Primenet Server Oddity
 

Hello,

I was wondering if this has happened with anyone before. I have three older systems at work running Prime95 that aren't connected to the net. So what I do is have my internet connected box at work grab a few exponents, then manually create a worktodo.ini and create a work entry for each system.

Recently, one of the systems completed a double-check. I copied the prime.spl to a floppy diskette and carried it over to the internet connected machine. I exited Prime95 and restarted it... As it started it gave the usual
"Sending Results to Server, M117XXXXX is not prime, etc etc etc." So far so good. Later in the day, I went to my Primenet Stats Report. The exponent I submitted shows up in my cleared exponents report, but I did not receive any 'LL P90* CPU' years credit or 'Exponents LL Tested' credit for it :no: :sad:

I checked the Primenet cleared exponents report, and my exponent does not appear to have been poached. Any ideas on why I wouldn't get any work hour credit? :help:

From the FAQ:

[QUOTE]
[I]I tested some PrimeNet exponents on a computer that has no Internet connection. Why didn't this work get credited to my account?[/I]

PrimeNet supports dial-up and permanent connection Internet clients. The computers do not need to maintain a live Internet connection, however any transactions they perform with PrimeNet when they do connect must be for that computer only.

PrimeNet does not support or credit testing work performed by copying entries from the worktodo.ini file of a computer using PrimeNet, testing the exponents on a different computer, and then copying the results back to the PrimeNet client again. This defeats PrimeNet's test tracking system.

PrimeNet knows when a test result was computed on a different computer. It will accept your results for the master database log, but it will not credit your account for the test work.

To connect a second PC to a PC that has Internet access, you can setup a simple serial cable to network them using Win95 and WinNT's direct cable networking features, and configure a home PC proxy on the computer that has Internet access.
[/QUOTE]

That's unfortunate. I enjoy crunching for GIMPS, but not enough to get a back storage room wired up for LAN connectivity, or to disconnect the computer, carry it over to my desk, take my computer off of my desk, hook up the farm computer, submit the results, then take the farm computer back to the storage room and hook my computer back up just to get credit for the work I've done :furious:

Just use the InterimFile=xxx feature and set xxx to a few iterations short of the exponent, then copy the interimfile to a net connected computer delete the .00x extension then add the work to the worktodo.ini, the net computer will finish the exponent and submit the work as if it were done on that computer.

Do you have "Use PrimeNet to get work and report result" checked on the offline computer, and had so all the time? I had the same problem over a year ago: [url]http://www.mersenneforum.org/showthread.php?t=369[/url]
[QUOTE=xavion][...] but not enough to get a back storage room wired up for LAN connectivity[/QUOTE]Is it close enough for a wireless 802.11b or g network? My laptop connects to my home LAN that way.

Later edit: Maybe it was on the networked machine I had turned off "Use Primenet ...". I don't remember for sure.

im kinda new to this exactlay what do u mean farm its just a bit confuseing.

A 'farm' is one or more computers dedicated to Prime95 or some other computing project.

[QUOTE=mephisto]A 'farm' is one or more computers dedicated to Prime95 or some other computing project.[/QUOTE]

More specifically, usually in a single location, and no one uses them for anything... all they do is run DC 24/7, 365 days a year. A fair number of farms are headless (no monitor) and diskless (no CDROM/floppy/HDD) and some don't even have cases (like mine) to cut down on heat, electricity, and upfront costs.

how can you run a comp with out a hard drive and a disk drive and a cd drive i can see with out disk or cd but not a hard drive. im good with computers but i dont get that.

[QUOTE=moo]how can you run a comp with out a hard drive and a disk drive and a cd drive i can see with out disk or cd but not a hard drive. im good with computers but i dont get that.[/QUOTE]

It's very technically involved. Basically, a computer that has an HDD hands out OSes to those that don't. See the [URL=http://www.ltsp.org]Linux Terminal Server Project[/URL] for more on this.

that sounds very complicated :) i think i will look at something different i have a few comps running prime 95 currently.