Posted on 10/04/2007 9:20:01 AM PDT by texas booster
The PandeGroup has all been very excited about the great turnout of FAH donors over the last few weeks, allowing FAH to go over a petaflop. The PS3's have been cranking out some very useful scientific results due to the new scientific software present in v1.2. The PS3's are so fast, we've been looking at the results sometimes 2x to 3x a day (instead of a couple times a month). If all goes well, we're hoping to write up these results soon (maybe a few weeks) for peer reviewed publication.
It's also interesting to think about what we want to do post-petaflop. One idea we have is to make the calculation even more accurate. With the methods we have in mind, this normally would slow us down quite a bit (say 10x slowdown), but on the PS3, it's likely that we may get a lot of that for free, as the memory access is the challenging part and in many ways with that now addressed, we may get more flops for free.
This really changes how we think of the economy of doing these calculations and is pushing us to more and more accurate models. One upshot for FAH is that this would drive the PS3's GFLOP rate (now typically 35 GFLOPS on a new GB WU) even higher, closer to the peak. Since the peak is something like 200 for the Cell, we still have a lot of room to possibly grow (although it's unclear how close one can get to the theoretical peak -- my guess is that 70 to 90 per PS3 may be the max for us). Nevertheless, even 70-90 would mean FAH would start getting close to 2 Petaflops!
-- Vijay Pande
Imagine if Ronald Reagan was strong for another 10 years in retirement and had been fully able to participate after his Presidency.
Imagine if YOUR loved one could think and remember and participate in the fullness of their life even into their 80s and 90s.
Imagine if YOU could have full use of a lifetime of learning to be fully cognizant of life, no matter how old.
Our Folding@home team is dedicated to this goal of research, and volunteers our computers and PS3s to collectively join over 240,000 other systems to make a difference!
Why does this matter? Because every computer and PS3 that has joined the fight to research Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease puts us that much closer to a CURE for these brain wasting diseases.
Imagine if Ronald Reagan was strong for another 10 years in retirement and had been fully able to participate after his Presidency.
Imagine if YOUR loved one could think and remember and participate in the fullness of their life even into their 80s and 90s.
Imagine if YOU could have full use of a lifetime of learning to be fully cognizant of life, no matter how old.
Our Folding@home team is dedicated to this goal of research, and volunteers our computers and PS3s to collectively join over 240,000 other systems to make a difference!
Why does this matter? Because every computer and PS3 that has joined the fight to research Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease puts us that much closer to a CURE for these brain wasting diseases.
Imagine if Ronald Reagan was strong for another 10 years in retirement and had been fully able to participate after his Presidency.
Imagine if YOUR loved one could think and remember and participate in the fullness of their life even into their 80s and 90s.
Imagine if YOU could have full use of a lifetime of learning to be fully cognizant of life, no matter how old.
Our Folding@home team is dedicated to this goal of research, and volunteers our computers and PS3s to collectively join over 240,000 other systems to make a difference!
How does it work?: You download a safe, tested program (see link below) that is certified by Stanford University. It gets work from Stanford, runs calculations using your spare computer power, and sends the results back to the University.
Is it safe? Yes! Folding@Home rarely effects computer performance in any way and won't compromise your privacy in any way. It only uses the computing power you aren't using so it doesn't slow down other programs.
How do I get started folding for Team FreeRepublic?:
1.) Download the folding program from Stanford University's folding download page (Folding@home Client Download). Type in your desired user-name.
2.) Type in 36120 for the team number. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT - if you get the number wrong, you won't be folding for team FreeRepublic!
3.) The third question asks, "Launch automatically at machine startup, installing this as a service?" - We recommend you answer YES. Otherwise you will have to manually start the program after every reboot.
How can my computer help? Even if they were given exclusive access to all of the world's supercomputers, Stanford still wouldn't have as much processing power as they get from the supercluster of people's desktop systems Folding@home relies on. Modern supercomputers are essentially a cluster of hundreds of processors linked by fast networking. But Stanford needed the power of hundreds of thousands of processors, not just hundreds.
