how-to block ads
|
| | | | FAQ Revisions | Editors: KeysCapt  , lilhurricane , slash , Dersgniw
Last modified on 2007-05-11 17:12:24
| |
|
|
2.4 Scoring and the Points System·So how does this rating system work?
·What's the deal with Hard Drive allocation?
·What does UD or Grid.org say?
·Why does my processor and network rating fluctuate?
·Network Rating
| | | United Devices evaluates each system that processes Work Units using the UD Agent. This evaluation takes place the first time you download the Agent and your first Work Unit and your system is re-evaluated whenever you return and receive a new Work Unit. An faq from UD can be found here.
The ratings evaluate your computer in four different areas which are then combined into an overall rating. Currently the ideal system UD uses to compare your computer to is a 1.5 gHz Pentium IV; 384 MB RAM, 80 GB hard disk and a T-1 internet connection.
 The "Short Version":
The value of the overall rating is calculated by the following formula.
Processor*0.4 + Memory*0.25 + Storage*0.05 + Network*0.3
CPU type and Speed.
Your CPU is evaluated by a benchmark that runs every time your computer restarts. This means that the processor speed is no longer based on the speed in MHz your processor runs at but rather its actual performance. For example a 1 GHz CPU could out perform the 1.5 GHz Pentium 4. A faster CPU can get a rating up to 200%.
Random Access Memory (RAM) installed.
Your RAM is evaluated to determine the size of the RAM installed. It is then compared to 384 MB. Your rating is determined by dividing the amount of RAM installed in your computer by 384. (and multiplying it by 100 and using the integer of that result.) People that have servers or machines with 1 GB or more of memory have reported that their machines are not accurately rated.
Hard disk space.
UD has set 5 GB Hard Disk space available to them as the basis for rating hard disks. Divide how much you allocate in MyDevice profiles by 5 GB, multiply by 100 and take the integer. There is a catch on this one. If you allocate 5 GB you will get credit for 4.87 GB. Remember 1K = 1,024 bytes. By increasing the amount of disk space you allow UD to use up to 10 GB you will increase your percentage to ~200% if you have that much room available.
Network Rating
The Agent determines what type network adapter is in your machine and what type of connection to the internet that you use. The network rating changes based on the quality or throughput of the last connection with UD. Unfortunately, you will be penalized for anything that slows up the process between you and UD. Just because you have a fast connection doesn't mean that the complete path between you and the UD servers will operate at top speed. If the UD servers are having a problem and everyone is trying to upload results at the same time, then most likely the network score may suffer for the next work unit.
Thanks to mrspec3 for help with this entry.
 feedback form
 feedback form
by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-02-10 16:59:15 | | | If you allocate 10 gigabytes to the UD project (the maximum allowed) this does not mean that the project will use the whole 10 gigs. Currently, the project only uses a very small space in the neighborhood of 3 - 8 mb. However, allocating the maximum amount of space will help maximize the points that you receive per WU. Periodically, the UD Agent checks the amount of space available, and in computing your points per WU, it will use the smaller of either the space you have allocated, or the size of the partition it is installed in. If you have more space on a larger partition that you wish to allocate, you must install the UD Agent in that partition.
This info courtesy of MacGyver :
Visit this site and login to change the disk space allocation for your device(s):
»https://www.grid.org/services/devices/profiles.htm
feedback form
feedback form
by KeysCapt
last modified: 2005-01-14 10:27:13 | | | Points
• What are points?
Your PC contribution is shown in three measures-points, total CPU time and results returned. The term "points" is simply used as a way of measuring the amount of computation your PC has contributed. If your PC works for three days on one work unit, or in those same three days completes 5 work units, you will accumulate the same number of points assuming that your PC worked at about the same level of effort in each scenario.
• How are points calculated?
Points are calculated and awarded each time a work unit is completed and a result is successfully returned to the UD Servers. Points are totaled across all machines aggregated under a specific UD Member.Points are based upon the strength of your machine(s), measured against the UD Comparison Device. First, the "strength" of your participating machine(s) is calculated by measuring the following parameters of your machine against the United Devices (UD) Comparison Device:
CPU Power - The UD Agent periodically runs diagnostic tests to establish the processing power of your hardware configuration. These values are averaged and then divided by the CPU-Power value of the UD Comparison Device. The averaged value is then multiplied by the CPU time used to complete the work unit and return the results to the UD Servers.
Random Access Memory (RAM) - The UD Agent recognizes the amount of RAM in your hardware configuration. Each time the UD Agent starts, it detects any changes to the amount of installed RAM. This value is divided by the RAM value of the UD Comparison Device. The result of this calculation is then multiplied by the CPU time used to complete the work unit and return the results to the UD Servers.
Hard Disk Storage - On your preferences page, you set the megabytes of hard disk space allocated and available to UD projects. The lesser of the amount of hard drive space allocated and the amount of total space available on your hard drive partition, is divided by the Hard Disk Storage value of the UD Comparison Device. The result of this calculation is then multiplied by the CPU time used to complete the work unit and return the results to the UD Servers.
Effective Upstream Throughput - The UD Agent runs a diagnostic test on a regular basis that measures the upstream throughput of your hardware configuration, when communicating with the UD Servers. These values are averaged, and the result is divided by the Effective Upstream Throughput value of the UD Comparison Device. The result of this calculation is then multiplied by the CPU time used to complete the work unit and return the results to the UD Servers.
The final values for all five parameters are weighted, totaled, and factored to generate a whole number of points greater than or equal to 1 for each result returned.
While any individual parameter can overachieve the corresponding parameter for the UD Comparison Device by any level, no work unit completed by any machine will earn more than twice the total number of points the UD Comparison Device would earn for that same work unit.
