PSA - DIMES is something everyone can run, no impact on other DC'ing

Anyone using the 1.0.1 client?

I've been having issues with it not being able to connect after a reboot. Then I reinstall the client and it starts working again (until the next reboot.) Windows 7 machine.
 
I don't use it. I'm still using the old client because it seems to work much much better. And according to some, the old one scores better.
 
I have now installed DIMES on all 5 of my crunchers. However, I ran into an issue when I tried to input the team name when I installed the agent: the installer would just freeze and not continue past that point. The same thing occurred on all 5 machines. My stats are being reported on Free-DC, but I have no team listed. The DIMES user controls are currently disabled on the site, so I am guessing they are having issues currently. Anyway, I have already generated about 25K "points" and will add these (and probably lots more) to the [H]ard|OCP team as soon as the DIMES site is working again.
 
Which version are you using of the client? I had added about 20 or so VM's last weekend, and they installed just fine. Looking back, the stats issue has been going on with their site since July and is noted in their forums but has had no admin response.
 
It was the 1.0.1 version. All on Windows 8.1 x64.

Have you tried 0.5.5.4? I couldn't get 1.0.1 working right (as stated in my previous post), so I've switched.

The only problem I have with 0.5.5.4 is that it shows UDP as blocked, even when I turn off the Windows firewall and router firewall and tried about twenty other things I could think of. ICMP shows green so the measurements go through just fine.

It does look like 0.5.5.4 scores much better than 1.0.1. Like maybe 2X better... with the "Delay Between Measurements" on the lowest setting.
 
I use the 32bit version so I don't have to worry about installing 64bit JAVA. It is just simpler and I have gotten lazy with it. I also use the 0.5.5.3 and yes it will sometimes seem like it isn't working even though they still score. I couldn't tell you what kind of programmers they have, but they seem to move slow.
 
I use the 32bit version so I don't have to worry about installing 64bit JAVA. It is just simpler and I have gotten lazy with it. I also use the 0.5.5.3 and yes it will sometimes seem like it isn't working even though they still score. I couldn't tell you what kind of programmers they have, but they seem to move slow.

On 0.5.5.3 (32 bit), the lowest setting for "Delay Between Measurements (sec)" is 15. On 0.5.5.4 (64 bit), the lowest setting is 10. That makes me wonder if 0.5.5.4 doesn't score better.
 
I reported to Ido that the stats were messed up again. His reply via email:

Indeed.

The problem is in our web site.
We are in holiday season but I will try to fix it.

Thanks
Ido
 
Well... at this pace we are probably a little under a year away from the next position. So, I am shutting most of my VM's down to make my rigs more efficient elsewhere. Perhaps I will fire them up again in the future, but for now I will just stick to the one install per rig.

Intrigare, did you ever find out if the 64bit would score better at that setting?
 
I haven't done any more of a side-by-side comparison.

I'm having more issues with the client though. I keep having to reinstall it, like I did with 1.0.1. Although having no problems to speak of with the latest FAH client.

I may be on the verge of putting together a desktop with extra memory for VM's for DIMES and a GTX970 for folding. This Ultrabook's just about had it :D lol
 
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I finally got around to tinkering with DIMES (over a year past the OP).

So far I have found that documentation is a touch weak.

I am using the 0.5.5.4 x64 client on three different machines.
Win 7 x64
Win 8.1 x64
Win 10tp x64

I think I will try out a vista x64 machine later.

I have found one bigger issue about getting this setup. The Win 8.1 and 10tp firewalls block ICMP. Yes, I have told the firewall to allow, and yet, nothing happens. I have to disable the firewall on those 2 machines. The 7 x64 machine, I did not have to tinker with the firewall at all.

For those who know me, you know that I have folded for the last 10 years, and I probably will not be investing as much time in that as I previously have, however, I should be getting a GTX970 soon, and I will light it off for some burn in, overclocking and testing when it gets here.

John
 
This might have been documented in the last 15 pages, but I thought I'd post what I found.

It looks like windows firewall will block inbound ICMP even if you have given the program send and receive in windows firewall.

I followed the guide here on my windows 10 machine, and enabled firewall. ICMP traffic was not blocked anymore. I will have to go back and do the same on the other machines now.

(edit) Further info: This fixed the issue with my W10tp x64, W8.1 x64, and W7 x32 installs. Should this be added to the thread for installing the client?

John
 
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This might have been documented in the last 15 pages, but I thought I'd post what I found.

It looks like windows firewall will block inbound ICMP even if you have given the program send and receive in windows firewall.

I followed the guide here on my windows 10 machine, and enabled firewall. ICMP traffic was not blocked anymore. I will have to go back and do the same on the other machines now.

(edit) Further info: This fixed the issue with my W10tp x64, W8.1 x64, and W7 x32 installs. Should this be added to the thread for installing the client?

John

Done http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1041172630&postcount=6
 
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Gilthanis,

Link Brokey,

http://http://..........?

I did see you quoted my post in the instructions thead, cool, maybe as you fix the link, you could toss in my username.

