LHC@home

I've got a server dedicated to BOINC, it's got several projects configured but LHC is the only one giving work at the moment. I see one job running using 8 cores (of 24). When I look in task manger my CPU usage is 0%. It's showing 10GB of ram used, but looking at the list of what's using ram the largest item is 400Mb and the 2nd largest is 62mb. All in I'd say 1gb of ram is accounted for in the list of applications. I also noticed when the job finished the used ram% plummets, even though the list of applications looks exactly the same. Most of the jobs this machine does validate successfully so I feel like the work is getting done.

Is this just an artifact of virtual box?

Yes. Windows task manager is unable to show used RAM for VirtualBox tasks. But it can show the total used memory. To view the tasks used memory, you have to view it from inside the VirtualBox terminals (TOP window Alt+F3). For this you need to install VirtualBox Extension Pack (the same version as your VirtualBox). See more information from Yeti's Atlas checklist here: https://lhcathome.cern.ch/lhcathome/forum_thread.php?id=4161#29359

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The time difference is atm very short to finish waiting Atlas-Tasks (Two or three days).
When the result is needed, the Agile Boincers are Computer from Cern-IT and
they success this tasks and your are canceled.
This is better, before they running a second or third time.

Thank you for the feed back. Does the visibility issue apply to processor usage as well?

Is there something that prevents BOINC from running two jobs at the same time? It's got enough cores to run two at once, but only ever runs 1.

You have to work through Yeti's Checklist in the Atlas-Folder, if you want and
to use a app_config.xml.
In this folder are a lot of news to do it the right way.

The limiting factor usually is the amount of memory available to Boinc. An Atlas task using 8 cores needs 10200 MB of memory (3000 + ncores * 900 MB).

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Harri Liljeroos wrote:

To view the tasks used memory, you have to view it from inside the VirtualBox terminals (TOP window Alt+F3).

Right. This would be the most accurate method.

Harri Liljeroos wrote:

For this you need to install VirtualBox Extension Pack ...

Not necessarily.

Before you try the method below make yourself familiar with the "host key" explained here:
https://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch01.html#keyb_mouse_normal


Open the VirtualBox Manager, select the VM you want to look into and click on the "show" icon.
When you close the view window ensure to keep the VM running in the background.

When you close the view window ensure to keep the VM running in the background.

.... or use in the showed VM-console from the menu 'Machine' the option Detach GUI

The limiting factor usually is the amount of memory available to Boinc. An Atlas task using 8 cores needs 10200 MB of memory (3000 + ncores * 900 MB).

That'll do it, the server in question only has 16GB (I've got another 16 coming in the mail).

I'm not worried about seeing the actual ram usage, the behavior was just odd and was interested in an explanation.

I don't think any one addressed my follow up question, does this visibility limitation apply to CPU usage as well?

I don't think any one addressed my follow up question, does this visibility limitation apply to CPU usage as well?

When you let one Atlas-Task running with 10GByte RAM, it's ok.
Otherwhise, you have to find a way with app_config.xml, to optimize how many Atlas-Task with how many RAM and Cores.

When you let one Atlas-Task running with 10GByte RAM, it's ok.
Otherwhise, you have to find a way with app_config.xml, to optimize how many Atlas-Task with how many RAM and Cores.

This does not clearly answer my question. Does the windows task manage under report CPU usage due to the VM, similar to the RAM usage under report?

The reporting of data in windows is due to how virtualization works in windows.

For the CPU, its actually one of the VBoxHeadless.exe processes.

For the ram you can see it in a tool from Sysinternals called VMMap, its sort of hidden since the virtualbox driver allocates so its allocated to the driver not to the process like it would be normally.

Thanks for the info.