Hi,

I'm doing some experiments and I noticed two strange entries in the tasks overview:

1. Some entries have exactly the same reporting time even though they didn't finish at exactly the same time


2. Some entries are not sequential. Entry 2 should be at place 3


I image this is related to tasks being finished get reported at certain intervals and in the order they are in the task list. That way the second observation can be explained.

My question is which logic is behind this. What is the interval of reporting. Can this be modified somewhere?

Thanks in advance,
Jef

There are several schedules running for BOINC-Server communications.
Fist is at BOINC start-up - once off, and simple to understand.
Next is the on-completion reporting, this happens when a task is completed.
Next is the "5 minute" cycle main data transfer cycle. This cycle is where the result files is uploaded to the server, and new data is requested. (This may vary from project to project)
Finally is the heartbeat, daily "are you alive" communication - this is "optional"

The main one is the second one. The data is transferred in what often appears to be a random sequence, tending towards a FIFO, but not strictly.

There is little you can do to change the frequency of server access for uploads, all you you do is set up a schedule of allowed or inhibited times.

Reporting takes place whenever the client feels the need to contact the project server, subject to limitations whenever a delay between contacts is enforced. John McLeod used to maintain a list of about a dozen possible triggers: the commonest one is "need more work".

The "5 minute cycle" that Rob mentions is specific to the SETI@Home project: other projects have used backoffs between 7 seconds and an hour.

Reports of completed tasks are batched whenever possible, for efficiency in inserting the results into the project database. But nowadays, no task will be held, completed, within your local client for longer than an hour if communication is possible: older sources will cite that ultimate delay as 24 hours, but it's changed.