Folding Forum

Hi
I had a separate problem today (separate to my other post) and need to understand what I am doing wrong.
I apologise for the lenght of this post. Just want to make sure all the detail is clear.
I have 4 pc's at work (just doing nothing) but internet connection is terrible so I decided to create separate folders on another machine (with a decent connection) load F@H app (one at a time) in each folder (each with unique User Names but same team number) to download the WU's, then stop the process and copy the entire folders to each of the respective PC's, and then restart each F@H app. When completed (if WU upload was not successful with slow connection) I would just copy entire folders back to decent PC and complete the process. Then download next WU and repeat the process.
When I checked 3 of these PC's they indicated that the WU were completed and successfully uploaded to the servers (I checked the log files)
Later I checked the F@H Stats site (since these were all new Team members) and discovered new Team Members had been added but WU and points were zero.
I include the log file below of the "DruglessPC3" work unit I have with me and the F@H Stats. (Tried to shorten it without losing critical details)
Date of last work unit 2008-01-09 09:07:21
Active CPUs within 50 days 9
Team Id 101316
Grand Score 15674 (certificate)
Work Unit Count 47 (certificate)
Team Ranking (incl. aggregate) 14618 of 96605
Home Page http://www.myteam.com/

Team members
Rank
(within team)User Score WU
1 Drugless2 4915 15
2 Drugless 4584 14
3 Drugless3 4433 13
4 Drugless4 725 2
5 DruglessNB 517 2
6 DruglessPC 500 1
7 DruglessPC5 0 0
8 DruglessPC4 0 0
9 DruglessPC3 0 0

--- Opening Log file [January 7 09:25:17]
# Windows Graphical Edition ###################################################
Folding@Home Client Version 6.00beta1
Launch directory: C:\QTPC3
[09:26:24] - Ask before connecting: No
[09:26:24] - User name: DruglessPC3 (Team 101316)
[09:26:24] - User ID: 30CFD4336D184384
[09:26:24] - Machine ID: 1
[09:26:24]
[09:26:24] Work directory not found. Creating...
[09:26:24] Could not open work queue, generating new queue...
[09:26:25] Initialization complete
[09:26:25] + Benchmarking ...
[09:26:25] - Preparing to get new work unit...
[09:26:25] + Attempting to get work packet
[09:26:25] - Connecting to assignment server
[09:26:25] + Could not connect to Assignment Server
[09:26:25] + Could not connect to Assignment Server 2
[09:26:25] + Couldn't get work instructions.
[09:26:25] - Attempt #1 to get work failed, and no other work to do.
Waiting before retry.
[09:26:33] + Attempting to get work packet
[09:26:33] - Connecting to assignment server
[09:26:37] - Successful: assigned to (130.49.240.81).
[09:26:37] + News From Folding@Home: Welcome to Folding@Home
[09:26:37] Loaded queue successfully.
[09:27:47] + Closed connections
[09:27:47]
[09:27:47] + Processing work unit
[09:27:47] Core required: FahCore_82.exe
[09:27:47] Core not found.
[09:27:47] - Core is not present or corrupted.
[09:27:47] - Attempting to download new core...
[09:27:47] + Downloading new core: FahCore_82.exe
[09:28:00] + 2165 bytes downloaded
[09:28:00] Verifying core Core_82.fah...
[09:28:00] Error reading signature from downloaded core file.
[09:28:00] Failed to verify core
[09:28:00] + Error: Could not extract core
[09:28:00] + Core download error (#2), waiting before retry...

[09:28:09] + Downloading new core: FahCore_82.exe
[09:28:09] Could not download 'www.stanford.edu'
[09:28:09] + Error: Could not download core
[09:28:09] + Core download error (#3), waiting before retry...

