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Windows Diskless Folding!!!

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ghettocomp

ghettocomp

Master of teh Ghetto Mods
​
Joined
Aug 22, 2004
Location
Choosing between two evils, I might pick the one I
Finally!! I have it figured out, Folding from windows and running each client headless, diskless, and...ta! Da! No video card required after setup!. Once the windows based controller has the client loaded, all you have to do is sit back and collect the points. With no video card and nothing else attached to the motherboard there is absolutely no loss of CPU cycles for the core.

I'll get pics (not many) later, because I have to clean up the mess I made setting this up, first. Then I need to get some prints of the logs, mostly for myself, because this setup is just chewing up the Gromacs faster than anything I have seen before!

Just had to post this little bit of excitement. It is controlled, loaded and backed up through Windows. Now to get something else to load and work with it. I could be really really happy clustering windows machines like this.
 
First a small piece of the log:
[22:38:05]
[22:38:05] Assembly optimizations on if available.
[22:38:05] Entering M.D.
[22:38:11] Protein: p1707_TZ2_unf_g3405
[22:38:11]
[22:38:11] Writing local files
[22:39:49] Extra SSE boost OK.
[22:39:49] Writing local files
[22:39:49] Completed 0 out of 500000 steps (0)
[22:47:49] Writing local files
[22:47:49] Completed 5000 out of 500000 steps (1)
[22:55:50] Writing local files
[22:55:50] Completed 10000 out of 500000 steps (2)
[23:03:49] Writing local files
[23:03:49] Completed 15000 out of 500000 steps (3)
[23:11:49] Writing local files
[23:11:49] Completed 20000 out of 500000 steps (4)
[23:19:50] Writing local files
[23:19:50] Completed 25000 out of 500000 steps (5)
[23:27:52] Writing local files
[23:27:52] Completed 30000 out of 500000 steps (6)
Click to expand...
and another one from second board I just fired up
this one runs slower, but is still faster than I have
seen before:

[23:12:58]
[23:12:58] Assembly optimizations on if available.
[23:12:58] Entering M.D.
[23:13:04] Protein: p2079_Ab Initio Protein Random Structure
[23:13:04]
[23:13:04] Writing local files
[23:13:04] GB activated
[23:13:04] Extra SSE boost OK.
[23:13:04] Writing local files
[23:13:04] Completed 0 out of 20000000 steps (0)
[23:41:19] Writing local files
[23:41:19] Completed 200000 out of 20000000 steps (1)
Click to expand...
I don't know how fast this particular protein is supposed to run,
but for Gromacs, this is fast. I have never had one running at
less than 20-30 minutes per step. But seems the clients have
pure processing available now, and I just still cant get over this!.

Oh well, I am excited for ME :D:D
 
Last edited:
p2079 isn't a Gromac it's a GBGromac. GBGromacs run faster than Gromacs on AMD machines.
 
This one said it was a Gromacs, Ill go with that, still faster
on this machine than my main rig, (a faster Sempron as well) :)
[22:38:05]
[22:38:05] *------------------------------*
[22:38:05] Folding@Home Gromacs Core
[22:38:05] Version 1.86 (August 28, 2005)
[22:38:05]
[22:38:05] Preparing to commence simulation
[22:38:05] - Assembly optimizations manually forced on.
[22:38:05] - Not checking prior termination.
[22:38:05] - Expanded 266930 -> 1341233 (decompressed 502.4 percent)
[22:38:05] - Starting from initial work packet
[22:38:05]
[22:38:05] Project: 1707 (Run 15, Clone 16, Gen 20)
[22:38:05]
[22:38:05] Assembly optimizations on if available.
[22:38:05] Entering M.D.
[22:38:11] Protein: p1707_TZ2_unf_g3405
[22:38:11]
[22:38:11] Writing local files
[22:39:49] Extra SSE boost OK.
[22:39:49] Writing local files
[22:39:49] Completed 0 out of 500000 steps (0)
[22:47:49] Writing local files
[22:47:49] Completed 5000 out of 500000 steps (1)
[22:55:50] Writing local files
[22:55:50] Completed 10000 out of 500000 steps (2)
[23:03:49] Writing local files
[23:03:49] Completed 15000 out of 500000 steps (3)
[23:11:49] Writing local files
[23:11:49] Completed 20000 out of 500000 steps (4)
[23:19:50] Writing local files
[23:19:50] Completed 25000 out of 500000 steps (5)
[23:27:52] Writing local files
[23:27:52] Completed 30000 out of 500000 steps (6)
[23:35:53] Writing local files
[23:35:53] Completed 35000 out of 500000 steps (7)
[23:43:54] Writing local files
[23:43:54] Completed 40000 out of 500000 steps (8)
[23:51:54] Writing local files
[23:51:54] Completed 45000 out of 500000 steps (9)
[23:59:54] Writing local files
[23:59:54] Completed 50000 out of 500000 steps (10)
[00:07:54] Writing local files
[00:07:54] Completed 55000 out of 500000 steps (11)
[00:15:56] Writing local files
[00:15:56] Completed 60000 out of 500000 steps (12)
[00:23:57] Writing local files
[00:23:57] Completed 65000 out of 500000 steps (13)
Click to expand...
The GB Gromacs I have on another rig is slower by twice. :shrug:
still fast to me...
 