There's no reason to not get involved! It's free, easy, and you can know you're helping every minute without lifting a finger.
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List of Relevant Folding Links
Why Fold - Watch This !!
Extreme Overclockers Stats for FreeRepublic
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Competition (Not!!) Dummies ..Daily Kos
Dummie Folding Threads #7 #8 #9#10#11 #12
Hey DUmmies, can't ya'll post a new thread at least once a year?
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How much are those work units worth? And what are they?
All Projects Listed
Point Summary for Workunits
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Past FreeRepublic Folding threads
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My F@H is running under VMware in Windows XP
on a one engine of a 4 engine Mac Pro running OS X
F@H considers the kernals that we download a beta programs. They have arbitrarily set a limit on the newer cores as a two month beta. That means we need to reinstall F@H every few months on some systems.
Oct 1st introduced a new SMP beta. Please reload if you are using SMP. You know who you are!
The PS3 beta changes in early September. If you have not reloaded the F@H core yet, DO SO NOW! You will see nearly 25% more folding due to a reworked core. It is this the speed boost that shot F@H over a petaFLOP, and it can be yours for a quick download.
The GPU kernals were reinstalled in August. By now most folks have already switched to the new core. We will keep an eye out for you since the new beta in November may be a significant boost in performance. beta 6 is current.
For those running Windows console or GUI (you can right click on the red flower in your system tray and see the molecule being folded) stay tuned. The first beta for F@H v6 has just been posted and should be tested by the end of October.
If you want to be a F@H v6 beta 1 guinea pig then follow this link to get the appropriate folding client:
http://www.stanford.edu/group/pandegroup/folding/download.html
When you finish this work unit consider trying out the Mac SMP client. Double points on a really fast system like yours.
With the intro of SMP v6 betas, look into it. I think that josephw is running such a creature, and he is consistently in the Top 5 of FReeper folders.
Here are a couple of notes on the SMP client under OSX:
The PS3's are so fast, we've been looking at the results sometimes 2x to 3x a day (instead of a couple times a month). If all goes well, we're hoping to write up these results soon (maybe a few weeks) for peer reviewed publication. It's also interesting to think about what we want to do post-petaflop. One idea we have is to make the calculation even more accurate. With the methods we have in mind, this normally would slow us down quite a bit (say 10x slowdown), but on the PS3, it's likely that we may get a lot of that for free, as the memory access is the challenging part and in many ways with that now addressed, we may get more flops for free. This really changes how we think of the economy of doing these calculations and is pushing us to more and more accurate models. One upshot for FAH is that this would drive the PS3's GFLOP rate (now typically 35 GFLOPS on a new GB WU) even higher, closer to the peak. Since the peak is something like 200 for the Cell, we still have a lot of room to possibly grow (although it's unclear how close one can get to the theoretical peak -- my guess is that 70 to 90 per PS3 may be the max for us). Nevertheless, even 70-90 would mean FAH would start getting close to 2 Petaflops!
BTTT
9.4922239E-4
8.507923E-4
3.1400966E-3
1.6774614E-3
.05947441217
.02480551886
5.1247504E-3
When you finish this work unit consider trying out the Mac SMP client. Double points on a really fast system like yours.
Do they run as "NICE" ? Thanks It seems like there are four FAH running; one in each core.
One click, Tex :)
For our next lesson on the TI 83, SunkenCiv presents ...
Your points show that a work unit is completed about every 48 hours, and occasionally multiple units in the same day.
I would want the opinion of a Mac guru before I gave additional advice. It does seem to me that running OSX code natively on a dual chip system would be more efficient.
I started only one FAH.My machine has two dual cores i.e. a 4 core machine each at 2.66 Ghz
One core is running at about 80 %
the other three are running at 55 - 60 % each
And while we’re on that subject, why isn’t my F@H TI-83 contribution on the scoreboard? ;’)
Tough to do with only one color on the calculator ...
