BOINC Network preferences not working

[UBT - Timbo]

Hi all

In advance of this weeks Sprint, I downloaded some tasks from a few projects and set "BOINC Manager > Options > Computing preferences > Daily schedules" to only connect to the internet from Thursday (about 9pm*) through until midnight on Sunday.

So, a tick in the respective boxes (and setting the relevant times) but NO tick in the Monday or Tuesday boxes.

I then set BOINC Manager > Activity to "Network activity based on preferences"

But as of today (and since yesterday) this particular PC is connecting to the net and uploading the results (and regardless of this setting)...and I had wanted this machine to have lots of completed tasks, all waiting to be uploaded, and there were none.

So, anyone know if this actual function works as it should - or have I missed something ?

regards
Tim

*edit: Sprint starts at 9pm, not 1pm so edited to correct this.

[Woodles]

Hi Tim,

Do you mean in the "daily schedule" screen?

I think it works the opposite way around to what you'd expect. The tick in the day box used to over-rule the global setting.

ie. Set the global "Transfer files only between" 0:00 and 0:00 (no transfers)
Tick Thursday and set the times to 13:01 and 23:59
Tick Friday and set the times to 0:00 and 23:59
Tick Saturday and set the times to 0:00 and 23:59
Tick Sunday and set the times to 0:00 and 23:59

I've used this successfully before (a while back) and I think that's how it works.

I've got the network turned off here at the moment so I can't test it until tonight.

Mark

[UBT - Timbo]

Hi Mark

Yup - it's the daily scheduler screen.

Set the global "Transfer files only between" 0:00 and 0:00 (no transfers)

This creates an error saying that start and end times must be different.

I had this ticked and set to between 0:00 and 24:00 (which are the defaults).

I had all the others ticked as you have suggested (excepting that the defaults are 24:00 and not 23:59).

Still no joy...and BTW, BM is set to use local prefs not those set by a project.

regards
Tim

[Woodles]

Hi Tim,

Your first setting allows network access all the time!

Heading home now, I'll have a play when I get there.

Mark

[Woodles]

Hi Tim,

OK, done a bit of experimenting.

Tick "Transfer files only between" and set to 00:01 and 00:00 (or any other combination where the second time is before the first)

Set the individual days to the times you want - Tick Thursday and set the times to 13:01 and 23:59

Select Activity -> Network activity based on preference

Mark

[UBT - Timbo]

Hi Tim,

Your first setting allows network access all the time!

Heading home now, I'll have a play when I get there.

Mark

Hi Mark

Indeedy - I re-read the dialog boxes and it's a bit misleading....so the first box is the default, 7-days a week type setting and then the other boxes over-ride that one, if you want to set other times when the network is available.

regards
Tim

[UBT - Timbo]

Hi Tim,

OK, done a bit of experimenting.

Tick "Transfer files only between" and set to 00:01 and 00:00 (or any other combination where the second time is before the first)

Set the individual days to the times you want - Tick Thursday and set the times to 13:01 and 23:59

Select Activity -> Network activity based on preference

Mark

Hi Mark

Just tried that and it is still uploading completed tasks, even though the settings have been changed to only allow network access when the Sprint is on.

I even tried clicking on the "Read local prefs file" in the hope that by Saving the Preferences, it would re-write the local prefs file...and then by Reading the said file, it should then take note of the Network access settings.

But it didn't.

I might have a dig into some of the BOINC settings files and have a gander at them...should be easy to find them, as they should have a very recent date/time stamp on them !!

regards
Tim

[Woodles]

Hi Tim,

I've just tried it without specifying a global value, just per day and that seems to work.

Mark

[UBT - Timbo]

Hi Mark

OK - thanks for the info.

I'll leave both PCs on "Suspend network" for now as I have quite a few completed tasks and if the chosen Sprint project is one of the ones I've been crunching for the last few days, then it'll give us a start...

But I'm in Cambridge tomorrow when the Sprint starts and some of the tasks I've been doing have a deadline of early afternoon tomorrow, so I was hoping to use the scheduler to automatically upload them BEFORE their deadline.

However, the Sprint will be announced in abt 10* hours time, (and now my brain is working and not thinking of other stuff) so, of course, by 9pm today, we'll know what the chosen project is, so if I've picked the wrong ones, then it won't matter.

If, however, I have picked the right one, then that's another issue.

regards
Tim

* edited as I thought Sprint started at 1pm and it's actually starting at 9pm