Do Any VM's Use All 4 Cores?

[rbpeake]

I was using the free VM for Windows so I can use Linux, but then tried the full VM Workstation on a trial hoping that it would use all 4 cores rather than just 2. No such luck! Guess I will switch back to the free one with no expiration date.

Are there any VM's out there that use all 4 cores? Seems much more efficient....

Thanks!

[EvilAlchemist]

Totow has a nice article about setting VMware to use 4 Logical Cores of a CPU

http://www.fah-addict.net/articles/arti ... id=1&cat=1

Site is in French - Here is the Translated Version Link

http://translate.google.fr/translate?u= ... r&ie=UTF-8

Hope that gives you some ideas

[rbpeake]

Thank you, that worked perfectly!

[extrasalty]

Until yesterday I wasn't aware of VMware support of 4 logical cores. I was running 4 VM(notfred SMP) to keep the i7 busy(hyperthreding on),equaling around 9000 PPD. I switched from 4 notfreds to 2 and changed

Code: Select all

numvcpus = "4"

and my production remained the same, shortening the time per frame in half and reducing the VM memory usage in half too.

[toTOW]

extrasalty> could you report which WMWare you use ? I guess it's a Workstation ? (it's just to improve the working/not working list)

[geokilla]

From what I know, Notfred client uses VMware player, thus the numvcpus should have no effect since VMware player is limited to 2 cores.

[extrasalty]

It's the same with Workstation and Player (6.5.2)- both work with 2 virtual appliances with 4 cores each, 1 SMP per 4 CPUs.

[Mattus]

I did this trick on VMWare Workstation 6.5.1. It's working fine.

[weedacres]

From what I know, Notfred client uses VMware player, thus the numvcpus should have no effect since VMware player is limited to 2 cores.

VMware Player will work on 4 cores.
Edit the .vmx file to:
numvcpus = "4"

You'll get a warning message that it's not supported but it runs just fine.

[ethomaz]

Hi. I tried to set numvcpus = "4" with WMware Player 2.5.2 and received the message bellow:



How I fix it??

[extrasalty]

Message says 3. I tried my notfreds( already set with numvcpus = "4") and they work perfectly with both Workstation and Player (6.5.2 build-156735).

[ethomaz]

Message says 3. I tried my notfreds( already set with numvcpus = "4") and they work perfectly with both Workstation and Player (6.5.2 build-156735).

I tried with numvcpus = "4" and same message. VMware Player 2.5.2 build-156735.

[DanGe]

Does it make a difference if you have both Player and Workstation installed as opposed to having ONLY Player installed?

[BrokenWolf]

It really "shouldn't" matter. The issue is notfred is setup as a workstation 5 which will not allow it to go to 4 vcpus. In Workstation you can edit it and move it up to a 6.5.x level which will allow 4 vcpus. At the bottom is how I configured a notfred vmx file to get it to work on my quad core box using 4 cores.

Here is the info from a vmx file for a RHEL5 system i created with Workstation 6.5 compatability:

Code: Select all

.encoding = "windows-1252"
config.version = "8"
virtualHW.version = "7"
numvcpus = "2"
vcpu.hotadd = "TRUE"
maxvcpus = "4"
scsi0.present = "TRUE"
scsi0.virtualDev = "lsilogic"
memsize = "1024"
mem.hotadd = "TRUE"
scsi0:0.present = "TRUE"
scsi0:0.fileName = "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 64-bit.vmdk"
ide1:0.present = "TRUE"
ide1:0.autodetect = "TRUE"
ide1:0.deviceType = "cdrom-raw"
floppy0.startConnected = "FALSE"
floppy0.autodetect = "TRUE"
ethernet0.present = "TRUE"
ethernet0.connectionType = "nat"
ethernet0.virtualDev = "e1000"
ethernet0.wakeOnPcktRcv = "FALSE"
usb.present = "TRUE"
ehci.present = "TRUE"
sound.present = "TRUE"
sound.fileName = "-1"
sound.autodetect = "TRUE"
mks.enable3d = "TRUE"
pciBridge0.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge4.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge4.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
pciBridge4.functions = "8"
pciBridge5.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge5.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
pciBridge5.functions = "8"
pciBridge6.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge6.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
pciBridge6.functions = "8"
pciBridge7.present = "TRUE"
pciBridge7.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"
pciBridge7.functions = "8"
vmci0.present = "TRUE"
roamingVM.exitBehavior = "go"
displayName = "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 64-bit"
guestOS = "rhel5-64"
nvram = "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 64-bit.nvram"
virtualHW.productCompatibility = "hosted"
ft.secondary0.enabled = "TRUE"
tools.upgrade.policy = "useGlobal"

extendedConfigFile = "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 64-bit.vmxf"

floppy0.fileName = "A:"