Oh, sure, play the color card. ;’)
You are not running SMP, but still getting a lot of life out of the Mac.
One of the last work units you submitted was for project p3711. here is a bit of detail on what the system was working on.
"The p3600 and p3700 series projects aim to study the folding free energy landscapes of RNA hairpin-loop motifs in explicit solvent via the Simulated Tempering and Serial Replica Exchange Sampling Methods. They are part of a large scale effort to understand the folding of RNA hairpin-loops with systematic sequence variations."
Thanks.
That table with clients is freaking amazing. They could dump everyone but the Playstations and not see much of a drop in computing power. I'm also amazed that just 723 GPUs can blow away 21k linux boxes!
I may try the SMP core again. The previous version was unstable on my box.
Electron for electron, most folks feel that the GPUs will reach the highest FLOPs per card compared to anything on the horizon.
Compared to a Cell processor, and more accurately, the video registers that the Cell uses for graphics, the GPU is still faster.
The problem arises in that neither a GPU nor a PS3 can yet do the broad range of molecular dynamics needed to complete a simulation of an entire protein. General purpose CPUs are required.
The speed difference that is seen shows how much the new fancy hardware does make a difference, and a little programmers trick called optimization. Well written, elegant custom code usually flies past code that relies on canned compilers.
OTOH, it looks like only 5% of PS3 have ever fired up F@H. If that could climb to 10% then that’s special.
I’m tempted to get a PS3 just to run a Folding program. One PS3 does the work of 15 desktops.
I’m running version 5.3. Do I need to upgrade?
However,
It wouldn’t hurt to upgrade, but since the F@H Forums are down I can’t get any feedback on how its working for folks.
When I last looked v6b1 seemed to be running fine. Keep in mind that this is a console version and sets up just a little differently.
Not being a gamer, I don't know the answer to this, but is there some kind of option on the PS3, where you just tell it to start folding?
The speed difference that is seen shows how much the new fancy hardware does make a difference, and a little programmers trick called optimization. Well written, elegant custom code usually flies past code that relies on canned compilers.
Indeed. For some time I've thought that PCs would really benefit from the addition of a good FPGA chip that could be utilized at the user's discretion. Maybe with something like that available, Vista wouldn't have to throttle down network performance to play a video.
Proud 2 b foldin’
We will need a PS3 professional to tell us (or someones 12 yo kid), but I believe that one goes to the PS3 store and downloads it like any other update.
One thing that I find fascinating, is how many people never change their user name or join a team! Check this out - I am pretty sure that this is the default for PS3:
.....Name.. Team..... Daily 24 hr Avg..... Total Points
1....PS3... Default..... 1,243,111........... 291,555,424
http://folding.extremeoverclocking.com/individual_list.php?s=
That’s 291 million points since March 2007.
There’s a whole lotta folding going on!
If you have a USB keyboard you can plug into your PS3, some of this setup is made even easier...
My PS3 seems to complete a 300 or 320 point work unit every 6 and a half hours or so... Using it, plus my other two PCs and now getting even more points from my fathers, my son’s , and my brother's PCs, I’ve gone from position 66 in our Free Republic team, up to position 62 in just the last week. wysiwyg and IoCaster were catching up to me, but now they're no longer on my overtake threat radar... *waves* ;-)
http://folding.extremeoverclocking.com/user_overtake.php?s=&u=185134&p=1=
http://kakaostats.com/usum.php?u=845082=
http://fah-web.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/main.py?qtype=userpage&teamnum=36120&username=EasySt=
Totally Cool. It will be a while before you pass me though. I’m something like #17 or so. :-)
Basically, about 250,000 people that realize that life doesn't last forever, have joined a medical research effort to find cures for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and many other diseases.
Since we are not smart enough do not have time to code our own JMOL molecular dynamics and coordinate with others around the world, F@H stands in.
By downloading a small program here:
into its own directory you can run the program, enter your FReepname and our team number 36120 and away you go, folding proteins faster than you can by hand.
