A platform is a compilation target - typically a combination of a CPU architecture and an operating system. The BOINC database of each project includes a set of platforms. Each platform has a name and a description of the range of computers it can handle. Each application version is associated with a particular platform.

For coherence between projects, you should use only the following platforms: If you want to add a different platform, please contact us. "; list_start(); list_heading("name", "description"); list_item("windows_intelx86", "Microsoft Windows (98 or later) running on an Intel x86-compatible CPU"); list_item("windows_x86_64", "Microsoft Windows running on an AMD x86_64 or Intel EM64T CPU"); list_item("i686-pc-linux-gnu", "Linux running on an Intel x86-compatible CPU"); list_item("x86_64-pc-linux-gnu", "Linux running on an AMD x86_64 or Intel EM64T CPU"); list_item("ppc64-linux-gnu", "Linux running on a 64-bit PowerPC processor"); list_item("powerpc-apple-darwin", "Mac OS X 10.3 or later running on Motorola PowerPC"); list_item("i686-apple-darwin", "Mac OS 10.4 or later running on Intel"); list_item("sparc-sun-solaris2.7", "Solaris 2.7 running on a SPARC-compatible CPU"); list_item("sparc-sun-solaris", "Solaris 2.8 or later running on a SPARC-compatible CPU"); list_item("sparc64-sun-solaris", "Solaris 2.8 or later running on a SPARC 64-bit CPU"); list_end(); echo"

A platform name is compiled into the BOINC client. The client reports its platform to the scheduling server, and the scheduling server sends work to a host only if there is an application version for the same platform.

In some cases, you may want to associate the a single executable with multiple platforms. For example, a Mac/Intel host is able to run Mac/PPC applications in emulation mode. If you are unable to compile your application for Mac/Intel, you can take your Mac/PPC binary and add it as a Mac/Intel app version; this will allow Mac/Intel hosts to participate in your project.

Application optimization for specific architectures

BOINC allows applications to exploit specific architectures, but places the burden of recognizing the architecture on the application. In other words, if you want to make a version of your application that can use the AMD 3DNow instruction set, don't create a new windows_amd_3dnow platform. Instead, make a version for the windows_intelx86 platform that recognizes when it's running on a 3DNow machine, and branches to the appropriate code.

This excludes the combinatorial explosion of versions and architectures from the internals of BOINC.

Web-site statistics breakdown by architecture

BOINC collects architecture details about each completed result to allow detailed statistical breakdowns.

First, the core client attempts to find the CPU vendor, the CPU model, the OS name, and the OS version. These are stored in the host record.

Second, applications that recognize even more specific architecture information can pass it back to the core client using the boinc_architecture() function from the BOINC API. This passes a string (project-specific, but typically in XML) to the core client, which records it in the architecture_xml field of the result database record. For example, the application might pass a description like

", htmlspecialchars("

ATI Rage 64MB
"), "

Tools

Platforms are maintained in the platform table in the BOINC DB, and can be created using the xadd utility. "; page_tail(); ?>