A new job series has been introduced for the iThena OONI Probe application.

The job tasks in the new series, are named: OONI_TESTS_1D_T...

A parameter has been set in the new series:

Max Memory Usage: 256 MB

Previously the "Max Memory Usage" value was 2048 MB which was too high (a particular problem on 32-bit platforms).

In addition, the number of credits for completing a task has been changed to 8 (previously it was 2).

Clients can still receive tasks from the old OONI_TESTS_0D_T.. series. (there are still some left in the queue).

Twitter: https://twitter.com/iThenaProject/status/1447105469252841472

All work units give 2 credits, both 0D and 1D.

8 credits is not much of an improvement over 2 for 6 hours of work.

Windows PERF WUs take 3 minutes or less so at 2 credit each gives about 40 credits an hour

Linux PERF WUs take at least 4 minutes and at 2 credit each gives about 30 credits an hour

Linux CNODE take 30 minutes for 2 credits so give 4 credits an hour

OOMI Probe take around 6 odd hours for 2 credits so give 0.33 credits an hour.

To bring CNODE and OONI Probe up to 30 credits an hour to match Linux PERF

:- will require CNODE to get 15-16 credits per WU

and OONI Probe needs 180 credits per WU.

We are a long way off that at 2 credits per WU.

Conan

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+1

Fix.

The new OONI Probe (2D series) tasks will have 16 task credits.
New CNode tasks will have 4 credits per task.

Old tasks with old credits are still in the queue.

I wanted to have a reason to run the project on Linux again, but I agree with the others who have commented. 16 credits, or even 160 credits, per task is not a good incentive to run either of the Linux projects (CNODE and OONI), using up massive amounts of Internet bandwidth for virtually zero reward. Particularly when the Windows tasks run quickly and don't use much bandwidth.

On my Linux VM, a single OONI task has been using a constant 120Kbps upload and 6 Kbps download. That's about 10 GB used per day, for a single OONI task.

The Windows tasks average about 200Bps upload and virtually zero download. That's a massive difference!

Given a choice between a single Linux task that gives 2 credits now and will give 16 credits at some point in the future (per your comment) or around 600 Windows tasks that will give 2 credits each in less total time and using less total bandwidth, there really isn't a strong incentive to run the Linux tasks unless the computer(s) are already running Linux anyway and the user doesn't have a monthly Internet bandwidth limit...

In general, probably for NCI jobs that use network transfer dynamically, it would be good to set a conversion point in network data transfer for credit?

For example, X MB per 1 credit?

Most other NCI projects don't use much bandwidth, so they use a fixed credit per task, or a small amount of credits for the time that the task runs (similar to "normal" projects, but a lower number of credits).

Since iThena relies primarily on Internet bandwidth, especially the Linux tasks that use huge amounts of bandwidth, that could be a possible way of determining credits. But to be proportional to the Windows PERF tasks, the Linux tasks would have to give up to several thousand credits each to be "fair" based on the amount of data used, and I'm not sure you want to do that...

My first question would be is: Do the CNODE and OONI tasks really need to use that much Internet bandwidth? If so, then higher credit rewards would be appropriate. If not, then it would be good to find out why they are using that much data and why they frequently run for as much as 48 hours or more when the CNODE tasks used to only run for about 30 minutes, using the high bandwidth the entire time, and maybe (if possible) clean up the code so they are not as demanding and intrusive.

Fix.

The new OONI Probe (2D series) tasks will have 16 task credits.
New CNode tasks will have 4 credits per task.

Old tasks with old credits are still in the queue.

Just wondering how many of the 2 point CNODE tasks were in the queue? The reason being I have yet to see a 4 point CNODE task yet.

Conan

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Fix.

The new OONI Probe (2D series) tasks will have 16 task credits.
New CNode tasks will have 4 credits per task.

Old tasks with old credits are still in the queue.

Just wondering how many of the 2 point CNODE tasks were in the queue? The reason being I have yet to see a 4 point CNODE task yet.

Conan

According to the Application page the CNODE app has not been updated since Sep 2019 when it was introduced.

That would be why there is no 4 point CNODE work units, seems to have been forgotten again, a bit like the credit bonuses that were going to be given out earlier this year and again in the middle of the year which did not happen.

Anyway, on wards and upwards (very slowly)

Conan

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After verification, I found an error in the task generator.
Tomorrow evening we will see if it will be corrected...

According to the Application page the CNODE app has not been updated since Sep 2019 when it was introduced.

This was probably a bug in the task generator.

No worries, thanks Rysiu for the reply.

Conan

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No worries, thanks Rysiu for the reply.

Conan

Oh and thank you for the increase in pay for the OONI work units, only noticed it today.

Conan

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Is possible to reduce server delay time (currently at 303s ?
Or receiving multiple wus?
Wu on my pc has a duration of 2min
Thanks