At first not much happens. Then you get your first points, the next work unit finished, then you compete with others that also just started, and soon you have converted every other computer in the house, at work and at strangers' homes into a folding empire with your FReep name.
It really becomes fun, and I find myself checking stats every three hours. One day when results are published that help find a treatment for Alzheimer's or other diseases, then I may not have to say that long goodbye as my father did.
Does this make any sense?
Congratulations! You’re the one person I have no hope of catching. Given enough decades I might catch Klutz, but you outperform me.
Great job.
Ahh, so that's how you left me in your dust! Looks like I need to start shopping eBay for a bargain PS3 now.
Wow, any way to make the other similar gaming systems (Xbox, etc) be able to fold?
I am guessing that I need to go somewhere else.
When I go to the site with the choices it is not good for downloading to my Linux command window.
I hope you can help because I have a machine that is not folding right now .... yikes
It seemed to install and appears to be running.
If anyone knows how to get the 5.91 version I would like to know in case the beta6 ver has any of the reported problems.
TIA
Position 66 to 46 in two weeks. Top ten here we come... ;-)
Man, I officially don’t like the fah6 in Linux.
It is not faster, it is slower by a lot. Either that or the individual steps take a lot more processing because where I often had 20 min between steps I now have 40 or more.
Furthermore they are assigning me work units that take 1 1/2 days to process and giving me 206 points for it ... with the fah 5.x version I worked that hard and got 1760.
I think the options (such as -verbosity 9) have changed too because although there is some data, the table at the end that show time, gflops etc. is missing.
I know .. for the greater good, for the greater good, for the greater good ...
btw; if the date in your virtual world is prior to 10/1/07 they don’t force you to change.
I am thinking of a little time travel.
You could complete more folding by installing the regular console version on each of the cores and just let them fold. Be sure to set the Machine ID = 1, 2, 3, 4 as needed for each core.
The 1760 points is for an SMP project. Is it possible that you are running the non-SMP kernal instead?
Other than that, it looks like the v6 beta is supposed to fold at the same speed at the v5.04 beta 5. It’s possible that the projects have changed, but it doesn’t seem that they are much different.
After posting I had a couple of blue screens with my 64bit dual machine.
I decided to stop running the VMWare w/Linux and load the windows SMP client. There is a 5.91 version as well as the v6 beta.
I have it (the 5.91) running now and it runs 4 instances of the program in two cpu’s (I don’t understand that) but it installed. It is set to run as a console version.
I am using Vista so the bat file you have to run first during the install must be run as an administrator (right-click and choose...). I had to edit the bat file to put the path to the executables that are run in it (a fact not mentioned in the instructions) but after that it is humming along.
I believe there is only one 64bit Linux distribution and it is SMP. That’s as far as I can figure at this point... no matter I am not running it anymore.
I am using time travel on the box that still runs Linux in VMWare. It is only the virtual machine, not the Windows that is in the past.
Now if I can only keep it all straight.
lrenh has doubled his output, probably by dropping in SMP folding onto many servers. Way to go!
It looks like we are getting additional folders, even without new threads. Thanks to all for helping the newbies start folding.
Now that XeniaSt has passed me, I am folding with no one chasing me.
I managed to crack the top 100 on my one year anniversary.
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
Thanks to texas booster's help.
I've got the Mac OS X SMP running on 2 machines.
One is the Mac Pro w/ 4 cores each @ 2.66 Ghz.
Also on an iMac w/ 2 cores @ 2.0Ghz.
In addition I run an XP under VMware Fusion on the Mac Pro.
I'm looking forward to next week when Mac OS X is upgraded to Leopard and a true 64 bit Unix operating system.
I anticipate increased output if the SMP runs in 64 bit code.
OBTW the Mac SMP instances all run as Nice
so there is no impact to steaming video or any other application.I watch their progress on Terminal using the command Top
A DIY supercomputer for folding at home
Help! My computer turned in a unit 2-3 days ago, and is unable to download new work. It connects to the assignment server successfully, but it then gives me an “attempt to get work failed” message. Suggestions?
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