Here is the same OS but with workstation 5 compatability:

Code: Select all

.encoding = "windows-1252"
config.version = "8"
virtualHW.version = "4"
numvcpus = "2"
scsi0.present = "TRUE"
scsi0.virtualDev = "lsilogic"
memsize = "1024"
scsi0:0.present = "TRUE"
scsi0:0.fileName = "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 64-bit 2.vmdk"
ide1:0.present = "TRUE"
ide1:0.autodetect = "TRUE"
ide1:0.deviceType = "cdrom-raw"
floppy0.startConnected = "FALSE"
floppy0.autodetect = "TRUE"
ethernet0.present = "TRUE"
ethernet0.connectionType = "nat"
ethernet0.virtualDev = "e1000"
ethernet0.wakeOnPcktRcv = "FALSE"
usb.present = "TRUE"
sound.present = "TRUE"
sound.fileName = "-1"
sound.autodetect = "TRUE"
roamingVM.exitBehavior = "go"
displayName = "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 64-bit 2"
guestOS = "rhel5-64"
nvram = "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 64-bit 2.nvram"
virtualHW.productCompatibility = "hosted"
ft.secondary0.enabled = "TRUE"
tools.upgrade.policy = "useGlobal"

extendedConfigFile = "Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 64-bit 2.vmxf"

floppy0.fileName = "A:"


As you can see the "virtualHW.version" is different and there is no "maxvcpu" line.
You need to change the virtualHW.version to 7, edit the numvcpus to 4 and add the maxvcpu = "4" line to your vmx file. Save it and then you should be set to go. I have been using it on Workstation 6.5 with no problems. I have also verified this when I created a system in Workstation 6.5.2 and then edited the vmx file and opened it up in player 2.5.2 (installed with 6.5.2 Workstation).

Code: Select all

#!/usr/bin/vmplayer
.encoding = "windows-1252"

# This is a Workstation 5 or 5.5 config file
# It can be used with Player
config.version = "8"
virtualHW.version = "7" [b]<- Changed from 4 to 7[/b]

# Number of virtual CPUs. Your virtual machine will not
# work if this number is higher than the number of your physical CPUs
numvcpus = "4" [b]<- Changed from 2 to 4[/b]
maxvcpus = "4" [b]<- Added this line[/b]

# Memory
memsize = "1024"

# Selected operating system for your virtual machine
guestOS = "other-64"

# displayName is your own name for the virtual machine
displayName = "Folding@Home"

# These fields are free text description fields
annotation = "Diskless Folding@Home"
guestinfo.vmware.product.long = "Diskless Folding by Nick Reilly"
guestinfo.vmware.product.url = "http://reilly.homeip.net"
guestinfo.vmware.product.class = "virtual machine"

# First serial port, physical COM1 is not available
serial0.present = "FALSE"

# Optional second serial port, physical COM2 is not available
serial1.present = "FALSE"

# First parallel port, physical LPT1 is not available
parallel0.present = "FALSE"

# Settings for physical floppy drive
floppy0.present = "FALSE"

# Logging
logging = "FALSE"

# These settings decides interaction between your
# computer and the virtual machine
isolation.tools.hgfs.disable = "FALSE"
isolation.tools.dnd.disable = "FALSE"
isolation.tools.copy.enable = "FALSE"
isolation.tools.paste.enabled = "FALSE"

# First network interface card
ethernet0.present = "TRUE"
ethernet0.virtualDev = "e1000"
ethernet0.connectionType = "bridged"
ethernet0.addressType = "generated"
ethernet0.generatedAddressOffset = "0"

ide0:0.present = "TRUE"
ide0:0.fileName = "folding.vmdk"

ide0:0.redo = ""

extendedConfigFile = "folding.vmxf"

virtualHW.productCompatibility = "hosted"
tools.upgrade.policy = "manual"

ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:0c:29:97:cf:27"
uuid.location = "56 4d 2d 08 d4 ae d9 55-af 9e 13 cb 83 97 cf 27"
uuid.bios = "56 4d 2d 08 d4 ae d9 55-af 9e 13 cb 83 97 cf 27"
vmotion.checkpointFBSize = "16777216"
ethernet0.pciSlotNumber = "16"


edit: When it downloaded a WU of course it got a an a1 core, P5102, WU so it is only using about 60-70% of my system but it still comes up showing/using all four cores.

BrokenWolf

[ethomaz]

@BrokenWolf,

I tried again and not work... but with Workstation work perfectly.
I guess that Player and Workstation installed together, the Player may work too.

Thanks.