Multi VM SMP Guide

[Edward2]

FYI - I had originally installed Ubuntu 8.10 by mistake and not 8.04. So I deleted the 2 VMs on my system and then followed the directions in the first post in order to install 8.04. A few things I would like to point out to any beginners trying to follow these instructions, specifically with regards to copying the VM files from one directory to another:

After you copy the files and then create the new VM by browsing to the second directory, VMware will not ask if you copied this VM until you try to start the second VM. At that point, it will ask if you want to create a new machine ID.

Before you start the folding clients, you need to change the Network HOST name for the second VM; otherwise, both VMs will have the same HOST name (since you copied the files). You can change the HOST name by starting the second VM and going to the System > Administration > Network. When the popup appears, click on General and you can change the HOST name for the second VM. You must reboot the second VM for the change to become active. If you do not change the HOST name for the second VM, you will not be able to see both VMs via Windows Network Places.

One last thing I would like to point out is that when you SHARE the "folding" folder, it will automatically install Samba. However, you must reboot the VM for the shared folder to appear in your Windows Network Places.

 

[klear]

call me crazy but I do not see anything but "Network Tools" under System>Administration in ubuntu...

edit: sudo gedit /etc/hostname worked for me but I still don't see the shared folder, ha.

 

[Edward2]

I'm by no means a Ubuntu expert, so maybe someone else can help also. But my system shows both "Network" and "Network Tools" under System/Administrator. If you stop the VM client, here is what I see listed under "Devices": Memory, Hard Drive, Network, and Processors. Do you see Network listed on yours? Is your network setup as Bridged?

 

[klear]

It says "Ethernet: Bridged", also if anyone knows how to make it so VM only uses like 90% of the CPU because if i run SMP on my X2 it chokes the 9600 down to 1700ppd, this is with GPU set to "Normal" and the VM on "Low"

 

[HayesK]

The GPU2 configuration needs core set to "slightly higher" under the FAH control panel advanced tab. The VM priority can be set to low using the task manager on vmware-vmx.exe process.

 

[klear]

I will do that, thank you!

 

[Mr.Guvernment]

[EDIt]got it working now, getting 2nv VM going

 

[Mr.Guvernment]

BUMP FOR STICKY!

 

[harlam357]

Yes... a mod needs to get a hold of this and put it into our 'Install' sticky... replacing LeeLegends, somewhat dated, VMWare guide.

 

[NUTNDUN]

I new I had seen a thread on doing multiple vm's instead of just one but for the life of me couldn't find it yesterday when I set mine up. I got it working in the end but I vote too for this one to be a sticky.

 

[Mr.Guvernment]

bump for sticky. again

 

[donuts]

Would be much easier for us folding part-timers.

 

[NUTNDUN]

I was bound and determined to do this and I finally got it working. Ubuntu is alright but I am a debian fan and I wanted to run the vm's in command line. I had it setup before but I wasn't able to access the shares to monitor them with fahmon. I figured out what needed edited in the smb.conf so windows 7 would see the share and it is working great.

I feel the two vm's running without a desktop would use alot less resources in the vm and that is why I was bound and determined to get it. I can write everything down and post it if anyone else is interested in running debian. The debian netinstall takes a whole 10 minutes per vm. I wasn't able to copy one vm and make another one out of it.

My question is it doesn't seem to be using all of the cpu, in task manager it is running between 70 - 80% and my temps are like they are idle. Both vms started folding last night around 11:00 pm and they are both working on project 5102 and it is now 8:00am and they each have 16% done and fahmon is showing another day and 19 hours to completion.

Doesn't seem like it is working to the best of it's abilities. I should also mention that it is the beta 6.24 client that I used, could this be part of the problem?

 

[Jolly-Swagman]

My question is it doesn't seem to be using all of the cpu, in task manager it is running between 70 - 80% and my temps are like they are idle. Both vms started folding last night around 11:00 pm and they are both working on project 5102 and it is now 8:00am and they each have 16% done and fahmon is showing another day and 19 hours to completion.

Doesn't seem like it is working to the best of it's abilities. I should also mention that it is the beta 6.24 client that I used, could this be part of the problem?

Linux clients run are much more efficiently than the Win SMP and dont need to utilise 100% core so it is running ok @ 80%

 

[NUTNDUN]

are these the only flags I need to pass on to the client:
-smp -verbosity 9 -advmethods

should I still use -forceasm

 

[Jolly-Swagman]

No you dont need to use the -forceasm flag

Are your clients set to different machine ID's ect

 

[NUTNDUN]

Ya, the one vm is set to machine id 1, the other vm is set to machine id 3 and the gpu client is set to machine id4.

I know the linux clients are more effective I thought they would still use the cores to close to 100%. At the rate it is running now I could take the fan off the cpu cooler.

 

[NUTNDUN]

I know it is a big no no but I stopped the clients and deleted the queue.dat file and the work folder and the FahCore_a1.exe and double checked the client.cfg settings and then restarted it and they both got a2 cores and it is now running 95% load in task manager.

I don't know what the problem was other then the different cores?

I think I forgot to mention that I set the priority to low for each vm in task manager, and the gpu client is set to slightly higher in it's config.

I am running debian testing under the vm's and it is using kernel 2.6.26-1.

The only other thing I thought may be the problem is running the beta client instead of the other one.

 

[Adak]

I was bound and determined to do this and I finally got it working. Ubuntu is alright but I am a debian fan and I wanted to run the vm's in command line. I had it setup before but I wasn't able to access the shares to monitor them with fahmon. I figured out what needed edited in the smb.conf so windows 7 would see the share and it is working great.

I feel the two vm's running without a desktop would use alot less resources in the vm and that is why I was bound and determined to get it. I can write everything down and post it if anyone else is interested in running debian. The debian netinstall takes a whole 10 minutes per vm. I wasn't able to copy one vm and make another one out of it.

My question is it doesn't seem to be using all of the cpu, in task manager it is running between 70 - 80% and my temps are like they are idle. Both vms started folding last night around 11:00 pm and they are both working on project 5102 and it is now 8:00am and they each have 16% done and fahmon is showing another day and 19 hours to completion.

Doesn't seem like it is working to the best of it's abilities. I should also mention that it is the beta 6.24 client that I used, could this be part of the problem?

You may be alright, I can't speak for a debian install, but in Ubuntu, you need to reset the power saving options if you want to keep FAH running at full speed, otherwise it ratchets itself back after a bit, and runs in just a power saving "cruise" speed, and may even stop entirely, depending on what that version's default is set for.

So where would you find these power saving options to reset them? How about checking:

1) Your BIOS

2) Windows 7

3) Debian

Happy Hunting! Congratulations on getting Debian set up in a VM, and on the new Windows 7 beta, no less - that's quite a feat, in my book.

P.S. -forceasm is obsolete now. Some of my clients still have it, but you don't need it. It eliminates a rude one line print out on fahlog.txt about "Using standard loops", which used to be a devil of a message to get with the old uniprocessor client.

 

[NUTNDUN]

She is trucking along just fine now, 8 minutes a frame for each vm. If there is any interest I can post all of the commands to get debian setup with samba for fahmon monitoring.

Fahmon is showing 12,355 ppd. I am probably going to setup the wife's 6600. Her's has a 9400gt video card but I don't think it is worth folding on.