K wrote...

Ok, I am new to all this.  How do I cache work units?

I'm sorry.  If you don't know, we're not going to tell you.

Besides, if we told you, we'd have to kill you.

I use "SETI Driver" to cache WUs (work units).  I've been running the
Command Line (CLI) version (-not- the pretty graphical version) with SETI
Driver for so long, I don't even remember what happens if you run the CLI
client by itself, solo.

To find SETI Driver, go to the Add-Ons page (
http://setiathome2.ssl.berkeley.edu/links_addons.html ).  Scroll down to
"Add-ons for Windows client."  Scroll halfway through that section for "SETI
Driver," or just ctrl-F for "SETI Driver."

Put SETI Driver and your SETI client in the same folder, by themselves, in
the corner, in the dark.

Throw out the shortcut for your client.  Instead, make a shortcut for SETI
Driver.  Perhaps put a SETI Driver shortcut in your Start-Up folder.

When SETI Driver starts, it will run the Client for you.

Also, SETI Driver includes an easy function for caching work units.
Semi-monthly SETI outages don't seem to last more than a few days, so it
should be sufficient to cache but a few days' worth of WU (work units).

There are lots of add-ons, but I've been happy using with SETI Driver and
the command-line client, only.  If you're networking computers together (for
more crunch power), you'd want one of the add-ons that are described as "...
for distributing work units..."  If you want skycharts, to help you locate
the point of origin, then they have add-ons for that, too, so you can
sterilize imperfections.

Pardon.  Flashback.  OK; it's over.

You can always go to the SETI website to check your latest statistics.
However, SETI keeps no statistics about your previous WUs, except for your
final count.  Therefore, if you want to keep a log, you'd have to do it
yourself.  SETI Driver doesn't do that sort of thing.  It's an opportunity
to play with Excel, and manually log your WUs.  Then you can go back and see
if your computer goes slower while you're streaming audio, or faster if you
close all other programs, or whatever.  If you record your "ranking" as you
submit WUs, you can look at your spreadsheet to see how your ranking is
changing over time.

Maybe there's an add-on that will keep a log for you?

And of course, SETI Driver will take care of transmitting completed WUs and
receiving new ones as old ones are completed.  Seti it and forgeti it.
(Sorry.  Eating spagheti; in a macaroni loop.)

I also use TaskInfo2003 ( http://www.iarsn.com/download.html ), which
displays what percentage of CPU cycles are being used by the assorted
running programs.  If something is only using 1/10th percent of your CPU,
then it's nothing to worry about.  If it's using a few percentages, then you
might want to close it before going to bed, if you won't be using it anyway.

For instance, you won't want to leave a weather radar-loop running if you're
going to sleep, or a streaming player.

And of course, screen savers are considered a waste of cycles.  Besides,
modern monitors don't suffer from "image burn-in," so screensavers serve no
purpose, except to help you space out.  If you're going to bed, just turn
the monitor off, and save some real electricity.  (My 17" monitor goes from
150 watt consumption to 50 watt consumption by reducing the brightness and
contrast to "minimum," if I'm going to walk away for a while.  Of course,
when I turn the monitor Off, the consumption goes to 0 watts; duh.)

Do I recall that WinXP also displays percentage CPU cycles per program, as a
moving graph?  I have Win98, so I'm not sure.  Maybe there's no need for
TaskInfo if you have XP.

SETI Driver has a function for choosing it's "priority."  If you turn it to
"High," then it will leave almost no CPU cycles for your other programs,
such as your mouse.  It will seem like your computer has crashed, because
nothing seems to work anymore.  Actually, everything else has just slowed
down a lot.  Don't panic.  Just slowly work your mouse to change from "High"
to "Normal," and then everything else will start working normal, again.

If I want to get maximum performance for SETI, I just exit the other
programs.  I don't use High priority.  If you close your anti-virus,
firewall, and anti-spyware programs, remember to disconnect your internet
connection.  You should be able to get 99% of your CPU cycles going to SETI.

You can set SETI Driver to process two WUs at the same time (or more).  I
think I read that hyperthreading computers can almost double productivity by
running two "processes," but for older computers, running two processes will
just make each WU take twice as long.

Also, it's so much easier if you have a broadband connection.

Starting (?) to ramble.  Better sign off.

CU soon,
                    -Neil-