GPU stopped due to quad core task

I have Einstein running on my GPU. This uses "1 CPU + 1 AMD GPU".
I also have Milkyway running on my quad core CPU. Often I get nbody tasks which are quad core. They use "4C".
When both of these try to run at once, they don't. The GPU is stopped and does nothing, sitting there idle. I'd much prefer the GPU ran and stole some CPU cycles from the 4C task.

I thought about adjusting the Einstein tasks to say they only needed say 0.9C, but that would screw up in another situation. When Asteroids (4 of 1 core tasks) is running, and Einstein runs, it takes 1 of the 4 Asteroid tasks off, so there's a core free to assist the GPU Einstein task. I want that to still happen.

Is there a way I can tell Milkyway never to give me more than 3-core tasks?

https://boinc.berkeley.edu/wiki/Client_configuration

You should be able to do this in your app_config.xml file:

<app_config>
<app>
<name>Application_Name</name>
<max_concurrent>1</max_concurrent>
<gpu_versions>
<gpu_usage>.5</gpu_usage>
<cpu_usage>.4</cpu_usage>
</gpu_versions>
</app>
<app_version>
<app_name>Application_Name</app_name>
<avg_ncpus>x</avg_ncpus>
</app_version>
</app_config>[/code]


From the link above:

avg_ncpus - the number of CPU instances (possibly fractional) used by the app version.

So I would think once you figure out the app running you can set this to 3 and it would prevent a 4 thread WU.

How do I know what the name of the app running is? I have a feeling what's written below under "application" is a longer version of what I need to put in the config file? This is the properties of one I have at the moment:


Computer: Red
Project Milkyway@Home

Name de_nbody_4_19_2018_v168_20k__data_2_1524574502_38822_2

Application MilkyWay@Home N-Body Simulation 1.68 (mt)
Workunit name de_nbody_4_19_2018_v168_20k__data_2_1524574502_38822
State Ready to start
Received Sat 28/04/2018 5:18:13 pm
Report deadline Thu 10/05/2018 5:18:14 pm
Estimated app speed 0.89 GFLOPs/sec
Estimated task size 2,640 GFLOPs
Resources 4 CPUs
CPU time at last checkpoint 00:00:00
CPU time 00:00:00
Elapsed time 00:00:00
Estimated time remaining 00:49:14
Fraction done 0.000%
Virtual memory size 0.00 MB
Working set size 0.00 MB

That a good question....I can barely figure that out myself. :) I'd start with that name, do a Options -> Read Config Files and see what happens. If its wrong you will see a notice pop up and say something like "Invalid application name in config".

It didn't like that. I truncated it a few times all the way down to "MilkyWay@Home N-Body" and it still refused to listen to me. There must be some instructions on how to use this config file somewhere.

The BOINC website says to look in the event log for "Starting task X using Y", where Y is the name of the application. But my event log doesn't have the using Y part.

Highlight a task in your task list and hit properties. Try the name in there.

That just gives me the long name, like I quoted earlier. I think I found it in another forum, the correct name is apparently milkyway_nbody - not that I can get that name from anything on my computer!

However I put that in as you suggested, using the below config file, and it read it and said it was ok, but I just downloaded more 4C tasks! It's ignored me!

Just noticed if I put in a wrong name, it does help me out - the error message in the log says "known applications are", then lists them. Still, it's ignoring me. And I tried asking for a 2 core limit aswell, incase they don't have 3 core work, still no success!

<app_config>
<app>
<name>milkyway_nbody</name>
<max_concurrent>1</max_concurrent>
</app>
<app_version>
<app_name>milkyway_nbody</app_name>
<avg_ncpus>3</avg_ncpus>
</app_version>
</app_config>[/code]

I've decided to be a little more brutal and banned that particular machine from running the nbody tasks. I put it in the "home" category, and left the other machines (which don't have graphics cards) not in any category. I then turned nbody off for the home category.

Ah, it's happened again and I think I was wrong to blame the 4 core Milkyway nbody. This time I have 4 1-core Milkyway modfits running on my quad core CPU, and nothing on the GPU, with only Einstein 1GPU+1CPU tasks queued. The reason being the modfits are on high priority as they're the second choice for the processor and were downloaded when Asteroids had no work left. I guess Boinc is making the most sensible choice after all, I think it always fills all cores and GPUs whenever possible, but if something has little deadline left, that has to come first.