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corporate / academic borging idea

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drizzt81

[H]F Junkie
Joined
Jan 21, 2004
Messages
12,361
I was wondering if a lot of resistance from coproates/ academic environments i due to them being afraid of users complaining about their PCs being too slow. If that is the case, would it be possible to script the logon, so that it stops the client? The client service will run whenever nobody is logged on, which means that nobody can complain!
 
I always thought it had to do more with fear (due to ignorance) that F@H or any other DC-related project was some "virus" or something.... because anything that connects to the internet on it's own is a "virus", dontcha know


Keep on Folding!! For the [H]orde!!

 
What scheduled tasks are for. Assume could also add to login script to do a service stop.
 
Here's one explanation that works for some people:

<hit Ctrl-Alt-Del, T to bring up task manager> "You see this entry called System Idle Process? It only runs when the computer doesn't have anything to do. Notice how it's nearly always at 99? That's because most of the time, your processor has no work to do. I has to do something, so Windows has this System Idle Process. It basically twiddles the processor's thumbs until something else comes along. Folding@Home in effect just takes te place of System Idle Process. When there's nothing to do, the computer Folds instead of twiddling its thumbs. As soon as it gets something to do (loading a program, playing music, whatever), it hops up off its bum and gets to work."

As far as network traffic is concerned, just explain that any network traffic from F@H is only going to/from Stanford.

If you want it to be totally transparent to the user, I seem to remember marty coming up with a way to start it after x minutes of inactivity, and stop when the user comes back (all using scheduled tasks), similar to a screen saver. I think that method might actually be a good candidate for the FAQ...
 
^^ what he said...i have used that if great success in the past (it worked on me too :))
 
I know that the conversation is mainly aimed at the F@H client, but I felt the need to interject a UD related factoid. Sorry. ;)

With their client, you have the choice of running it only as a screensaver if you wish. So, anytime the desktop is up, it is not even an issue. When the screensaver kicks in, off to work it goes. That would seem like a pretty safe choice.

Of course security freaks as a whole still shudder in their boots with any DC client that communicates with the outside autonomously. If you can get by that one, then the concern about the processor utilization is a relative piece of cake.
 
I think most of the corp/academic concern about running something like F@H is not so much slowing machines down (though that is also a concern many have), its the fact that there is another peice of software installed that they dont fully understand what it does, and may be concerned about security risks it may carry with it. Also not being part of a standard software build, nor understanding any licensing concerns.

Every persons machine I've borged had a really hard time believing that what I was installing was to help find cures for diseases. Even showing and downloading from Stanfords page, they were still concerned it was some kind of spyware/malware/virus/trojan/backdoor doohickey that I was installing :rolleyes:
 
I'm actually in this position and have been for years.

The bulk of what deters corporate participation IMO, is attributable to three common factors:

1) IT directors are on the hook for almost everything that goes wrong beyond that point, for having made the commitment. It's not a matter of client slow downs. Users / employers are generally not technically savvy and will passively attribute any fault whether hardware or software, to the folding. These are usually the most ridiculous causal associations you've ever heard. Reasonable or not, they degrade confidence over time because it's difficult to quell ignorant fear with reasoning they don't understand.

2) The power (and network) consumption caused by possibly hundreds of clients. At a Very conservative $2.00/mo for each 24/7 client, that's a substantial recurring bill that bean-counters do not & will not endorse. There is no way to use folding and it's expenses as a tax write off. We queried the IRS a couple years ago on this, as I could have added some 210+ 2Ghz P4's had it been allowable. As is, I'm restricted to some 80 odd, the bulk of which are mine personally.

3) This one's gonna get me in trouble, but hey.... the truth is that most of the IT directors --> I've personally spoken with <-- regarding fah, have been flat cowards who simply won't jeopardize their comfy chair if there's not a bonus or promotion potential involved. They refulse to even ask. It's a "Never Go" if they have to fight to justify or quantify an unpopular idea with no direct benefit to the company. Admittedly, that is a tough gig which requires a backbone.

In many ways all of the above is understandable, but I naively expected more out of leadership roles.

What we need is the ability to write-off charitable contributions for the electricity and a fraction of certain hardware components at an established pro-rate.
 
All good points; the truth too, is many places have policies in effect that'd be conflicted with FAH -- here for example, we have to have a company-branded screen saver, so that rules that idea out. Even if I did change it, Group Policies would override it anyway. Just one point, but there's several more here.

It's just not feasable to run FAH in some workplaces.
 
Blitzrommel said:
All good points; the truth too, is many places have policies in effect that'd be conflicted with FAH -- here for example, we have to have a company-branded screen saver, so that rules that idea out. Even if I did change it, Group Policies would override it anyway. Just one point, but there's several more here.

It's just not feasable to run FAH in some workplaces.
Click to expand...
Console version has no screen saver.
 
roftranspo said:
he is talking about anderu idea
Click to expand...

Right. I was just stating that we all know the difficulties of borging work PCs, and I've never brought up the idea with anyone here... But I'm sure it'd be a waste of time. Hell it's not even our hardware. hehe
 
Blitzrommel said:
Hell it's not even our hardware. hehe
Click to expand...
thats supposed to be a good thing :)

27 out of 30 cpu's listed for me arent even mine
 
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