New PS3 client

Sony has released an upgraded client for the PS3.  Check out Noam Rimon's  (he's the lead developer at Sony) post:

Hello,

Starting today a new version of Folding is available. This version is a minor fix to the previous 1.3 version and adds a better tuned algorithm that handles peak performance hours of Folding@home network, by acting differently to certain network errors if those occur.
It is recommended that you update to the new version by quitting the application and restarting it. Your current WU will not be damaged in any way, in-fact Folding will continue from the exact point you have stopped it.
Please also check the official Sony Folding site here: http://www.scei.co.jp/folding/en/update.html

We can already see a stabilized network activity for the last 5 days. With the new update we are certain that the network will continue to be stable for good.
At this point I would like to thank people again for being patient and continue to donate to our project while Stanford & Sony was working on the fix.

Thanks,
Noam
Sony Development Team

The upgrade should significantly improve the networking performance.

Comments

[Eric]

Thanks for working so hard to get the problem resolved!

[Zach]

Downloading right now. Good job.

[JR]

Thanks

[PAPO]

I have quit and restarted folding@home about half a dozen times on my PS3 since the release o the new client and it hasn't updated

[Amahl2442]

After this latest revision, my folding client froze at about 1am this (Sunday) morning. all I was able to see was the starry screensaver background. Tried restarting, tried a hard reboot, nothing could get the ps3 to post. took out and reinstalled the hard drive. Called Sony - they said there's nothing they could do, talk to Stanford. This latest client revision killed my PS3. I am RMAing the whole thing, as it is still (barely) under warranty. I would like some answers as to why Stanford would release a folding client that has not been tested fully for stability. Seriously guys, I hope mine is an isolated incident, but losing my PS3 because I want to help with Stanford's folding project is pretty lame. -Amahl2442, folding team 45862 (PlanetAMD64)

[Ratchet]

I had the same problem as Amahi2442, but it didn't corrupt anything. It froze and I just pressed the PS button and quit the application, and then the screen went blank. I waited a few minutes, then decided to unplug the PS3, and then plug it back in, and it worked fine. I resumed folding right after that, with no problems. I have no idea what happened, but the controls were unreponsive, and it wouldn't eject the disc that was in the console. It seems that there were no damage done, so that's good. Keep up the good work, Stanford & Sony guys.

[OklandRaiders1]

I think that I'm NOT getting credit for any of the work units that I have completed. I have completed 3 but show 0.

[314159]

Sat for 2 hours trying to upload a p4000 with the new client!

Indicator reflected up to 5% then would drop to 3%, 2%, back to 5% and then do another unsuccessful retry.

It also tied up my 45 plus cpu LAN during the period. Bandwidth almost totally disappeared.

This is NOT a fix unless the problems are caused by earlier server side modifications.

Recommend strongly that you wait to upgrade!

BTW,with this one (of three) PS3's turned off, the LAN problem was resolved.

[314159]

Another BTW :-)

A p2569 is due to complete around 3AM EST. Work server, xx.65.83 now shows as "internal use".

Turning off all PS3's until this situation is resolved (have plenty of WUs going up anyway).

[jumijoze]

Amahal2442, you removed the harddrive while the ps3 was running?
The severe damage may be a result by your actions ;)

Also encountered one freeze yesterday while using the browser in f@h, but rebooting worked

[John Swain]

Everyone, thanks for the warnng about problems with the new client. After the 1.3 fiasco, I was worried about the new client. I think I will wait on downloading the new client unless I am forced to because of having to re-boot. At the first sign of a problem, I think I will then unplug the PS3, put it back in the box and trade it in for an XBox360 since I bought it only for folding.

John

[Amahl2442]

jumijoze, of course the PS3 was powered down and disconnected when I removed the hard drive. and I also tried unplugging it after it was powered down, as Ratchet did, but for me, each time I tried powering it back up, it would return to the same frozen background screen. So it's going back to Sony. Fortunately, they said they'd send me a replacement while it's being repaired. Wish I'd waited to upgrade the client!

[Baowoulf]

I updated to 1.31 without a problem. Now I know some people might have geniue serious issues but you are all trying the little things right?

1. Hard reset with modem and router

2. Clearing dust from PS3 vents. I recently stupidly just realized that there are vents underneath the front part of the PS3 above the USB ports on that long stretch.

3. Keeping the vents on the right side clear of dust.

4. Keeping your electronics on surge protectors.

5. Doing the troubleshooting steps in the PS3 manual in case it's a PS3 problem and not just a F@H problem?

[Baowoulf]

err #3 should be keeping the right side of the PS3 open so air can move in and out and cool down the PS3.

[Amahl2442]

Yes, done all that except for possibly 3. I do remove dust regularly with a mini vac, but I have not taken the unit apart and done a thorough cleaning for fear of warranty issues. The unit does get hot, but from what I've read this is normal. Thanks though.

[Baowoulf]

I guess that sounded kind of bad I mean keep the area in front of the vents on the right side clear for #3. Not the PS3 itself lol.

Are you saying your PS3 won't work at all or just the F@H part? If it's the whole PS3 is there any order to the lights that turn on when you try to power up your PS3?

[lynx]

now back to the new GPU clients \o/

[Cajun_Don]

I know Pande Group has been very busy with resolving problems with the PS3, but there is also a severe problem with the only one Win SMP Server.

Why can't we get more than one Win SMP Server?

Server 171.64.65.64 in Reject Mode Again!!!

This is the only Win SMP Server and it is in reject mode again. I can't upload 2 WUs or download a new WU for 2 rigs. A waste of my equipment and the cost of energy for nothing being worked on AGAIN!!!

WE NEED ANOTHER WIN SMP SERVER. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS MONTH IN REJECT MODE, AND A WASTE OF TIME FOR MORE THAN 24 HOURS.

PLEASE do something to resolve this problem, or I will cease to fold with my farm of 6 rigs. and sell my equipment at a lost, and save my cost of energy. I don't need this frustration!!!

I'm willing to donate several hundred dollars, if this would help resolve the Pande Group Win SMP server problems.
server problems.

Thank you.

[Powers Foss]

I want to know why the PS3 gets so few points per core than the PC clients? For example, a Core 2 Duo running the SMP client gets about 1500+ points per day and a quad core gets over 3000 points per day. All the while our 8-core PS3s are getting about 1000 points per day.

What's the deal with that? With off-the-shelf components you can build a q6600 for about $500 with components from Fry's and get 3 times the points you can get on a $399 40 GB PS3. Why is the PS3 being discouraged in this way?

[Amahl2442]

Are you saying your PS3 won't work at all or just the F@H part? If it's the whole PS3 is there any order to the lights that turn on when you try to power up your PS3?

Posted by: Baowoulf | February 18, 2008 at 10:49 AM

Baowoulf, saw your posts on foldingforum.org, Folding Killed my PS3 Again thread. Yup the whole shebang is gone. The green light comes on first, but it skips the opening menu and goes straight to the (frozen) folding client. i can put a disk in and the blue light comes on, but that doesn't really help anything. Doesn't respond to input from the controller or the remote.

[team 76294]

odd, about all you guys said your having trouble! i have updated mine just a few minutes this post was launched and been running the software since (one work unit a day, about 8 hours) and i had no trouble installing, i had no problems at all so far!

[team 76294]

also i have been reading some of the posts, and i noticed one said normaly his gets hot, odd, mine don'ti left mine run F@H and mine was still blowing out cold air! very strange!
i got the 80GB (i herd you can put a bigger HDD in the ps3! so i am planning on getta 250GB or more to put into it!)

[Baowoulf]

The green light comes on first, but it skips the opening menu and goes straight to the (frozen) folding client. i can put a disk in and the blue light comes on, but that doesn't really help anything. Doesn't respond to input from the controller or the remote.

Posted by: Amahl2442 | February 19, 2008 at 07:34 AM

Sounds like a HDD problem. But you probably already know that. Maybe it got corrupted while downloading. I think Sony should have helped you instead of sending you to Standford. Have you tried reformating or reinstalling the software on the HDD?

If those don't work I'd say you might have to get a new HDD or might have to send it to Sony if they can somehow fix the HDD or replace it.

[J_Rivers]

Well, I updated to 1.31 & for the most part, everything is fine. Uploads & downloads work fine & I haven't experienced any crashing problems.

The only two negative things to report is that the limited browser usage continues to freeze & I keep getting signed out of PSN.

[justin]

does anybody know where i can download the "recommended music" (the piano music) that plays while F@H is running. i let F@H run right now just so i have something nice to listen to while im studying.