mirror of https://github.com/BOINC/boinc.git
49 lines
1.7 KiB
HTML
49 lines
1.7 KiB
HTML
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<h2>Projects and applications</h2>
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<p>
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A <b>project</b> is an organization
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(e.g., an academic research project) that uses BOINC to get computing power.
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Projects are independent;
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each one manages its own applications, databases and servers,
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and is not affected by the status of other projects.
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<p>
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The components of a project are shown below.
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<br>
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<img vspace=10 src=project.png>
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<p>
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The server side of a project consists of two parts:
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<ul>
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<li> A <b>project back end</b> part that generates
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computation input files, and handles the output of computations,
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in a way that depends on the particular application.
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<li> A <b>BOINC server complex</b>
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that handles data distribution and collection.
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</ul>
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The BOINC server complex includes the following components:
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<ul>
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<li> A <b>scheduling server</b> that communicates with participant hosts.
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<li> A relational database storing information
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about work, results, and participants.
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<li> C and scripting-language interfaces for
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communication with the project back end.
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<li> Web interfaces for participants and developers.
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</ul>
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<p>
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Input and output files are distributed by <b>data servers</b>,
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which are HTTP servers able to handle uploads.
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These servers need not be owned or operated by the project.
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A project might, for example, recruit other organizations to
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donate network bandwidth by hosting data servers;
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data could be moved on tape between the project back end and the data servers.
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<h3>Applications and platforms</h3>
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<p>
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A project can operate one or more <b>applications</b>.
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Versions of an application are compiled for various <b>platforms</b>
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(Windows/Intel, Linux/Intel, MacOS/PPC, etc.).
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The BOINC core client is available for many platforms;
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a project can compile an application for any or all of these.
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