[09:28:21] + Downloading new core: FahCore_82.exe
[09:28:26] + 10240 bytes downloaded
" I have manually deleted the records from the log file between these two points. Process was never stopped between these 2 points"
[09:28:45] + 716479 bytes downloaded
[09:28:45] Verifying core Core_82.fah...
[09:28:45] Signature is VALID
[09:28:45]
[09:28:45] Trying to unzip core FahCore_82.exe
[09:28:45] Decompressed FahCore_82.exe (1683456 bytes) successfully
[09:28:45] + Core successfully engaged
[09:28:50]
[09:28:50] + Processing work unit
[09:28:50] Core required: FahCore_82.exe
[09:28:50] Core found.
[09:28:50] Working on Unit 01 [January 7 09:28:50]
[09:28:50] + Working ...
[09:28:51]
[09:28:51] *------------------------------*
[09:28:51] Folding@Home PMD Core
[09:28:51] Version 1.03 (September 7, 2005)
[09:28:51]
[09:28:51] Preparing to commence simulation
[09:28:51] - Looking at optimizations...
[09:28:51] - Created dyn
[09:28:51] - Files status OK
[09:28:51] - Expanded 213684 -> 1469028 (decompressed 687.4 percent)
[09:28:51]
[09:28:51] Project: 891 (Run 11, Clone 934, Gen 0)
[09:28:51]
[09:28:51] Assembly optimizations on if available.
[09:28:51] Entering M.D.
[09:28:58] Protein: p891_p53wtpeptide_tip3p
[09:28:58]
[09:28:58] Completed 0 out of 500000 steps (0)
Folding@Home Client Shutdown.
--- Opening Log file [January 7 10:01:40]
# Windows Graphical Edition ###################################################
Folding@Home Client Version 6.00beta1
Launch directory: C:\QTPC3
[10:01:40] - Ask before connecting: No
[10:01:40] - User name: DruglessPC3 (Team 101316)
[10:01:40] - User ID not found locally
[10:01:40] + Requesting User ID from server
[10:01:47] - Machine ID: 1
[10:01:47]
[10:01:47] Loaded queue successfully.
[10:01:47] Initialization complete
[10:01:47] + Benchmarking ...
[10:01:47]
[10:01:47] + Processing work unit
[10:01:47] Core required: FahCore_82.exe
[10:01:47] Core found.
[10:01:47] Working on Unit 01 [January 7 10:01:47]
[10:01:47] + Working ...
[10:01:48]
[10:01:48] *------------------------------*
[10:01:48] Folding@Home PMD Core
[10:01:48] Version 1.03 (September 7, 2005)
[10:01:48]
[10:01:48] Preparing to commence simulation
[10:01:48] - Looking at optimizations...
[10:01:48] - Files status OK
[10:01:48] - Expanded 213684 -> 1469028 (decompressed 687.4 percent)
[10:01:48]
[10:01:48] Project: 891 (Run 11, Clone 934, Gen 0)
[10:01:48]
[10:01:48] Assembly optimizations on if available.
[10:01:48] Entering M.D.
[10:01:56] Protein: p891_p53wtpeptide_tip3p
[10:01:56]
[10:01:56] Completed 0 out of 500000 steps (0)

--- Opening Log file [January 7 10:05:10]
# Windows Graphical Edition ###################################################
Folding@Home Client Version 6.00beta1
Launch directory: C:\QTPC3
[10:05:10] - Ask before connecting: No
[10:05:10] - User name: DruglessPC3 (Team 101316)
[10:05:10] - User ID: D6DBD626C4F295E
[10:05:10] - Machine ID: 1
[10:05:10]
[10:05:10] Loaded queue successfully.
[10:05:11] Initialization complete
[10:05:11] + Benchmarking ...
[10:05:11]
[10:05:11] + Processing work unit
[10:05:11] Core required: FahCore_82.exe
[10:05:11] Core found.
[10:05:11] Working on Unit 01 [January 7 10:05:11]
[10:05:11] + Working ...
[10:05:11]
[10:05:11] *------------------------------*
[10:05:11] Folding@Home PMD Core
[10:05:11] Version 1.03 (September 7, 2005)
[10:05:11]
[10:05:11] Preparing to commence simulation
[10:05:11] - Ensuring status. Please wait.
[10:05:28] - Looking at optimizations...
[10:05:28] - Working with standard loops on this execution.
[10:05:28] - Previous termination of core was improper.
[10:05:28] - Files status OK
[10:05:28] - Expanded 213684 -> 1469028 (decompressed 687.4 percent)
[10:05:28]
[10:05:28] Project: 891 (Run 11, Clone 934, Gen 0)
[10:05:28]
[10:05:28] Entering M.D.
[10:05:35] Protein: p891_p53wtpeptide_tip3p
[10:05:35]
[10:05:35] Completed 0 out of 500000 steps (0)
" I have manually deleted the records from the log file between these two points. Process was never stopped between these 2 points"
[14:08:55] Completed 500000 out of 500000 steps (100)
[14:08:55] Writing checkpoint files
[14:09:55]
[14:09:55] Finished Work Unit:
[14:09:55] Leaving Run
[14:09:59] - Writing 2004628 bytes of core data to disk...
[14:10:00] Done: 2004116 -> 618922 (compressed to 30.8 percent)
[14:10:00] ... Done.
[14:10:00] - Shutting down core
[14:10:00]
[14:10:00] Folding@home Core Shutdown: FINISHED_UNIT
[14:10:03] CoreStatus = 64 (100)
[14:10:03] Sending work to server
[14:10:03] + Attempting to send results
"NB: THESE BLANK LINES WERE NOT CREATED BY ME! "

