Following the collapse of my copy of the BBC experiment, I cleared it all out and started again using BOINC. It seemed to run OK but was presenting the message:
28-Dec-2007 09:10:06 [climateprediction.net] Message from server: Your computer has 703.48MB of memory, and a job requires 1464.84MB
which suggested that my PC isn\'t up to it. It still seemed to be running OK until the next day when I notice the following message:
29-Dec-2007 11:33:40 [climateprediction.net] Scheduler request failed: Couldn\'t connect to server
29-Dec-2007 11:34:40 [climateprediction.net] Sending scheduler request: To send trickle-up message. Requesting 0 seconds of work, reporting 0 completed tasks
29-Dec-2007 11:35:02 [---] Project communication failed: attempting access to reference site
29-Dec-2007 11:35:04 [---] Access to reference site succeeded - project servers may be temporarily down.
29-Dec-2007 11:35:05 [climateprediction.net] Scheduler request failed: Couldn\'t connect to server
29-Dec-2007 11:36:05 [climateprediction.net] Sending scheduler request: To send trickle-up message. Requesting 0 seconds of work, reporting 0 completed tasks.

I exited the program and rebooted my PC and the message hasn\'t returned - although there have been numerous trickles - 1 every 40 minutes or so (On the BBC program I only saw a trickle every 2 days).

Now the graphics won\'t show - they did before I restarted - and the trickles are continuing. Whilst I appreciate that the graphics aren\'t too important they are useful in that they allow me to see the progress of my bit of the experiment.

Can you confirm that all is well and can you help me get the graphics back please?

Thanks,


Charlie

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1) If your BOINC upgrade was recent, then you\'re using a vastly different monster.
The new versions have provision for limiting the amount of memory available to the science apps, and the default is set low.
Go to the prefs in your Account page to increase them.

2) This site has 3 different types of model on offer, one of which is a high resolution model, requiring at least 1Gig of ram.
Again, go to the prefs (middle one), to select which type you want to run.
If you don\'t, you will get a \'type\' selected at random.
Note, however, that the Coupled Oceans models, (as per the BBC), can be either 80 year OR 160 year models, again at random.

3) The messages are because large amounts of data is being extracted for the physicsts, and this slows down the server. Try again a bit later.

All of the above are mentioned in the news here.

4) Loss of graphics may be due to the type of BOINC instal that you used: Single user, Service, Multiple user.
Which was it?

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Backups: Here

Below are answers to questions posed by me either on here or (incorrectly) on the BOINC website:

1. Memory is currently set as follows:
1.1.1 50% page file (swap file)
1.1.2 50% memory when in use
1.1.3 90% memory when idle

1.2 My memory is as follows:
29/12/2007 3:32:18 PM||Memory: 703.48 MB physical, 953.58 MB virtual

1.3 Should any of my settings be changed? If so what are your recomendations?

2. I believe I set myself up as a single user - although I am unable to find the setting to prove it. (The graphics did work until I re-booted the PC and re-started the experiment).

3.1 My Firewall is Windows Firewall. I have an entry as follows:
C:\\Program Files\\Climate Change Experiment\\cpdnbbcmgr.exe

This looks to be incorrect as I have now deleted the BBC experiment. What is the correct path to add to the Firewall?

3.2 I don\'t have a proxy server (I don\'t think!)

4. I have altered the \"Run when Busy\" setting to \"yes\". I wait to see the result with interest.

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Futher to my previous posting. After I had altered the \"Run when busy\" setting to \"Yes\", exiting the experiment, rebooting the PC and then re-starting the experiment, the graphics have re-appeared. I\'ll check again tomorrow to see if the trickles are still as frequent.

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Hi Charlie

On my quads, I\'ve got:
85% of total disk space
75% of page file (swap space)
80% of memory when computer is in use
100% of memory when computer is idle

They have 3 gigs of ram, and were built to run climate models, so there\'s nothing else running other than the OS (XP), and when I have a look at them now and then.
So I\'ve set the memory to use as much as possible.

Unless you are having slow downs when using your computer, and provided that you don\'t run other programs in the background when you\'re not using the computer yourself, I\'d suggest that you set the memory when idle to max. Otherwise some is wasted, and you don\'t have all that much anyway.

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Re: The user type; A service install doesn\'t allow for graphics unless you select interact with desktop when installing it, but as your graphics have now returned, it\'s not relevant.

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I think that your firewall setting would have been updated when you installed the new version of BOINC. You\'re showing a trickle for 31 December, so it may be OK, unless you can\'t upload more.

As to the path, it will depend on where you\'ve installed the new BOINC. If it was in the CCE folder, it will be OK. Where is the entry that you mentioned? In the firewall settings?
Whenever I\'ve installed, the Windows firewall gets set up automatically, and I\'ve not had to set it manually.

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The trickle interval on your account seems to be about right for the computer you have.
However, you WILL get extra trickles, (as you mentioned on the BOINC/dev site), each time you restart BOINC and after every benchmark, and LOTS of them when your slab model reaches a phase change. (They have 3 phases; see the two sections in Experiment Strategy: here.)
Normal trickles have a \'variety\' of org, and the extra trickles have a \'variety\' of cse. These latter are mostly a \"I\'m back up and running again\" notice to the server, and don\'t count for credits.

If there\'s anything that I haven\'t covered, ask again.

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Backups: Here