On Wed, 8 Oct 2003 10:49:26 +0100, John Clark
<fredclark@consltec.demon.co.uk> wrote:

In article <bm0c5f$2dd$1@sparta.btinternet.com>, Bob <none@none.none>
writes

Bob wrote:

Michael D. Ober wrote:

This doesn't answer the question about the biggest use of SETIQueue -
namely, allowing a single machine on the network to act as a proxy.

Mike.

Exactly what i was thinking - I think I'll fire off an email...

Hmm - Can't see this, but can see the next one I fired at you all. 
Apologies if this is a double post:

I got a reply from Dave:

Bob:
BOINC won't act as a proxy.
Writing a proxy for BOINC will be trickier than for SETI@home,
but if you or Ken wants to start thinking about it that would be great.
I'd be happy to help in any way; the BOINC source code is
available off the web site, which is a good place to start.

Thanks for bringing this up; I added some text to the transition page.

-- David

If colleagues cannot develop a BOINC "add on" like SETI Queue, for a
proxy capability, then we need to work another way.

I am lucky enough to have a small LAN consisting of 3 PCs. One of which
is a dual Xeon running 4 instances of the CLI (Driver & Spy). I have 1
internet facing dial up machine. SETI Queue solves a large amount of my
supervisory time over my old way of working. 

My old way was driven by my previous network system configuration, which
was a Win98SE/FATS 32 PC and a dual proc Win2K/NTFS PC (2 PCs only). My
understanding was that the Win98 PC could not see the Win2K machine, as
there is restrictions reading the NTFS drives. My interpretation of this
restriction was that I could not use the SETI Queue proxy as the Win98
PC would not "send" results and "collect" WUs from Queue. 

This is incorrect. I have a small network and I have a mix of Win98SE,
XPHome and Win2k(both Pro and Server) machines and they all see each
other. It is in the settings, not that they CAN NOT!
My Seti Queue is on a Win98SE machine and all of the other machines
talk to it just fine. It just as easily be on a Win2kPro machine or
even the Win2kServer, just the luck of the draw.

The way I worked (old process) was I "pulled" the S@H folder from the
Win98 PC, via the Win2K machine (which is dial up) and "activated" the
CLI/Driver/Spy set up. On dialling out I could then transmit all WUs.

When we go over to BOINC, and run S@H 2, then I am reading the way "I"
need to work is based on my old process, described as -

At start up -

1.      Dial out on my internet facing PC
2.      Activate my BOINC/S@H 2 account
3.      Download the BOINC control software
4.      Download the S@H client (CLI equivalent hopefully)
5.      Organise the control parameters for BOINC, and set up the 
       cache size and start running S@H 2 (1 PC dealt with)
6.      Create a BOINC folder on each of the other network PCs 
       (I am now all Win2K Pro or Win XP Pro).
7.      Drag this BOINC/S@H 2 folder over to home LAN to the
       internet facing PC
8.      Carry out actions 3-5 (above) on this new BOINC/S@H2
       folder
9.      Close down BOINC/S@H 2 and "push" the folder back to the
       network PC involved
10.     Start BOINC/S@H 2 on the target non-internet facing PC
11.     Repeat actions 7-10 for each machine on my LAN

While running the machines daily, or whatever schedule adopted -

12.     When BOINC/S@H 2 on each LAN machine states there are
       WUs ready to transmit, and new WUs needed (cache size
       set earlier at actions 5, 8 and 11 to say 3 days)
13.     Activate the dial up on the internet facing machine to
       send/collect WU results/replacement WUs from this machine
14.     Then individually close (1 at a time) the BOINC/S@H 2
       applications on each of the network PCs
15.     Pull the BOINC/S@H 2 folder over the LAN to the internet
       facing PC
16.     Launch the BOINC/S@H 2 applications and send WU results
       and collect new WUs (individually for each PC on the LAN)
17.     Close down this "imported" BOINC/S@H 2 when the WU are
       downloaded, and "export" the folder back over the LAN
18.     At the target PC activate the BOINC/S@H 2 applications
       (individually for each network machine)
19.     Sigh with relief "all this supervision is complete", and ...

If this is the way it is, then ALOT of people will be done crunching
for Seti. This is WAAAAY to much work involved to crunch!

NOTE:   Now you see why I state "lucky" having a small number of
       networked PCs.

Sorry for the length of the piece, the actions needed to be spelt out.
However, the real older import/transmit/folder export routine is not as
complex as described above. Much smoother in fact, but still time
consuming.

More importantly ....

Are there other ways of working than the one I describe above? Are these
alternative ways (applied to BOINC/S@H 2, or whatever) simpler, less
time consuming and less onerous than the way I describe above? 

NOTE: The SETI Queue proxy capability is superb in this respect!! ; ))