Have memory requirements for tasks increased?

Message boards : Number crunching : Have memory requirements for tasks increased?
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ataraxy

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Message 1123 - Posted: 1 Sep 2021, 9:56:13 UTC
Last modified: 1 Sep 2021, 9:57:01 UTC

I just noticed that a task https://www.sidock.si/sidock/result.php?resultid=15768790 wouldn't start on my Raspberry Pi. Looking around, it looks like this happens when the computer doesn't have enough memory to run the task.

Have the memory requirements changed? Tasks have run okay until now.

Since it doesn't look like it's going to run, I've aborted this task.
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sam6861

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Message 1124 - Posted: 1 Sep 2021, 15:14:19 UTC - in response to Message 1123.  

Whats your memory limit set at? Some tasks may not start if BOINC client global memory settings is set to as low as 10% and/or low overall memory.

BOINC GUI, can look at options, disk and memory, memory, when computer in use 100%. when computer not in use 100%.

Can change memory limit, also possible to set max memory usage to 200% in config file (not GUI).
/var/lib/boinc/global_prefs_override.xml
<global_preferences>
<ram_max_used_busy_pct>200.000000</ram_max_used_busy_pct>
<ram_max_used_idle_pct>200.000000</ram_max_used_idle_pct>
</global_preferences>
boinccmd --read_global_prefs_override

This 200% max memory used can make BOINC start tasks past the system RAM size and the system Linux kernel can fall back to using any enabled swap when low on memory. Note: low memory with no swap can run out of memory and can cause computation errors. Works great to get Rosetta at home to run 2 tasks at the same time on a limited 2GB memory with a fast Samsung Evo 860 SSD.

2 CmDock tasks, custom compiled for 32 bit is just 198 MiB total memory used based on a Linux free command, on my Intel atom N270 2GB RAM Linux 32 bit. 2 Rosetta at home tasks have pushed total memory used to 1800 MiB.
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ataraxy

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Message 1125 - Posted: 1 Sep 2021, 16:35:07 UTC

The memory limit is set to 90%, and the Raspberry Pi has 1 GB RAM. I tried increasing the limit to 95%, and that made no difference.

But all that is relatively irrelevant, since tasks have run in the past, i.e. those settings have worked.

Therefore, it appears that something has changed. Hopefully, we'll be able to figure that out.
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Profile Vato
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Message 1128 - Posted: 2 Sep 2021, 9:14:56 UTC - in response to Message 1125.  

I have seen the same thing on RPi and Odroid - was working fine, but no new tasks recently.
I guess the new target WUs are set to higher resource requirements?
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sam6861

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Message 1130 - Posted: 3 Sep 2021, 9:59:43 UTC - in response to Message 1128.  

Got enough free space?

My slow Intel Atom N270 2GB RAM have huge amount of free space, 437 GB free on 500 GB SSD. Continues to receive tasks just fine.

I did look at the server specified limits in client_state.xml, shows:
<rsc_memory_bound>500000000</rsc_memory_bound>
<rsc_disk_bound>1000000000</rsc_disk_bound>
Requires 1000 MB free storage space? On my computer, Sidock project use 55.61 MB storage space. Perhaps maybe some server admins could drop the rsc_disk_bound down to 100000000 (100 MB, 1 less zero)[/code]
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hoarfrost
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Message 1132 - Posted: 3 Sep 2021, 12:59:17 UTC

Hello folks!

We changed values of rsc_memory_bound and rsc_disk_bound to 128 Mb. Workunits with new limits will be generated after several hours.
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Message 1134 - Posted: 4 Sep 2021, 10:25:54 UTC

Thanks sam6861 and hoarfrost!
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Message boards : Number crunching : Have memory requirements for tasks increased?

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