8-core Windows SMP only using 50% ???

[DismorphiC]

OK guys... I'd like to find out if there's an elegant and simple solution that I just don't know about.

I wouldn't say I'm new to folding, I started back in 2004 for a short stint and haven't really done any WUs until just recently.

I have a handful of 2 x 4-core Xeons to crunch on. These are running Windows 2003 64-bit.

I also have a few 2 x 4-core Xeon x86_64 Linux servers (Gentoo, Red Hat Enterprise).

The windows boxen constantly use 50% of all available CPU :bang head:bang head. Linux client's use 100% of all 8 cores.

Why ??

Command line options for all include the same -smp 8 and it recognizes 8 cores. Windows clients are running the 6.23 SMP MPICH.

I do not want to have to run two command-line clients with different machine IDs as that becomes messy.

Anybody with some simple solution please chime in. I would like to wring 100% out of these machine.

On another note... I've got some 32 and 64 core Sun SPARC boxes running Solaris 10. Anybody have any tips on setting these up?

BTW -- VMs are out of the question for any OS.

Cheers!!

[Shelnutt2]

I'm not sure about Windows smp, as I don't use it.

With regards to SPARC clients, there are none, so the only option would be VMs. However you might post up on the folding forms and ask (under the linux section?). I have no clue what is involved with compiling a client for that architecture. I know when I asked about IA-64, and Itanium II's I got a big fat no.

[ChasR]

The a1 windows smp core defaults to 4 threads. In other words, -smp x is only supported in Linux. You'll have to run two clients to utilize both cpus in Windows. You'll likely find you make more ppd running two clients on the Linux boxes as well.

[PeddlerOfFlesh]

Does anybody know the deal with the windows client defaulting to 4 cores is? I'm just curious. It seems like a small bug that causes a really, really, really big inconvenience. Or does the a1 core just not really scale past 4 cores or something?

[Adak]

Does anybody know the deal with the windows client defaulting to 4 cores is? I'm just curious. It seems like a small bug that causes a really, really, really big inconvenience. Or does the a1 core just not really scale past 4 cores or something?

It's not a "bug", it was a design consideration at that time, that hasn't been re-designed, yet.

Squeaky wheel gets the grease though, so let your desires be known over on the Stanford FAH forum.

[DismorphiC]

OK It was a bit of a PITA, but I got 3 or 4 of my 8-core boxes up with two command-line clients running.

This gave me a decent little boost. Thanks for the tips!

[Edward2]

This gave me a decent little boost. Thanks for the tips!

I would say so....

36,787 PPD average and 43,259 for today (as of 9pm update)

[DismorphiC]

Oh a helpful tip for other noobs (I haven't noticed it brought up anywhere else and I ran into it).

If workunits aren't starting, check /etc/hosts and make sure your machine knows it's hostname that way. My gentoo boxes used /etc/conf.d/hostname and they didn't start WU's.

Turns out the Apple XServe didn't have its own host set as well. I thought Apple had that thing turn-key??? Slackers...

Cheers! :)

[pik4chu]

The a1 windows smp core defaults to 4 threads. In other words, -smp x is only supported in Linux. You'll have to run two clients to utilize both cpus in Windows. You'll likely find you make more ppd running two clients on the Linux boxes as well.

*edit* nevermind, finally got it working.. what a pain :mad:

Well hopefuly i will atleast see some decent PPD from this rig now. Time to move on to box #2!

[PeddlerOfFlesh]

Now you (DismorphiC) need a way to keep your clients running in the background :).

If you explain it, I'm sure somebody could help. Having to keep RDP sessions alive seems...kinda absurd. Probably needs a new thread.

[DismorphiC]

It's not the RDP sessions that need to be kept alive by a process... they need to be kept alive by not having coworkers disconnect. We don't have terminal service licenses, so we're limited to two concurrent RDP sessions (active or not).

Server 2008 doesn't like to have multiple RDP's open by the same user account so it always boots one off and gives it to whomever is logging in. So... coworker logs in as administrator, sees my command line open, and instead of closing his RDP client logs out... the only thing I can do is keep an eye on it and man it's a pain to keep an eye on all of these machines.

[Evilsizer]

forget RDP, use ultraVNC (http://www.uvnc.com/) or real VNC (http://www.realvnc.com/vnc/index.html).
*note real vnc shows a pay downloads, but if you actually try to download it there is a free one*

I use ultra VNC my self and like it alot, use realVNC at work. i would rather have UltraVNC at work..

[Janus67]

UltraVNC is an excellent little applications. We have it rolled out to all of our users in our 1000user department. It works pretty well and is speedy.