Note: The slightest variance in any of the five parameters coupled with the inherent differences across multiple applications and work units within one project will result in different point values being assigned per work unit completion. • How are points used?
The calculation of Points is the method United Devices uses to measure your contribution to our Internet Distributed Computing projects. Points are used for competitive comparison on the stats pages. Members can use points to build entries in an incentive program (when available), or points can represent the amount of charitable donations we make on behalf of Members.
• Will I get more points if I get more hits/conformers/de novo structures?
The point system has nothing to do with the nature of the research performed or your blind luck in receiving one work unit versus another. It simply is our way of measuring the amount of power that you have contributed to the project.
• Will I lose points if a work unit finishes slower than usual?
No. Points are not tied to number of work units, but amount of computational effort exerted. Therefore, if your computer worked for three days on one work unit, or in those same three days completed five work units, you would get the same amount of points if the machine worked at the same level of effort.
• Why is it that when I upload results to the server, my member page and my team page do not display the results right away?
The points on the Member Homepage only periodically. The points on the Teams web page update every 24 hours. When checking on your points, please keep these delays in mind.
• Why are my personal points not updating, even though the UD Agent downloads new work units?
Several situations can cause this to happen:
• Problems experienced during the transmission of results may cause the return to be discarded. This is very rare. If you are consistently not getting points, this probably doesn't apply to you-its probably one of the issues below.
• Check to see if your number of work units returned is incrementing. If it is, you may have a bug in which the UD Agent works for long periods of time, but only reports a very low cpu time on task. This is very infrequent. If your number is not incrementing, you have a different issue.
• Sometimes a computer "hiccup" causes the UD Agent to abandon the work unit. This may not be noticeable if you leave the UD Agent running in the background with unrestricted access to the internet, in which case it may appear that the UD Agent completed the work unit and downloaded a new one when it did not. It would also account for recent reports/posts where members notice that the UD Agent only gets xpercentage done then logs in and downloads a new work unit.
If you systematically do not receive points but are constantly downloading new work unit, please check the UD Agent's directory for legacy work unit files. The default directory is c:\program files\united devices, and the work unit files are ud_#, where the # is replaced by a number. There is no extension, and the icon should be the windows symbol because they are not associated with any application.
Doing a clean install of the UD Agent should alleviate this problem. To do a clean install of the UD Agent, please do the following:
• Close the UD Agent by minimizing the window if it is open, then right clicking on its icon in the system tray and clicking on "Exit."
• Uninstall the UD Agent from [Start][Settings][Control Panel][Add/Remove Programs].
• Check to ensure that the UD Agent's directory (by default c:\program files\united devices) has been deleted. If it is not, delete it and all files.
• Check for the presence of the udwin dll file (in c:\windows\system in windows 9x and ME or c:\winnt\system32 in NT and 2000). If it is still present delete it.
• If you have your original install file, delete it.
• If you performed any of the above manual deletions, empty the recycle bin.
• Install the latest service pack updates from »windowsupdate.microsoft.com/. Download a new copy of the UD Agent.
• Restart your machine.
• Open Task Manager by holding down the Ctrl and Alt keys and hitting Del once. Highlight each program and click on End Task. If using Windows 9x you must open Task Manager again for each entry. The only entries that you do not want to run End Task on are Explorer, Systray, and your firewall.
• Install the UD Agent from the newly downloaded file. Restart the computer.
feedback form
feedback form
by JMartin edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2004-03-09 20:15:37 | | | Both your processor and network rating can fluctuate depending on whether your CPU and/or internet connection are being used when the agent finishes a work unit.
When the agent displays "Preparing to Return Results to Server" it benchmarks your system to give it a rating. If you are using your system for other things at that time, the rating will be lower than if you were not using it.
The network rating is similar. Right after the agent finishes preparing to return the results to the server, it enters a phase to check the speed of the network connection. If you are using some bandwidth downloading files or whatnot, your rating will be lower than if your connection was idle.
feedback form
feedback form
by slash edited by KeysCapt
last modified: 2002-11-13 22:57:11 | | | The network rating has many people mystified. Some say it's based on speed, others say pings. This is what UD has to say in the UD Project FAQ:
"The Agent determines what type of connection to the internet that you use and performs a benchmark speed test. This consists of timing the transmission of a fixed amount of data (a 100k file containing data that cannot be compressed) from the UD servers to your system. This time (speed) is then compared to a reference system that UD have calculated (a download speed of 1MB/s) and a rating is given. This benchmark is normally run before sending a completed result to the UD servers however, it may not be run every time a result is sent back."
"The network rating can change based on the quality or throughput of the last connection with UD. Unfortunately, you will be penalized for anything that slows up the process between you and UD. Just because you have a fast connection doesn't mean that the complete path between you and the UD servers will operate at top speed. Cable systems are shared by everyone in a particular area. As more people sign up for cable access to the net your bandwidth will go down during peak periods (7 p.m. to 10 p.m.) This is actually true of any system. As more people sign up with your ISP the bandwidth available to each person becomes less until the ISP adds more capacity. In many areas cable is the only reasonably priced high speed access so you will see more and more signing up and more and more complaints about the bandwidth slowing down."
"Note: A default value of 100 normally indicates the net benchmark could not be run. The net rating is also set to 100 after installation or upgrade and will show the correctly benchmarked value when the first result is returned."
"Note 2: The devices shown when viewing the network rating (below This Device:) is what Windows has told UD exist. UD does not use the first one listed for the network connection but the default that windows is configured with. If you hover your pointer over the devices listed you will see them all."
feedback form
feedback form
by slash |
|
