View Poll Results: Should client quit if cannot reach server on startup?

Voters
58. You may not vote on this poll
  • yes, leave as-is, it quits

    2 3.45%
  • no, change it so it keeps folding anyways

    56 96.55%
Results 1 to 26 of 26

Thread: Should program quit on startup if cannot reach server

  1. #1

    Should program quit on startup if cannot reach server

    Ok this issue has come up a number of times in the past so lets decide it once and for all in a democratic way. The main idea behind the client/screensaver exiting upon startup if the main server is down, is that we didn't want people doing a lot of work while the server was off, and then flooding it when it came back on. Also, if we ever wanted to terminate the project, it would get people the message that it was over and they wouldnt keep folding needlessly.

    Now that the server backend is more powerful, and this can be circumvented by using the -if option anyways, it is not such a big deal anymore, and perhaps more of an annoyance. So please vote - should the client exit if it cannot reach our main server upon startup? Yes or no
    Howard Feldman

  2. #2
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Location
    Oosterhout, Netherlands
    Posts
    223
    Posting a message that it is offline is preferred. But keep on folding has my vote.
    Hopefully this will be fixed quickly
    Proud member of the Dutch Power Cows

  3. #3
    Definitely keep folding and don't go back to the desktop.

    Brian sorry about my attitude but I was frustrated that you said you couldn't see the problem. You should have mentioned the build up of data and slamming the server before. I am glad that isn't a problem anymore.

  4. #4
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Location
    Santa Barbara CA
    Posts
    355
    Let it keep folding, and don't terminate the project.

    If you do terminate the project you should do an update that doesn't use the cpu and just prints a message stating that the project is over when someone runs it so they can see the output.

  5. #5
    I agree with Welnic.
    Keep it folding and never terminate the project
    Proud member of The Genome Collective

  6. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    MI, U.S.
    Posts
    697
    Originally posted by Welnic
    If you do terminate the project you should do an update that doesn't use the cpu and just prints a message stating that the project is over when someone runs it so they can see the output.
    Now there's an idea!

    You could even just ignore all command line parameters (including -qt). On Unix, you might be able to explicitly open /dev/tty, too, just to make sure you get the controlling terminal (as opposed to /dev/null, if someone has redirected output there). Writing the same to error.log might be another way to get the message across on Windows (or even everywhere).

    And just so you don't use a lot of server bandwidth with the update, you could post (here or on the News page; here might be better, assuming "here" is still the preferred way to get in contact with the users at that point -- I wonder if a mass email to everyone would work?) first, and keep the update unavailable for say a week. That would knock out the users that read these forums, assuming they could get at all their boxen inside of a week. Autoupdate after that week, for the users that don't read the forums or the News page or their email account.

    I think we may have a winner!
    "If you fail to adjust your notion of fairness to the reality of the Universe, you will probably not be happy."

    -- Originally posted by Paratima

  7. #7
    Member Nofinger's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Netherlands
    Posts
    38
    Originally posted by HansArne

    Keep it folding and never terminate the project
    I can't argu With a Team M8
    Nofinger
    ...See you at the Windmills!!

    Proud Member of The Genome Collective

  8. #8
    Downsized Chinasaur's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    WA Wine Country
    Posts
    1,847
    Hell No!! Proj On!
    Agent Smith was right!: "I hate this place. This zoo. This prison. This reality, whatever you want to call it, I can't stand it any longer. It's the smell! If there is such a thing. I feel saturated by it. I can taste your stink and every time I do, I fear that I've somehow been infected by it."

  9. #9
    Social Parasite
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Hill Country
    Posts
    94
    no, change it so it keeps folding anyway
    .
    .
    As long as you are thinking of the client/server interface, would you please also do some brainstorming about situations where the client CAN reach the server.

    I had started a separate session for the beta (in addition to the regular client). I wanted the beta to complete through generation 250, so I let it run (-i f) past the switchover instant. When it came time to upload (-u t) the filesets from the beta, the server INSISTED on first downloading the updated client. Only when the new client had been installed in that session did the server allow me to upload the filesets. My point is that I had ALREADY updated my normal DF session with the new client -- I went ahead and deleted the beta session when I had finished the upload, so I did not NEED to have the beta session be updated as well.

