2 Socket SMP load in Lunux

[stonedwaldo420]

Thanks to the help I received in this forum, I now have the SMP client running on 2 Linux servers.

Each is a 2 socket dual core system (total of 4 cores). One is running RH5 and the other is running Ubuntu.

On my windows desktop, SMP FAH maxes out all 4 cores at 100%. On both linux machines though one core is at ~100%, the second is at ~50%, the third is at ~35% and the fourth is at ~25% (based on output from the system monitor graphs in the GUI). TOP agrees with this and reports that about 40% of CPU cycles are idle. Top also shows that 4 instances of folding are running, so I am sure SMP is enabled.

Is this normal behavior for a 2 socket linux system?

 

[tkam]

Yes the current smp linux core FahCore_a1 is not optimized terribly well for 4 cores. You'll likely get a higher ppd by running two instances of the smp client.

 

[stonedwaldo420]

since i have 16GB of RAM, would i be better off just running 4 seperate instances of non-smp FAH?

 

[capreppy]

What I've done in the past is run the SMP client and a console client to take up the spare CPU cycles. The console is set up for idle cycle and the SMP for ??? (whatever isn't idle, having a brain fart).

 

[stonedwaldo420]

sweetness. I left the original SMP running and fired up one single core instance. Processor loads look much nicer (~85% instead of ~60%)

I left the priority for both at default, so i could probably get a little better perofmance if i tweeked that, but i am happy with this.

Also, what code did you use to put your Folding points badge in your sig? I couldn't get the sig to accept HTML... but i am an idiot when it comes to that stuff (I do hardware and try not to touch code...even if it is only HTML/Javascript)

 

[capreppy]

Check this thread: The Official Test Your Badge Thread for instructions.

It's pretty straightforward. Took me only a couple of minutes.

 

[APOLLO]

You might be better off production-wise running two SMP clients. I had two SMP clients running on my dual dual-core Opteron (4 cores) and that was the best setup until GPU2 came along. If you insist running a single console client, configure it to receive the bonus WUs so that you'll get higher PPD.

 

[stonedwaldo420]

You know, i might consider running 2 SMP clients on my 4 core, 2 socket system. That might get the loads pretty close to 100%.

I am running 2 SMP clients on my 8 core boxes as well.
Should i maybe be running 3? Loads are nowhere near 100% on those systems.

 

[Pocatello]

Also, what code did you use to put your Folding points badge in your sig?

You cannot.

The badge is actually not part of the sig.

You have to manually hit a key when you are done with the post... and the badge magically appears. But it is not part of the sig.

 

[relic]

Stonedwaldo420 (hehe nice handle)

run 2 SMP clients per 4 cores for best production.

 

[lelliott731]

Stonedwaldo420, I have 2 boxes that have Dual Quad Core Xeon's in each of them. I have a VM instance for each set of 2 cores, and then another VM instance running on the 2nd core of each of those, and I get on average about 95% CPU usage in Windows.

Only weird thing I've seen so far is that one of my systems gets about 300PPD more per VM then the other, yet it has the same configuration. Still haven't been able to figure that out

 

[APOLLO]

Stonedwaldo420, I have 2 boxes that have Dual Quad Core Xeon's in each of them. I have a VM instance for each set of 2 cores, and then another VM instance running on the 2nd core of each of those, and I get on average about 95% CPU usage in Windows.

Just to be sure, how many VMs is that in total?

Only weird thing I've seen so far is that one of my systems gets about 300PPD more per VM then the other, yet it has the same configuration. Still haven't been able to figure that out

Check the BIOS settings. You will want to turn on the snoop filter if there's a setting for that. Also something to check is if all the proper cache settings are set and disable anything related to error checking (unless it's required). There are a lot of settings and some of them make a significant impact.