LHC@home

<app_config>
  <app>
    <name>Theory</name>
    <max_concurrent>3</project_max_concurrent>
  </app>
  <app_version>
    <app_name>Theory</app_name>
    <plan_class>vbox64_mt_mcore</plan_class>
    <avg_ncpus>1.0</avg_ncpus>
    <cmdline>--nthreads 1</cmdline>
  </app_version>
  <!--<project_max_concurrent>16</project_max_concurrent>-->
</app_config>

@Luiigi_R
I ran your logging script but didn't check its output until the task finished. It seems we have top configured differently. The 9th field in the output from my top is either S, Z, I or R, not %CPU. I should have changed the "awk '{print $9}' " to "awk '{print $10}' ". Oh well.

• (nothing)
  
• "VBoxHe+"
  
• "VBoxHea+"
  
• "VBoxHead+"
  
• "VBoxHeadl+"
  
• "VBoxHeadle+"
  
• "VBoxHeadless"
  

I can't explain why sometimes "awk '{print $9}'" works too.

@Luiigi_R
I ran your logging script but didn't check its output until the task finished. It seems we have top configured differently. The 9th field in the output from my top is either S, Z, I or R, not %CPU. I should have changed the "awk '{print $9}' " to "awk '{print $10}' ". Oh well.

@ Luigi R
Interesting bash script and graph from you.
Your troubles may be just a Linux thing. I have https://lhcathome.cern.ch/lhcathome/show_host_detail.php?hostid=10557960 on Linux (Ubuntu) on which I can test an 8 core Theory. It's showing only 6 cores now because I have HT turned off for an experiment on how HT affects performance on ATLAS native tasks. When current tasks complete I'll set it up for an 8 core Theory and we'll see what the graph from my host looks like.

It's not what I'm looking for. I don't want 8 tasks, I want only 1 tasks that uses 8 cores!
...

...
Maybe only physical cores are counted (4 in my case). Have to be confirmed by someone with more physical cores.
Anyway, the most efficient way to run Theory when you have enough RAM (you have) is the single core VM.

LANG=C
counter=1
while true; do echo "$counter "$( top -n 1 | grep VBoxHeadless | awk '{print $9}' ) >> lhc.txt; counter=$((counter+1)); sleep 1; done

void apriTxt() {

	ca = new TCanvas( "canvas1", "Grafico", 800, 600);
	ca->SetFillColor( 0 );
	ca->SetGrid();
	ca->GetFrame()->SetFillColor( 21 );
	ca->GetFrame()->SetBorderSize( 12 );
	TGraph *tg = new TGraph( "$ROOTSYS/macros/lhc.txt" );
	tg->SetTitle( "" );
	tg->GetXaxis()->SetTitle( "Time (s)" );
	tg->GetXaxis()->SetLabelSize( 0.030 );
	tg->GetYaxis()->SetTitle( "CPU (%)" );
	tg->GetYaxis()->SetLabelSize( 0.030 );
	tg->SetLineStyle( 0 );
	tg->SetEditable( kFALSE );
	tg->SetMarkerStyle( 8 );
	tg->SetMarkerColor( kBlue );
	tg->SetMarkerSize( 0.7 );
	tg->Draw( "AP" );
}

It can use all cores but it will not do it automatically. You need to have sufficient RAM and also have some options configured properly.
Unforunately your computers are hidden so it is difficult to determine what you are doing wrong. Expose your computers to make it easier for others to help you.

Set your preferences to run 8 - 2-core tasks

https://i80.servimg.com/u/f80/19/36/49/57/lhc_pr10.png

And you will be running all 16 cores to run those 8 tasks and you have enough ram for Theory tasks.

2017-06-06 17:30:38 (3863): Starting VM. (boinc_8769000619169c94, slot#0)
2017-06-06 17:30:39 (3863): Successfully started VM. (PID = '3980')
2017-06-06 17:30:39 (3863): Reporting VM Process ID to BOINC.
2017-06-06 17:30:39 (3863): VM state change detected. (old = 'poweroff', new = 'running')
2017-06-06 17:30:39 (3863): Detected: Web Application Enabled (http://localhost:48223)
2017-06-06 17:30:39 (3863): Detected: Remote Desktop Enabled (localhost:60736)
2017-06-06 17:30:39 (3863): Status Report: Job Duration: '64800.000000'
2017-06-06 17:30:39 (3863): Status Report: Elapsed Time: '61742.436630'
2017-06-06 17:30:39 (3863): Status Report: CPU Time: '41911.440000'
2017-06-06 17:30:39 (3863): Preference change detected
2017-06-06 17:30:39 (3863): Setting CPU throttle for VM. (100%)
2017-06-06 17:30:39 (3863): Setting network throttle for VM. (30KB)
2017-06-06 17:30:39 (3863): Setting checkpoint interval to 600 seconds. (Higher value of (Preference: 300 seconds) or (Vbox_job.xml: 600 seconds))
2017-06-06 18:00:21 (3863): VM Heartbeat file specified, but missing heartbeat.
2017-06-06 18:00:21 (3863): Capturing screenshot.
2017-06-06 18:00:23 (3863): Screenshot completed.
2017-06-06 18:00:23 (3863): Powering off VM.
2017-06-06 18:00:23 (3863): Successfully stopped VM.
2017-06-06 18:00:23 (3863): Deregistering VM. (boinc_8769000619169c94, slot#0)
2017-06-06 18:00:23 (3863): Removing network bandwidth throttle group from VM.
2017-06-06 18:00:23 (3863): Removing storage controller(s) from VM.
2017-06-06 18:00:23 (3863): Removing VM from VirtualBox.
2017-06-06 18:00:23 (3863): Removing virtual disk drive from VirtualBox.
2017-06-06 18:00:28 (3863): Failed to open screenshot image file. (project_preferen)

Probably cause the credits per application is introduced years after the project started.