Computer Names

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davidbam
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#1 Computer Names

Post by davidbam »

How does Boinc (specifically WCG) decide when it is seeing a new computer rather than a reconfiguration of an existing one?

I was wondering if it picked up the MAC address of the network connection ?? :?
I think this is fool-proof but could you just try it for me please? • There are 10 types of people in the world; those who understand binary, and those who don’t
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Alez
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#2 Re: Computer Names

Post by Alez »

No. The project assigns a computer number which is then linked to your account ( CPID to be precise )
Small reconfigurations will normally be coped with ie, change of memory size, change of GPU etc.
Changing OS, win to linux for example, will lead to a new computer ID being assigned and the old one becoming obsolete.
Most projects give you the option of merging computers back together ( go to your account, view computers .. option to delete hosts that have not connected for 30 days or merge compatible systems ) but this doesn't work for major changes and has no effect in reality as the ones that can merge will be merged to the latest ID number.
It is one of the reasons why I asked that we have the ability to delete or have non connected computers auto deleted from the performance tool after a set time.
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Alez
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#3 Re: Computer Names

Post by Alez »

The actual tracking is done from the sched_request_project.xml file that is stored locally on each system.
in /ProgramData/BOINC or /var/lib/BOINC

project job log, account info , master file etc. for each project is stored there and is shared when you do an update with a project or return units etc.
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Bryan
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#4 Re: Computer Names

Post by Bryan »

When you install BOINC it creates a "host_cpid" number that is stored in your client_state.xml file. I think that is somehow tied to the MAC address. I saw a post on XstremeSystems where they were saying you could scam the MAC address and WCG would see it as a different machine.

I've been running the new machine on a external USB HDD. Yesterday I put in the M2 SSD and did a fresh Linux install and attached to WCG. When it started producing WU they were being added to the registered machine that was created by the USB HDD. I did another fresh Linux install and it came up with the identical "host"cpid" number. So that host id number is being generated by BOINC.

What is interesting though is that you can create multiple instances of BOINC on the same machine and they will get assigned a different "host_cpid" number that is different than the main BOINC installation. The new instances will have the same "host_cpid" as the ones created by the USB HDD version of Linux.

Those results were from using the same version of Linux. I don't know what would happen if the versions were different.
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