Message boards : ATLAS application : Reporting memory usage to Boinc
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Harri Liljeroos
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Message 33480 - Posted: 23 Dec 2017, 14:20:24 UTC
Last modified: 23 Dec 2017, 14:23:27 UTC

I just noticed how Atlas tasks which are running with 3 cores have changed the amount of memory they report to Boinc being used. Early December the tasks reported 5500 MB, then by mid December they reported 8900 MB and now 8000 MB. I have no problem with that, just reporting what I am seeing.

Not seeing this with 4 core tasks, they have been at 6200 MB whole month.
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Crystal Pellet
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Message 33483 - Posted: 23 Dec 2017, 17:40:43 UTC - in response to Message 33480.  

I propose you are using an app_config.xml for setting the amount of cores and memory for the VM.

The maximum memory allocated by BOINC you see, comes from the # of CPU's, you've defined in your project preferences.
When you see 8900MB you've set there 7 cores and when you see 8000MB you've set 6 cores.
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Harri Liljeroos
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Message 33487 - Posted: 23 Dec 2017, 18:53:50 UTC - in response to Message 33483.  

Yes, I am using app_config.xml and it is set to 3 cores (memory is set for 5300 MB) on one of my hosts and to 4 cores (memory is set for 6300 MB) on the other. I know that the memory I set in app_config is not the one seen in Boinc.

I haven't changed the app_config.xml for some time now, so the change must be in the tasks that I am getting.
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Harri Liljeroos
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Message 33502 - Posted: 25 Dec 2017, 10:40:07 UTC
Last modified: 25 Dec 2017, 10:42:17 UTC

The last couple of tasks (3 core) have been showing 7100 MB memory consumption in Boinc so the value seems to be a variable one. So I am wondering should I leave out the memory setting in app_config.xml? I have set it currently to 5400 MB and that is what I am seeing in VirtualBox window with top (Alt+F3).

The 4 core tasks are all showing 6200 MB like before.
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Message 33504 - Posted: 25 Dec 2017, 12:38:29 UTC - in response to Message 33502.  

The last couple of tasks (3 core) have been showing 7100 MB memory consumption in Boinc so the value seems to be a variable one.
Are you playing with your project preference? 7100MB indicates you've set Max # CPUs to 5 here: https://lhcathome.cern.ch/lhcathome/prefs.php?subset=project

So I am wondering should I leave out the memory setting in app_config.xml? I have set it currently to 5400 MB and that is what I am seeing in VirtualBox window with top (Alt+F3).

The 4 core tasks are all showing 6200 MB like before.
I would not leave the memory setting out of app_config.xml.
Seen your machine's memory I even would increase it a bit to 6500MB and running 4 cores.
In your project preference I would set # CPUs to 4, so BOINC calculates the free needed memory correctly, before starting a new job.
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Message 33507 - Posted: 25 Dec 2017, 22:54:02 UTC - in response to Message 33504.  

The last couple of tasks (3 core) have been showing 7100 MB memory consumption in Boinc so the value seems to be a variable one.
Are you playing with your project preference? 7100MB indicates you've set Max # CPUs to 5 here: https://lhcathome.cern.ch/lhcathome/prefs.php?subset=project

Duh! You got me there: For some unfathomable reason I had set my preferences to use 8 cores although I had meant to set the max number of tasks to 8. So my bad. Thanks for making me check the preferences. I have now set it to 3 cores and no limit on the max tasks.

So I am wondering should I leave out the memory setting in app_config.xml? I have set it currently to 5400 MB and that is what I am seeing in VirtualBox window with top (Alt+F3).

The 4 core tasks are all showing 6200 MB like before.
I would not leave the memory setting out of app_config.xml.
Seen your machine's memory I even would increase it a bit to 6500MB and running 4 cores.
In your project preference I would set # CPUs to 4, so BOINC calculates the free needed memory correctly, before starting a new job.

Unfortunately 4 cores is not possible on this host. It is also my daily driver so I need some free cores and memory for various other applications running on it. Also I like to be able to run other LHC tasks as well, the two GPUs run tasks for Seti and Einstein and they require 2-3 CPU cores to feed the GPUs depending on the mix of tasks Boinc decides to run on GPUs.

I don't see any failed ATLAS tasks for that host so they have sailed thru successfully in spite of my foul up.
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Message boards : ATLAS application : Reporting memory usage to Boinc


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