Well, I bought whatever was cheap at Frys Elextronics, I Got:
Sempron 2100, the First one to run with only power and network
cable attached, no hard drives, floppy, no CD, NO VIDEO! Yessssss!!!
and it sucked up a New Core and WU from stanford so fast that I almost
missed it. I think that without the extra video, each board can consume
around 20-30 watts less than before, thus opening a way to actually
run 2 or more motherboards with reasonably efficient power use from 1
PSU.
DCFC0004.JPG


This one is (*I Think*) A Celeron 2800, still attached to the video
until I can get the configurations complete. The motherboard on this
layer is really a PITA. To run PXE you have to have video & Keyboard
connected to select the PXE boot option. This might be the first mobo
that will get my experimental boot Thumb (flashdrive with a MBR) this
has been configured to act as a PXE Nic, and then can be used to
hold or transfer an OS if needed.
DCFC0005.JPG


This particular board is the Folding Server for the setup. It is a
P3-700, it was doing nothing, but now has a great new purpose.
I purposly left the video in place for trouble shooting, if needed.
all my computers are accessable and workable from the VNC hookups
that I had arranged. :D
DCFC0006.JPG


This third compy is a Sempron 3100+ boot options are fantastic!
runs right into PXE without any fooling around.
DCFC0007.JPG


These last pictures are a parting shot of the computer closet, just
before I close the door again for the night. :rolleyes: what a mess
in there.. fortunately it is all setup just for testing and configuration.
kind of like a hidden computer test bench. To the right is a Compaq
Server, it is only running a pair of P-Pro 200's but I might just convert
that unit to be the Folding server. I have Windows NT Server on
there and think it might be right for the job..

DCFC0008.JPG
 
Last edited:
I gotta fess up the details of how it is done. It is really really really easy :D
read all the info Here at this page
Since I do not use XP any longer, and absolutely prefer Windows 2K, Might even work with Windows 98 *cough*sucks**cough* with a little tweaking. I set it up on Windows 2K, but I might use NT Server, (Gotta get my $1500 out of that somehow). Another change I made is that I had forced my SmoothWall DHCP box to assign the IPs to every computer on the folding crew. A small amount of work, but It has been worth it. Sometime tonight I probably will have to dump a couple of WU's in the trash while I re-assign the IP's.
 
Last edited:
We have got to get the Modds to assign you the Rank of "Chief Ghetto Officer".
This closet "Rules" and "Owns". Wish I had closets :cry: :drool:

ghettocomp said:
someday I might clean it up. most of that stuff on the wall will be moved to the big box when the finish is dry.'
best part of that closet is I can lock it and nobody has any access. I do not even need to open the door except for a hard reboot
Click to expand...
"Whatever you do, lock it if you invite the Fire Marshall over for Speghetti"
 
I don't care what you say, that sure get's ghettocomp sure lives up to his name...


and I like that :thup:

nice work I didn't get a chance to read over your article yet, but looking forward to here soon...
 
1 question.

HOW DOES IT WORK WITHOUT VIDEO!?!?! In my experience, every mobo i've ever used and ever worked on will not boot without video present, whether it is onboard or something in the slot (whether the video works or not doesn't matter... it just had to have something there).

How do you get around that built-in check?
 
ghettocomp, I love it! The closet idea is superb...it's an artwork in-progress! I've wanted to do a PXE setup for the longest time, but don't have the network savvy to make it happen.

Anyway... :beer:
 
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