[Shaktai]

Beta testing of the new D2OL client (and TSC) is completed. For the small handful of us crunching D2OL be prepared for the transition.

The client looks very similar to the old, but runs much better. No more not showing up in the dock or not quitting properly. "Mikkyo's fix" is no longer needed. All the Mac OS client problems of old have been fixed. However, it is not just a new client, but an entirely new "back end system". New server system, new stats system, the works.

Posted earlier on the TSC forum:

- On Monday, Sept 22 at approx 14:00 GMT we will shut off the scheduler that is deploying candidates. (for TSC)
- On Tuesday, Sept 23 at approx 14:00 GMT we will shut off the results handler that processes completed candidates. (for TSC)
- On Wed we will bring up Version 2.0. Hurray! (for TSC)

D20L will be upgraded to 2.0 Monday through Wed of (the) next week.

Having been part of the beta team I can say that this is one of the smoothest DC clients I have ever ran. New features include the ability to batch up to 2000 work units, initiate Manual updates, view current node stats with the client, etc.

Known problems:

• Windows ME. Basically it has problems. They managed a patch, but better yet, run anything else. Linux is still the fastest and best for this project.
• PowerMac G5 (only) - has some issues with the log-in screen where you enter your e-mail. You can enter 1 character at a time then it jumps to the backbround after each character. Annoying, but might be fixed with Panther or the latest Java upgrade. Once running though it seems to run well and all other aspects of the install are okay.
• A few earlier versions of Linux had some problems with stats not recording, but that was fixed.

G3's and G4's have no known problems at this time. The new backend is smoother and more reliable. You can cache enough work to run for a few weeks offline. However OS-X version 10.2.3 or later is required for all Macs.

A G5 1.6 ghz seems to run approximately on par with an Athlon 1900-2000 running Linux. Keep in mind that Panther and hopefully an eventual "re-compiled client" using gcc 3.3 should bring significant increases.

Not yet implemented is a new "anti-cheating" system, but it is expected to follow very shortly in a couple of weeks. It is primarily a work unit-server side fix that will prevent the same user/node from submitting the same work units over and over. There is also some talk of resetting the stats, but this has not been decided for sure.

Team MacNN is ranked #12 in D2OL out of 594 teams, 196 of which were active in the last week. We currently have 5 active members. I don't encourage anyone else to join until after the v2.0 client is released and the new systems are up.

[reader50]

When they go to the new stats backend, it will break our stats unless the page source code remains almost exactly the same.

Please PM me once the change happens, in case the stats break.

[Shaktai]

Originally posted by reader50:
When they go to the new stats backend, it will break our stats unless the page source code remains almost exactly the same.

Please PM me once the change happens, in case the stats break.

You have a private message.

[Scotttheking]

Is this associated at all with UD?

[DrBoar]

Pity about 10.2 requirement one of my computers does not support 10.2 at all and an other does not have the HD space for 10.2

Any reason ot use one before the other of Folding@home or distributed folding for two low end computers?

[Shaktai]

Originally posted by Scotttheking:
Is this associated at all with UD?

No association with UD (that is known). The Rothberg institute now operates both TSC and D2OL. D2OL started out as a "demo" project for Segent, the company that markets the software. Now it is ran by the Scientists and Doctors at Rothberg, for Sengent, since this last spring. There are associations with several Universities to follow up on laboratory testing of "significant" candidates. -- Several of the major players including the founder of the Rothberg Institute are associated with CureGen, a pharmaceutical company, but CureGen does not (as far as can be determined) receive any special benefits from that association. The Rothberg Institute is a seperate entitity.

[Shaktai]

Originally posted by DrBoar:
Pity about 10.2 requirement one of my computers does not support 10.2 at all and an other does not have the HD space for 10.2

Any reason ot use one before the other of Folding@home or distributed folding for two low end computers?

The requirement for 10.2.3 appears to actually be a requirement for Java 10.4.x. If you can get that java version to run on an earlier version of OS-X, then it might work, but won't be officially supported.

[Shaktai]

A big WHOOPS on my part. D2OL changes over this coming week (the week before), not the week following the TSC changeover.

[Shaktai]

They moved the schedule up.

URGENT UPDATE:

BOTH projects (TSC and D2OL) will be coming down for upgrade Monday. We will stop deploying tasks on Monday and turn off the results handler on Tuesday.

ALL results from a v1.2 node must be uploaded by Monday at 23:00 GMT. Version 1.2 is NOT compatible with the new servers. We will be unable to accept results from v1.2 after this time.

[Shaktai]

Here is the final word for both the TSC and D2OL projects. In preperation for the release of Version 2.0

Tomorrow morning, Monday September 15th, the outgoing work units will be shut down. The incoming results servers will be shut down at 2300 GMT/UTC. After that time, no results will be accepted from the old version, and the website and all servers will be taken down.

Wednesday, September 17th the new websites for TSC and D2OL will come online with the new client, v2.0.

Stats WILL be reset to zero for everyone, though the old stats will be archived on a special page. The new client will implement anti-cheating checks either immediatly or very shortly after.

Team MacNN will finish up as #12 all time on D2OL (version 1.x) out of 593 teams.

Mikkyo will finish up as #1 on Team MacNN (D2OL) and #17 all time. (Dang, I only needed two more weeks to catch him since he hasn't crunched in "many" months).

Wednesday it will start all over again fresh. This time Windows, Linux and Mac Clients will all be rolled out together at the same time.