I've got an HT computer running 2 instances simultaneously, and i'm thinking of using another instance when one of my instances has finished folding, but I don't want to connect up to the net just to upload the data (I'm on dialup, and dialing up 2-3 times a day gets costly).

Does having 3 instances (but only 2 running at any given time) muck up the configerations of any of the instances? They're all in separate directories, with different machine IDs.

Also whilst I'm here, can I confirm that if I install FAH on another person's computer, using my username, their machine ID must be unique, relative to what I've got already?

Thanks!

This should work fine (as long as you're using the -local flag), though it seems like an awful big hassle just to get an extra 15% performance out of your machine while you're waiting to dial up. Personally, I would just try to make sure I have at least one instance running. The difference between one instance and two on a HT machine I beleive is only about 15%.

Also, keep in mind that work units have deadlines. You don't want to hold on to a unit too long before you start processing it. This would also negatively affect your performance fraction, which could lead to you getting assigned undesirable work units (or not, I'm not entirely sure what criteria the assignment servers use).




Machine ID's only have to be unique for multiple instances running on the same machine. So if you run on somebody else's machine you're free to use any ID you want (just make sure every instance on that machine has a unique ID).

Bryan

Perhaps it's easier (and more effective) to just fill your queue up with 10 WU's. You can read how in my posts in this thread and a bit here.

Thanks Wrah! - didn't know you could do that.

Lightning,

Be aware that filling up the queue will adversely affect your performance fraction -- which is how F@H assigns WU's (at least, how they used to -- did that change with rebalancing the Tinker/Gro points?).

FWIW, I run 2 or 3 at a time on my HT box at home -- after DLing the units, I look at what time they 2 would finish vs 3 and then pick how many I want to run. Since I'm on dialup, I want the units to either finish in the morning before I go to work or in the evening when I'm home. The last thing I want is to finish in either the middle of the night or the middle of the day and then have the machine sit idle for hours at a time.

On my box, running 2 instances gets me about 25% more PPW than only running 1. Running 3 is about a 2-3% ppw hit vs. running 2, but that still much better than running only 1. Obviously, the worst case is sitting idle, which I try to avoid at all costs.

Dave


EDIT I also found a program called UD Monitor (don't have a link handy) -- that will load up as many slots in your queue as you want (you may only want 3 at a time -- again, a perf fraction thing). The other advantage it has is that it will work with any WU's -- the other methods I've seen work only with G@H WU's. The only downside is that UD Monitor will not handle running two instances at the same time (like for the HT box). But if you're not running HT, it would be ideal.