After working on Result #278258 for many months I accidently filled up my disk and had it get a can not write to disk error, which caused the system to stop processing that work unit, and report the error. Of course I did not notice for many weeks that this had happened.

Is there anyway of restarting or starting that result from before it failed now (I don't expect that there is) which is sad because there does not seem to be any one else actively working on that work unit.

Also if not then there seems to be data still hanging around for this result, can I delete it? Should boinc be deleting it?

Thanks,

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You a are not alone in accidentally <a href="http://climateapps2.oucs.ox.ac.uk/cpdnboinc/forum_thread.php?id=2520">filling your disk</a>. Unfortunately there is no way back for you unless you have a backup.

There is not a lot of point in keeping folders for old unfinished projects, except possibly if they got very close to a finish and then mainly for your own satisfaction. The ones that should be kept (probably on CD/DVD in your case, if not then in a different folder or drive from BOINC) are those for completed runs, though it isn't obligatory. The BOINC folder can grow very large and you have to do your own housekeeping. Keeping it tidy makes backing up a lot easier too.

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&gt; You a are not alone in accidentally <a> href="http://climateapps2.oucs.ox.ac.uk/cpdnboinc/forum_thread.php?id=2520"&gt;filling
&gt; your disk</a>. Unfortunately there is no way back for you unless you have a
&gt; backup.
&gt;
After it crashes and tells the central server that the it has done so, is there any point in restoring a backup, will it tell the central server to that the result has been reopened?


&gt; There is not a lot of point in keeping folders for old unfinished projects,
&gt; except possibly if they got very close to a finish and then mainly for your
&gt; own satisfaction. The ones that should be kept (probably on CD/DVD in your
&gt; case, if not then in a different folder or drive from BOINC) are those for
&gt; completed runs, though it isn't obligatory. The BOINC folder can grow very
&gt; large and you have to do your own housekeeping. Keeping it tidy makes backing
&gt; up a lot easier too.
&gt;
So why does it not clean up after itself?

The data as data has no real meaning to me, only to the owners. I do this to help out as I see it.

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&gt; After it crashes and tells the central server that the it has done so, is
&gt; there any point in restoring a backup, will it tell the central server to that
&gt; the result has been reopened?

Yes. Although the server state does not reset, you will continue to earn credits for work done past the crash point, and it will accept the results at the end.


&gt; &gt;
&gt; So why does it not clean up after itself?
&gt;
&gt; The data as data has no real meaning to me, only to the owners. I do this to
&gt; help out as I see it.
&gt;

Most of the data is in the files that are not uploaded at the end of the run. In the past the scientists have asked for it. But it would also be very complicated to write an intelligent routine to get rid of the dross - at the moment it is better and safer to rely on human intervention. I believe that BOINC was designed to clear space when it ran out, but nothing is yet perfect.

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&gt;
&gt; The data as data has no real meaning to me, only to the owners. I do this to
&gt; help out as I see it.
&gt;

To add to what Andrew has said:
A lot of people on this project DO have an interest in the results. It is discussed intensly on the community forum.
There is even an Advanced Visualisation program available so the data can be studied.

On other projects, users start with data and check it for certain patterns, so there may not be much point in keeping the data.
Here, one starts with a set of parameters and creats a 3D model of the Earth's atmosphere over three fifteen year periods. So the result is of interest to the 'climate people' amongst users.

Les

&gt;
&gt; &gt; After it crashes and tells the central server that the it has done so,
&gt; is
&gt; &gt; there any point in restoring a backup, will it tell the central server to
&gt; that
&gt; &gt; the result has been reopened?
&gt;
&gt; Yes. Although the server state does not reset, you will continue to earn
&gt; credits for work done past the crash point, and it will accept the results at
&gt; the end.
&gt;
Shouldn't it reset the status?

Also shouldn't it time out on a result if it does not receive a trickle for a while (based on if there are not trickle for a period of time then it will never be completed).

&gt;
&gt; &gt; &gt;
&gt; &gt; So why does it not clean up after itself?
&gt; &gt;
&gt; &gt; The data as data has no real meaning to me, only to the owners. I do this
&gt; to
&gt; &gt; help out as I see it.
&gt; &gt;
&gt;
&gt; Most of the data is in the files that are not uploaded at the end of the run.
&gt; In the past the scientists have asked for it. But it would also be very
&gt; complicated to write an intelligent routine to get rid of the dross - at the
&gt; moment it is better and safer to rely on human intervention. I believe that
&gt; BOINC was designed to clear space when it ran out, but nothing is yet perfect.
&gt;

I assume that the data that it does upload is useful to someone?

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&gt; Shouldn't it reset the status?

Ideally, yes. But it isn't as simple a matter as it might appear and there are enough other problems with the server software to fix first.

&gt; Also shouldn't it time out on a result if it does not receive a trickle for a
&gt; while (based on if there are not trickle for a period of time then it will
&gt; never be completed).

There are people on dial up who do not want to communicate with the server very frequently, and they may have suspended work on the CPDN WU whilst they do other projects (a feature of the new BOINC manager). So whilst the server will send the work to somebody else eventually, it should not give up on the original host too readily. That is why CPDN has such long deadlines.


&gt; I assume that the data that it does upload is useful to someone?

Certainly. Information about the use made of the data can be found in the results and climate science pages (see menu on the left). These things are often discussed on the community board.

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