Preferences - "On multiprocessors, use at most x processors" is not working as expected with "On multiprocessors, use at most x% of the processors"

[JacobKlein]

I have tried to get the setting "On multiprocessors, use at most x processors" to actually do something, but I can't figure it out.

I'm thinking that the new setting "On multiprocessors, use at most x% of the processors" is being used by BOINC.

If that is true, then the first setting should be entirely removed from the Web Computing Preferences, to prevent further confusion.

[davea]

I fixed "use at most X processors"; this was a bug in the client. Will appear in 6.14, and possibly in the next 6.12.

[Ageless]

Replying to JacobKlein:

I have tried to get the setting "On multiprocessors, use at most x processors" to actually do something, but I can't figure it out.

On web-preferences this is the old option for Pre-BOINC 6 clients, which are still used by various people on hardware and OSes that cannot use BOINC 6 at this time (think e.g. Domain Controllers).

Perhaps that "On multiprocessors, use at most X processors." needs the addition "Used by BOINC 4 and 5 only." as it seems it's still a difficult preference (​referencing an Einstein thread showing this difficulty).

Or just about everybody misses the "Enforced by version 6.1+" on the next preference.

[JacobKlein]

I'm confused. Is "use at most X processors" still a supported preference in current versions?

If it is supported in current versions, does it just work in tandem with "use a most X% processors" to find the maximum # of processors that satisfies both preferences?

If it is not supported in current versions, could the preferences page have that note, to say "Used by BOINC versions x only"?

[davea]

"Use at most X procs" is still supported. A bug in the client kept it from working.

[JacobKlein]

This still is not working the way I expected, using 6.12.26.

The way I would expect it to work would be to use the maximum number of processors that still meets both of the 2 limiting preferences.  Currently, the 2 preferences are still not working together to limit together, as can be seen in the 4th scenario below.

Also, currently, the Web can say "100%" when it really should say "---%", and the Manager can say "0%" when it really should say "100%".

Here are some useful scenarios (on a Win7 x64 6.12.26 machine that sees 8 processors), with expected outcomes, and Results:

Web Input: Use 0 processors, Use 0% processors
Expected: Web should say "--- processors" and "---% processors", Manager should say "100% processors", and client should use all processors
Results: Web looks good, Manager says 0% but should say 100%, client used correct # processors

Web Input: Use 3 processors, Use 100% processors
Expected: Web should say "3 processors" and "---% processors", Manager should say "100% processors", and client should use 3 processors
Results: Web says 100% but should say ---%, Manager says 0% but should say 100%, client used correct # processors

Web Input: Use 0 processors, Use 50% processors
Expected: Web should say "--- processors" and "50% processors", Manager should say "50% processors", and client should use 4 processors
Results: Web looks good, Manager looks good, client used correct # processors

Web Input: Use 3 processors, Use 50% processors
Expected: Web should say "3 processors" and "50% processors", Manager should say "50% processors", and client should use 3 processors
Results: Web looks good, Manager looks good, but client used 4 processors instead of 3.

Finally, why doesn't the Manager have UI to indicate the maximum # of processors?  It seems like, if this is a supported setting, the Advanced Preferences should at least show the setting, right? Showing the preference may spin off into a new ticket.  This current ticket is for getting the functionality correct.