 this other day. Now the new Tasks column in Projects tab is blank. Also, I get a persistent crash whenever I try to go to Transfers tab. Here's the details for the crash (I have an User Mini Dump File collected by WER that I can send if you want to look over it yourself):


Log Name:      Application
Source:        Application Error
Date:          1.4.2010 17:17:15
Event ID:      1000
Task Category: (100)
Level:         Error
Keywords:      Classic
User:          N/A
Description:
Faulting application name: BoincTasks64.exe, version: 0.4.7.0, time stamp: 0x4bafc519
Faulting module name: BoincTasks64.exe, version: 0.4.7.0, time stamp: 0x4bafc519
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x000000000003fb41
Faulting process id: 0x1390
Faulting application start time: 0x01cad0eba3987f7e
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\eFMer\BoincTasks\BoincTasks64.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files\eFMer\BoincTasks\BoincTasks64.exe
Report Id: 4541f1f4-3d99-11df-8d08-001966f28774

*******************************************************************************
*                                                                             *
*                        Exception Analysis                                   *
*                                                                             *
*******************************************************************************

FAULTING_IP:
BoincTasks64+3fb41
00000001`4003fb41 8b548130        mov     edx,dword ptr [rcx+rax*4+30h]

EXCEPTION_RECORD:  ffffffffffffffff -- (.exr 0xffffffffffffffff)
ExceptionAddress: 000000014003fb41 (BoincTasks64+0x000000000003fb41)
   ExceptionCode: c0000005 (Access violation)
  ExceptionFlags: 00000000
NumberParameters: 2
   Parameter[0]: 0000000000000000
   Parameter[1]: 00000000047f014c
Attempt to read from address 00000000047f014c

DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID:  INVALID_POINTER_READ
PROCESS_NAME:  BoincTasks64.exe
ERROR_CODE: (NTSTATUS) 0xc0000005 - The instruction at 0x%08lx referenced memory at 0x%08lx. The memory could not be %s.
EXCEPTION_CODE: (NTSTATUS) 0xc0000005 - The instruction at 0x%08lx referenced memory at 0x%08lx. The memory could not be %s.
EXCEPTION_PARAMETER1:  0000000000000000
EXCEPTION_PARAMETER2:  00000000047f014c
READ_ADDRESS:  00000000047f014c
FOLLOWUP_IP:
BoincTasks64+3fb41
00000001`4003fb41 8b548130        mov     edx,dword ptr [rcx+rax*4+30h]

NTGLOBALFLAG:  0
APPLICATION_VERIFIER_FLAGS:  0
FAULTING_THREAD:  0000000000000c78
PRIMARY_PROBLEM_CLASS:  INVALID_POINTER_READ
BUGCHECK_STR:  APPLICATION_FAULT_INVALID_POINTER_READ
LAST_CONTROL_TRANSFER:  from 00000001400e45eb to 000000014003fb41
STACK_TEXT: 
00000000`0012f8d0 00000001`400e45eb : 00000000`000001fb 00000000`00000000 00000000`41005213 00000000`00000000 : BoincTasks64+0x3fb41
00000000`0012f9a0 00000001`400de6ec : 00000000`07310040 00000000`00000479 00000000`0000000a 00000000`020802f8 : BoincTasks64+0xe45eb
00000000`0012fae0 00000001`400e2062 : 00000000`00000000 00000000`020802f8 00000000`0000000a 00000000`002e8440 : BoincTasks64+0xde6ec
00000000`0012fb20 00000001`400e2169 : 00000000`003408d2 00000000`020802f8 00000000`00000479 00000000`00000000 : BoincTasks64+0xe2062
00000000`0012fbc0 00000000`76b2c3c1 : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000001 00000001`400ce59c : BoincTasks64+0xe2169
00000000`0012fc00 00000000`76b2c60a : 00000000`002e8498 00000001`400e2110 00000000`00000000 00000000`00938a20 : user32!UserCallWinProcCheckWow+0x1ad
00000000`0012fcc0 00000000`50286df5 : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000001`400e2110 00000000`002e8498 : user32!DispatchMessageWorker+0x3b5
00000000`0012fd40 00000001`400dad7e : 00000001`401b6150 00000001`40000001 00000000`00000001 00000000`002e8440 : PAVSHOOK64+0x26df5
00000000`0012fdf0 00000001`400da93c : 00000001`401b6150 00000000`00000001 00000000`00000001 00000001`401b6150 : BoincTasks64+0xdad7e
00000000`0012fe20 00000001`40140017 : 00000000`00000001 00000001`40000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`002731f5 : BoincTasks64+0xda93c
00000000`0012fe60 00000001`40122d71 : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000006 00000001`40000000 : BoincTasks64+0x140017
00000000`0012fea0 00000000`76c2f56d : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 : BoincTasks64+0x122d71
00000000`0012ff60 00000000`76d63281 : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 : kernel32!BaseThreadInitThunk+0xd
00000000`0012ff90 00000000`00000000 : 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 00000000`00000000 : ntdll!RtlUserThreadStart+0x1d

STACK_COMMAND:  ~0s; .ecxr ; kb
SYMBOL_STACK_INDEX:  0
SYMBOL_NAME:  BoincTasks64+3fb41
MODULE_NAME: BoincTasks64
IMAGE_NAME:  BoincTasks64.exe
DEBUG_FLR_IMAGE_TIMESTAMP:  4bafc519
FAILURE_BUCKET_ID:  INVALID_POINTER_READ_c0000005_BoincTasks64.exe!Unknown
BUCKET_ID:  X64_APPLICATION_FAULT_INVALID_POINTER_READ_BoincTasks64+3fb41
---------
0:000> lmvm BoincTasks64
start             end                 module name
00000001`40000000 00000001`401e5000   BoincTasks64   (no symbols)
    Loaded symbol image file: BoincTasks64.exe
    Mapped memory image file: C:\Program Files\eFMer\BoincTasks\BoincTasks64.exe
    Image path: C:\Program Files\eFMer\BoincTasks\BoincTasks64.exe
    Image name: BoincTasks64.exe
    Timestamp:        Mon Mar 29 00:07:37 2010 (4BAFC519)
    CheckSum:         001DE57E
    ImageSize:        001E5000
    File version:     0.4.7.0
    Product version:  0.4.7.0
    File flags:       0 (Mask 3F)
    File OS:          4 Unknown Win32
    File type:        1.0 App
    File date:        00000000.00000000
    Translations:     0409.04e4
    CompanyName:      eFMer
    ProductName:      eFMer BoincTask
    InternalName:     BoincTasks.exe
    OriginalFilename: BoincTasks.exe
    ProductVersion:   0.4.7.0
    FileVersion:      0.4.7.0
    FileDescription:  Displays BOINC tasks local & remote .
    LegalCopyright:   (c) 2009-2010 eFMer.  All rights reserved.
---
rax=00000000000000ff rbx=000000014003fa50 rcx=00000000047efd20
rdx=0000000000000000 rsi=00000000020802f8 rdi=0000000007310040
rip=000000014003fb41 rsp=000000000012f8d0 rbp=0000000007310040
r8=0000000000000001  r9=0000000000000000 r10=000000000000000a
r11=0000000000000001 r12=000000000000000a r13=0000000000000000
r14=0000000000000100 r15=0000000000000006
iopl=0         nv up ei pl nz na pe nc
cs=0033  ss=002b  ds=002b  es=002b  fs=0053  gs=002b             efl=00010202
BoincTasks64+0x3fb41:
00000001`4003fb41 8b548130        mov     edx,dword ptr [rcx+rax*4+30h] ds:00000000`047f014c=??