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Bug in HADCM v.6.02

Bug in HADCM v.6.02

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Message 35362 - Posted: 24 Oct 2008, 13:33:42 UTC
Last modified: 25 Oct 2008, 12:17:25 UTC

Bug in HADCM v.6.02

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE RED SECTION HAVE BEEN EDITED

We have discovered a bug in HADCM v.6.02 models which were downloaded from the main CPDN project between 29 September and 22 October 2008. All HADCM 6.02 models on Windows, Linux and Mac are affected. No earlier HADCM versions are affected. No HADSM, HADSMMH or HADAM models contain the bug. If you have a HADCM model, check in your BOINC Manager Tasks tab whether it is version 6.02.

On 22 October HADCM version 6.04 replaced the defective version 6.02. The defective models will produce valid data for the Geoengineering Experiment so it will be very useful if members with 6.02 can complete them.

What is the problem?

The model creates a lot of temporary files which should be deleted when the model trickles and uploads its 10-year zip file. The names of the files end \'.nc\'. However, the model doesn\'t delete these files, which then accumulate in the model\'s folder. By the end of a 160-year model these unwanted files will occupy about 6.5GB of extra disk space. The files will occupy up to 26GB on a quad-core computer running four of them. This could cause the models to use up all the disk space allocated to BOINC and crash.

What can we do?

Solution 1

a. Check how much disk space your computer has allocated to BOINC. Look in the Disk section of BOINC Manager to see whether BOINC has enough extra space available to complete your HADCM 6.02. If there is plenty of extra space, you need do nothing now.

b. When the model has completed and you have no running CPDN models, in your BOINC Manager Projects tab select ClimatePrediction and click the Reset button. This will delete all your old CPDN files.

c. Or you can delete the folder for this model only, after completing it, by going to BOINC (or BOINC Data if you have BOINC v.6) > Projects folder> climateprediction.net > Name of this model > select it > delete.

Solution 2

If BOINC has not got at least 7GB per problem model of unused disk space allocated, your disk may be big enough to allocate extra space to BOINC. In your BOINC Manager Advanced menu select Preferences. In the Disk and Memory Usage tab, increase the number in \'Use at most ***Gigabytes disk space\' by 7GB per problem model. Click OK. Close that window.

When the model has completed, you can delete the very large model folder by following 1b or 1c above.

Solution 3

You can delete the unwanted .nc files. You should do this several times during the life of the model. Deleting these files is surprisingly easy!

a. Back up the complete contents of your BOINC folder (if you have BOINC v.5) or your BOINC Data folder (if you have BOINC v.6). If you aren\'t sure how to back it up, find the simple method here. Backing up first isn\'t strictly necessary; it\'s just a precaution.

b. Empty your computer\'s Recycle Bin before you start deleting. So if you accidentally delete a wrong file it will be easy to find and restore.

c. Write down the name of the problem HADCM model.

d. Do not delete the files while the model is crunching 1 - 10 December of the model year. This is the annual post-processing period when we shouldn\'t delete any files.

e. Exit completely from BOINC. Exiting isn\'t strictly necessary; it\'s another precaution.
In BOINC Manager File>Exit.
If you have BOINC installed as a service, BOINC Manager>Advanced view>Advanced>Shut down connected client. This will shut down the service. Then File>Exit to close down BOINC Manager.

f. Find your BOINC or BOINC Data folder.
If you have BOINC v.5 with Windows it will probably be in C:\\Program Files\\BOINC, or if you have Vista, C:\\BOINC.
If you have BOINC v.6 with Windows it will probably be in C:\\Documents and Settings\\All Users\\Application Data\\BOINC.

g. Open the BOINC folder by double-clicking on it.
Open the Projects folder.
Open the climateprediction.net folder.
Find the folder for the problem HADCM model. Open it.
Find its Dataout folder. Open it.
Now you will see all those unwanted .nc files!

But there are parts of three groups of .nc files we must not delete. These groups have names like

l0y7fa.pek1c10.nc (all about 5.386KB)
l0y7fa.pek2c10.nc

l0y7fa.phk1c10.nc (all about 259KB)
l0y7fa.phk2c10.nc

l0y7fo.pfk1c10.nc (all about 522KB)
l0y7fo.pfk2c10.nc

Notice the letters
pe, ph and pf in those names. These three groups of files are created each model year and used to create the next decadal means to be uploaded to the server. So the files for the model\'s current decade are still needed and must not be deleted.

Now notice that after pe, ph and pf there\'s a letter (k in this example) then a number, 1 or 2 in these examples. These numbers signify the year of the decade. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0 for a complete decade.

In the pe, ph and pf groups we must only delete files for completed decades. Find the last file whose number is 1. Delete the files older than that. (If your model hasn\'t completed its first decade don\'t delete any files in these groups.)


There are also other groups of nc. files. All can be deleted.

Select the .nc files singly or in groups and delete them.
Close the window.

h. Check in your Recycle Bin that you have only deleted .nc files. If you find a file you deleted in error, highlight and restore it.

i. Restart BOINC and your model. When it is running properly and has sent its next trickle, empty your Recycle Bin.


If you have any questions about HADCM v.6.02 please post in this thread.
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Richard Haselgrove

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Message 35368 - Posted: 25 Oct 2008, 10:20:51 UTC

A good time to do the sort of housekeeping Mo is recommending is just after your model has completed a 10-year data upload. At these points in the processing cycle, there are no .nc files of any permanent value in the dataout folder, and any remaining ones can be safely deleted. BUT ONLY DELETE FILES DESCRIBED AS \"NC File\" BY WINDOWS.

I usually check on a model\'s progress using BOINC Manager, so the safe times for deleting all NC files are at progress stages

12.600% - 13.000%
25.100% - 25.500%
37.600% - 38.000%
50.100% - 50.500%
62.600% - 63.000%
75.100% - 75.500%
87.600% - 88.000%

Those stages are safe for all HADCM models: those with the longer 160 year versions have additional opportunities at 6.300%, 18.900% etc., and those with the shorter 80 year models have a little bit longer than the ranges I\'ve suggested.

However you check it, the guiding principle is: the safest time is after the big 10-year upload has completed, but before the next trickle is due.
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Message boards : Number crunching : Bug in HADCM v.6.02

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