Don't render graphics if minimized ------------------------ DON'T ADD ANYTHING TO HERE. USE THE TASKBASE INSTEAD. encrypt IDs in URLs (e.g. host) Use GlobalMemoryStatusEx when possible on Windows Take p_ncpus into account when assigned work to a host File upload handler should check for disk full, return transient error, alert admins If there are no active tasks, should start downloading only the files for a particular result (avoid idle CPU) Scheduler: don't send results whose deadlines will be missed. This must take into account: - pending work on host - speed of host - active fraction of host - network speed of host - results already in reply Web site: show mean, stddev of stats of active hosts show max potential cobblestones (and percentage achieved) Web site: show table of size, MD5 of all executable files break down by platform Each RPC should contain a list of projects the host is attached to, and their resource shares Add field to user for the above list Show above info on the web site Implement coprocessor stuff (see platform.html) add platform_details field to client state file pass it in to every app app can modify it if it wants send back platform_details field with RPC store in host table (and in result? make new host if it changes?) add disk_avail field to host send in RPC use this in scheduling Make sure "update prefs" works even if suspended In GUI, show "suspended" on tasks and transfers if suspended Clarify once and for all messages and other logs on Windows; policy for truncating log files? ----------------------- BUGS (arranged from high to low priority) ----------------------- - reset/quit - Resetting project should delete old project files ----------------------- HIGH-PRIORITY (should do for beta test) ----------------------- HTTP stuff test HTTP redirect mechanism for all types of ops finish SOCKS implementation, test use HTTP 1.1 test w/ Apache 2.x ----------------------- THINGS TO TEST (preferably with test scripts) ----------------------- server stuff implement server watchdogs Add project w/ bad URL or account ID should report error test this on Win, UNIX backend stuff - result reissue (timeout_check should eventually create new results) - WU failure: too many errors - WU failure: too many good results - credit is granted even if result arrives very late - shared memory and CPU time measurement, with and without the BOINC API - ensure cpu time doesn't reset if app is killed rather than quitting - CPU accounting in the presence of checkpoint/restart Platform-specific stuff - timezone on all platforms - make get_local_ip_addr() work in all cases per-WU limits abort result if any file exceeds max_nbytes max disk max CPU max VM size abort app if excess memory used Windows screensaver functionality idle-only behavior without screensaver - test ----------------------- MEDIUM-PRIORITY (should do before public release) ----------------------- add an RPC to verify an account ID (returns DB ID for user) needed for multi-project stats sites implement a "fetch prefs" command (regular RPC w/o work request) all RPCs should return a "user-specific project URL" to be used in GUI (might refer to user page) in GUI, project name should hyperlink to a project-specified URL (typically user page for that project) let user choose language files in installation process write general language file manipulation functions use https to secure login pages, do we care about authenticator being transmitted without encryption from the client? write docs for project management how to start/stop server complex what needs to be backed up and how account creation: show privacy/usage policies decide what to do with invalid result files in upload directory think about sh_fopen related functionality in BOINC client Implement FIFO mechanism in scheduler for results that can't be sent user profiles on web (borrow logic from SETI@home) Devise system for porting applications password-protected web-based interface for uploading app versions and adding them to DB XXX should do this manually since need to sign Add 2-D waterfall display to Astropulse Deadline mechanism for results - use in result dispatching - use in file uploading (decide what to upload next) - use in deciding when to make scheduler RPC (done already?) Testing framework better mechanisms to model server/client/communication failure better mechanisms to simulate large load do client/server on separate hosts? CPU benchmarking review CPU benchmarks - do they do what we want? what to do when tests show hardware problem? How should we weight factors for credit? run CPU tests unobtrusively, periodically check that on/conn/active fracs are maintainted correctly check that bandwidth is measured correctly measure disk/mem size on all platforms get timezone to work Redundancy checking and validation test the validation mechanism make sure credit is granted correctly make sure average, total credit maintained correctly for user, host Scheduler Should dispatch results based on deadline? test that scheduler estimates WU completion time correctly test that scheduler sends right amount of work test that client estimates remaining work correctly, requests correct # of seconds test that hi/low water mark system works test that scheduler sends only feasible WUs Scheduler RPC formalize notion of "permanent failure" (e.g. can't download file) report perm failures to scheduler, record in DB make sure RPC backoff is done for any perm failure (in general, should never make back-to-back RPCs to a project) make sure that client eventually reloads master URL Application graphics finish design, implementation, doc, testing size, frame rate, whether to generate Work generation generation of upload signature is very slow Add batch features to ops web The Windows installer sometimes leave boinc.# files in the BOINC directory. This is likely due to the installer not being able to delete the old boinc.dll file If a client connects to the scheduling server using default prefs, use the stored user prefs for determining how much work to send get preferences works, but is slightly confusing - you have to go to projects, right click on "get preferences", and then exit/restart boinc before I get to see my new pretty underwater colors. "suspend" seems to suspend, but after restart the CPU time jumped up by a significant amount. This is because Windows 9x uses GetTickCount for CPU time. "Retry transfers now" feature, especially for dialup users ----------------------- LONG-TERM IDEAS AND PROJECTS ----------------------- CPU benchmarking This should be done by a pseudo-application rather than by the core client. This would eliminate the GUI-starvation problem, and would make it possible to have architecture-specific benchmarking programs (e.g. for graphics coprocessor) or project-specific programs. investigate binary diff mechanism for updating persistent files verify support for > 4 GB files everywhere Local scheduling more intelligent decision about when/what to work on - monitor VM situation, run small-footprint programs even if user active - monitor network usage, do net xfers if network idle even if user active The following would require client to accept connections: - clients can act as proxy scheduling server - exiting client can pass work to another client - client can transfer files to other clients User/host "reputation" keep track of % results bad, %results claimed > 2x granted credit both per-host and per-user. Make these visible to project, to that user (only) Storage validation periodic rehash of persistent files; compare results between hosts WU/result sequence mechanism design/implement/document Multiple application files document, test Versioning think through issues involved in: compatibility of core client and scheduling server compatibility of core client and data server compatibility of core client and app version compatibility of core client and client state file? Need version numbers for protocols/interfaces? What messages to show user? Project? Persistent files test design/implement test reporting, retrieval mechanisms (do this using WU/results with null application?) NET_XFER_SET review logic; prevent one stream for starving others