I will have to look more at the ICMP blocking. I am sure that the DIMES agent ICMP rules are good, they are essentially the same as the rule that I created. The way I have it fixed opens inbound ICMP for everything, some people might concider that a risk. DIMES agent must be relying on inbound ICMP to some other program that is not gaining an inbound ICMP rule. I will keep digging, because if I can find this, we can be more secure. I am thinking javaw.exe possibly.

John
 
I now have no idea why my fix works. My rule is identical to the one entitled DIMES ICMP. Yet the DIMES ICMP rule does not allow inbound ICMP. The way it is written is the same as mine and would leave ICMP open for inbound for all traffic. I wonder if monkeysoft is to blame, all the machines that have the issue have windows defender/microsoft security essentials (with the exception of the w10tp box they also have other AV). Maybe wd/mse is doing something to block the DIMES rule, but cannot override the one I created.

John

For the record, you only have to open ICMPv4 and not ICMPv6.
 
Gilthanis,

Link Brokey,

http://http://..........?

I did see you quoted my post in the instructions thead, cool, maybe as you fix the link, you could toss in my username.

I will have to look more at the ICMP blocking. I am sure that the DIMES agent ICMP rules are good, they are essentially the same as the rule that I created. The way I have it fixed opens inbound ICMP for everything, some people might concider that a risk. DIMES agent must be relying on inbound ICMP to some other program that is not gaining an inbound ICMP rule. I will keep digging, because if I can find this, we can be more secure. I am thinking javaw.exe possibly.

John

Fixed. Not sure why using the tools from the forum that it isn't liking the links. So, this is one of many times I've had to manually edit the links.
 
I start participating, and the works breaks.

I think I am still processing work. I even think I am sending it.... some of the time, things seem backed up. Stats OTOH seem to do nothing.

Somebody kick the computerbox......
 
Their stats go down pretty regular. They always get them back up, but it is rather annoying.
 
Stats seems to be coming back online.

However, they ZEROED my points. What is going on? Who can I contact?

John
 
Give it a day to level out. If it doesn't fix itself, send me a PM and I will get you Ido's email. He is the one I typically contact.
 
I requested a forum account by emailing [email protected], and when I did I included a description of my issue. Though if I don't get anywhere by lunch tomorrow, I'll hit you up for that email.

John
 
I had some time to play with my setup yesterday, so here's an update:

  • I got my Ultrabook to stabilize, so decided to put the new desktop build on hold.

  • The problem I posted earlier with needing to reinstall the client after reboot was likely the result of powering off without a proper shutdown. This Ultrabook has no battery and loses power whenever someone touches the power adapter. That apparently breaks the DIMES client at least on Windows 7.

  • An Ultrabook with 4GB ram is quite capable of running at least 2 XP VMs with DIMES and still have enough resources left for FAH and multi-tab web browsing. I'm running VMware Player, 192MB memory and 2GB hd space allocated to each, bridged network setting. I tried the NAT setting but I think it prevented the DIMES client on the base install from receiving results. There is always disk write activity from both VMs. I suspect this is because each XP is constantly making changes to its pagefile.

  • I'm now running a total of 3 DIMES instances along with FAH on this Ultrabook. This is my first time ever running VMs :cool:

I will report here if I notice a scoring difference between 0.5.5.4 and 0.5.5.3
 
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My DIMES agent on my main machine died a while back and I didn't notice until today. Reinstalled over the top and will see how it goes, not sure what caused that.
 
I personally just had them set up to restart the computer (aka virtual machines). On my regular machines that were XP at that time, I would just let run until MS sent the monthly updates which of course did a monthly reboot anyways.

Now, I am mostly newer OS's on everything except the VM's which I have shut down. So, I really don't mess with it.
 
So, it looks like the servers have been down over a week now - hey Gil, want to kick the guy who kicks the servers? :D
 
I haven't had a reply from him in a while. They had some major issues going on a while back and I think they are still trying to fully recover from that. Their forums already has a posting about the stats, so I will spare him the nudge this time. ;)
 
Yep, stats servers are still down. Gilthanis, I see what you mean about stats being "unreliable." However, they people running this project seem to be even more uninterested in their doners than Stanford. They have not responded to my email. Nor have they responded to any comment in their forum. I am really at a loss, as any communication I have tried to have with them has gone ignored.

John
 
Yeah... the responses from them lately has gone down the toilet. I'm wondering if they are simply too busy or if they are at a point of moving on. I will shoot Ido another email and see if I can get anything...
 
Yeah this is no fun without stats.

Browsing through their forum, it looks like something similar happened 2 years ago. Stats were down for over 3 months without any communication from admin and people were thinking the project was dead. Then one of the admins came on and posted "Opps, sorry about that, should have posted a message: The DIMES project is NOT dead."

http://www.netdimes.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6983

No fun. :(
 
GodsNotDead2014BD.jpg
 
Well....at least I hit the 100 million measurements milestone before the stats went down....

That put me in the top 20 for the entire project.
 
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