[14:10:38] + Results successfully sent
[14:10:38] Thank you for your contribution to Folding@Home.
[14:10:38] + Starting local stats count at 1
[14:10:42] - Preparing to get new work unit...
[14:10:42] + Attempting to get work packet
[14:10:42] - Connecting to assignment server
[14:10:50] - Successful: assigned to (128.59.74.4).
[14:10:50] + News From Folding@Home: Welcome to Folding@Home
[14:10:50] Loaded queue successfully.
[14:12:32] - Couldn't send HTTP request to server
[14:12:32] + Could not connect to Work Server
[14:12:32] - Attempt #1 to get work failed, and no other work to do.
Waiting before retry.
[14:12:38] + Attempting to get work packet
[14:12:38] - Connecting to assignment server
[14:12:42] - Successful: assigned to (128.59.74.4).
[14:12:42] + News From Folding@Home: Welcome to Folding@Home
[14:12:42] Loaded queue successfully.

Folding@Home Client Shutdown.

It sounds like you're trying a modified sneakernet. For the servers to know what machine they are dealing with, you'll have to play games with the machine registry ID. You can see that part of the procedure here.
http://fahwiki.net/index.php/Sneakernetting

The part you are missing is that each of the four copies of FAH that exist on the "good internet" machine must be assigned different MachineIDs. Then if the WUs which are assigned to three of them are actually processed remotely (and if the meet the deadlines) everything should work. Just be sure that you return the finished WU from the remote machine before you allow the MachineID associated with that machine to connect to the server to upload and download. You cannot download a second WU for that MachineID first.

It really doesn't matter if the UserNames are all the same or not -- that's up to you.

Stanford records 3 things from your computer.

Your User Name:- All the points go to this name.
If you use different User Names the points you generate will be spread over all the names.

Your UserID and MachineID.
These two numbers identify each unique computer.
The UserID is stored in the registry and the MachineID is stored in the Client.cfg file.
Now because the MachineID is stored in the Client.cfg file if you move the folding folder to another computer, it moves.
But the UserID in the registry does not move.

Now by having all the UserID's identical but all the MachineID different you can safly move work between computers without the risk that Stanford looseing track of which protien it has sent you.
You can even run two clients on one computer if you need to.

Luck ..............

Many thanks for all the input. As per usual RTFM / Google / Noob comes to mind.
All makes a lot more sense.
I have decided that moving data around is just too much of an excercise and prone is finger problems (Like me deleting a 3 day completed workunit off a memory stick!) Arrggh! I'm an idiot! Fingers faster than brain! Doesn't say much for the brain!

Anyway I purchased a USB Wireless Modem today (reset each pc individually) so I will just check each PC daily to check for completed workunits, plug in the modem, let it do it's thing and move onto next PC. There is no chance of improving the network connection of these PC's since they are capped for a specific work purpose. (Also no business case to improve it)

I have reconfigured these PC's on above basis and will check how well it works tomorrow. Also have changed to the Console Client and set CPU allocation to 100% instead of the GUI version. This should improve things dramatically even on the celleron machines. These PC's are really not used at this stage for anything else. (Retail Store mockup environment)

Also found our training centre has 40+ PC's that only get used about once a month. Am going to see if I can hijack these!
Folding here I come!

Also plan on adding some additional PS3's at home WHEN someone has some stock, and also investigating availabilty of suitable GPU's since these seem to be the ideal for quick turnarounds. Only problem is in my country we are two years behind the rest of the world in terms of choice. My visit to a number of vendors produced at most a selection of 10 GPU Models over 3 brands! Many vendors have never heard of a ATI 1900 GPU!

Thanks again!

Drugless wrote:Only problem is in my country we are two years behind the rest of the world in terms of choice. My visit to a number of vendors produced at most a selection of 10 GPU Models over 3 brands! Many vendors have never heard of a ATI 1900 GPU!

You didn't specify what country, but you might consider ordering from the website of a vendor that will ship to your country. You might have to deal with export restrictions and you'll certainly have to deal with duty and import restrictions on your end, but it's still worth investigating.

Sorry am from South Africa. I would probably try the international route but it gets rather expensive with shipping and insurance. The local post office is rife with theft and I have had to go through a lengthly recovery process twice in the past when something just gets 'lost'. I have had more success with UPS / Fedex etc but costs (and import duties {but not their fault}) are almost equal to cost of product being shipped. eg. a Memory stick ordered for US$47.50 had shipping and insurance of US$40.00, import duties of about US$10. There are only so many 'gifts' you can recieve if you want to keep honest.
Anyway I've gone completely off topic!
Will keep folding!
Thanks for all help!