Feature Request: Specify Start and End Times

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ntsarb
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Sep 13, 2013 6:38 pm

Feature Request: Specify Start and End Times

Post by ntsarb »

Hi,

It would help increase usage of F@H if I could set Start Time and End Time. The F@H client would only retrieve new jobs after the Start Time, and stop retrieving new jobs if such jobs cannot be completed before the End Time. As soon as jobs are completed or, in worst case, when End Time is reached, the F@H client should suspend any processing.

Is it possible to add this feature to the F@H client?

Thank you
JimboPalmer
Posts: 2573
Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2009 4:12 am
Location: Greenwood MS USA

Re: Feature Request: Specify Start and End Times

Post by JimboPalmer »

I confess I do not see this speeding up WUs to F@H.

I am running 55 PCs because they require no attention on my part. Adding features that require my attention will reduce my PPD, visiting PCs at 10 sites.

(There is a reddit for feature requests, this site is mostly help for existing software)
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bollix47
Posts: 2941
Joined: Sun Dec 02, 2007 5:04 am
Location: Canada

Re: Feature Request: Specify Start and End Times

Post by bollix47 »

ntsarb wrote:Hi,
... stop retrieving new jobs if such jobs cannot be completed before the End Time.
How could the client know how long a job will take if it hasn't retrieved the new job? Different projects take different lengths of time and the times will vary depending on the hardware being used so it could be a very complicated, if not impossible, request.

You can use Task Scheduler or similar software to start and stop the client but it will pause a WU mid-processing and continue it after the next start. That would result in fewer than optimal points, a slowdown of the project and could even result in a dumped WU.
bruce
Posts: 20910
Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2007 10:13 pm
Location: So. Cal.

Re: Feature Request: Specify Start and End Times

Post by bruce »

Since individual assignments may take more than a day (depending on the assignment and on your hardware) the stop time would only make sense if the active WU is paused ... reducing the bonus points and delaying the return of the assignment -- as has already been said. The FINISH function can be used to prevent a new assignment after the current one is completed, but predicting when that will be isn't as easy as you think it might be.

This has been requested before, but since the same thing can be accomplished with a little script programming using the features of your OS, it's really unlikely that it find its way into a future FAHClient.
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