    When the user is asked "Do you want to download the new client?", and the answer is "No", would it be possible (e.g., for -u t) for the client to go ahead with the upload, instead of exiting ?

    mikus

  10. #10
    Member AZ Lynx's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    non-peninsular; non-panhandle FL
    Posts
    45
    I agree with all the replies above. There seems to be an unusual amount of agreability in the air. Maybe it's the season, but I don't think so. . . .
    =^..^=
    AZ Lynx
    =^..^=

  11. #11
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Meridian, Id
    Posts
    742
    Fold On!






  12. #12
    Ol' retired IT geezer
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Scarborough
    Posts
    92
    YES... Keep on folding.

    I agree also with the point made by Mikus.
    "When it came time to upload (-u t) the filesets from the beta, the server INSISTED on first downloading the updated client."

    I have been at the wrong end of a 26.4 bps line when this occured. It is very frustrating that the server insisted on doing an update before I could upload the current results, especially as there was this deadline (and I would never use that update anyway because it was a sneakernet copy!!).

    Ned

  13. #13
    Ancient Programmer Paratima's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    West Central Florida
    Posts
    3,296
    Ned: Here's how I solve that problem on my sneakernet boxen. I download the new install package on a separate machine and unpack it onto a USB thumb drive. Then I go to each of the sneakernetters in turn, stop the folding, load the new files, then upload the stored gens, then restart it. Saves a great bunch of time.

    If the sneaker-netters are on a network (mine aren't), it's even easier.
    HOME: A physical construct for keeping rain off your computers.

  14. #14
    Free-DC Semi-retire gopher_yarrowzoo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    Knoxville, TN
    Posts
    3,985
    Fold On for sure... all my boxen work off-line via that lovely client dfGUI but when it comes to upload and the server is borked well it stuck but yeah upload the results 1st then ask for an upload not just die when you say no to the update...
    Semi-retired from Free-DC...
    I have some time to help.....
    I need a new laptop,but who needs a laptop when you have a phone...
    Now to remember my old computer specs..


  15. #15
    Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    59
    keep it running

  16. #16
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    wigan, uk
    Posts
    200
    fold on i say

    that way i wouldn't have to leave it folding offline (for fear of the pc spending a full day on, doing nothing when there are server problems)

  17. #17
    Member 1fast6's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Location
    sunny Florida
    Posts
    61
    very frustrating to find all the clients have shut down due to the server being offline... so much so that I have virtually stopped trying to get them all back on line... this singular problem has caused me to drift away from this project... glad to see addressing it is being considered...
    cover me... I'm going in...


  18. #18

    me too!

    That was the primary reason I took DeepToast offline after The Challenge.

    Bringing a hundred machines back online - or worse - figuring out which of the hundred had gone down - was a royal pain in the patootie.

    DeepToast is long since gone, but I'd probably buy fifteen or twenty duallie Xeon P4s to put back on the project if it weren't so inclined to go down...

    With those kinda numbers, running them offline also isn't practical...

  19. #19
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Location
    Southern California
    Posts
    4
    Keep them running
    Rock On!

  20. #20
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Mobile, AL
    Posts
    9
    Let if fold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


    Folding.......

    pharmd24

  21. #21
    HCW DF Team Leader rstarr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Fort Knox, KY
    Posts
    82
    Keep folding!
    Folding 24/7 for a cause
    www.hardCOREware.net
    HCW DF Team!

  22. #22
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Location
    Oosterhout, Netherlands
    Posts
    223
    OK. A proteine changeover is coming up and the votes are clear.

    Question is: Will this be implemented before the next changeover?
    In other words. Will we be able to quit the client and restart it on January 13th?

    The young cows are eager to know
    Proud member of the Dutch Power Cows

  23. #23
    The change has been made for the new executables available next week
    Howard Feldman

  24. #24
    Electric fence operator
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Indianapolis, IN
    Posts
    379
    That's good news, Howard. Thanks a ton!

  25. #25
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    MI, U.S.
    Posts
    697
    Yes, thank you, thank you, thank you!

    "If you fail to adjust your notion of fairness to the reality of the Universe, you will probably not be happy."

    -- Originally posted by Paratima

  26. #26

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •