Folding Forum

Could a server run Folding@home? If so, are there any servers that are currently doing this? I'd assume they'd be a lot faster both processing WUs and uploading/downloading them.

For some info regarding these questions: viewtopic.php?f=38&t=20427

If it runs on an x86 processor(s) and runs a supported OS (or can emulate a supported OS), then yes, a server can fold. A lot of the machines running bigadv (and, starting Jan. 16th, the only machines capable of running bigadv for now) are higher-end workstation/server class hardware, and there are a number of IT people who have the machines under their care folding when not doing their primary tasks.

Servers aren't inherently better at folding, though. You could easily build a server with a dual-core processor if you didn't expect much traffic; both Intel and AMD make low-end server chips that are outclassed by high-end consumer parts, as oftentimes people running servers are more concerned with uptime than raw speed (server chips usually come from the best batches because of the reliability concerns). Servers' advantage in hardware comes at the upper end of the market, where you start getting into multi-socket motherboards and chips with more cores than any consumer model.

Network speed's more unfamiliar to me. In certain cases the volume of connections that a server has to handle is more important than the speed of those connections, so a server may not have overall faster connections than your typical desktop. There aren't a whole lot of projects from my memory outside of bigadv that have substantial upload sizes, so in most cases your average home network speed is not very much of a bottleneck; looking back at the SMP work my desktop has done, the largest regular SMP upload times I've seen are on the order of 20 seconds, and that's over a 2 Mbps upload line, far slower than my integrated ethernet is capable of handling (Cox doesn't think people need all that much in the way of upload speeds seeing as how I get 25 Mbps down but only 2 up). I'd imagine that any server with really high-speed networking hardware also has a very high-speed connection in the building, and that your average desktop with an integrated 10/100/1000 ethernet jack could probably take as much advantage of that network as a single connection from the server.

As previously mentioned lots of people use server class hardware to fold on. Some people use proper servers - either at home or at work. Others just get the bare minimum of hardware required to get one up and running and off they go. Server hardware is the only sensible way to get max PPD or to get lots of science done if you want to run SMP.

Personally i have 3 server class machines - 2 just fold and one is also my daily machine for gaming etc. If you are thinking of heading in a similar direction there are lots of threads both here and at many of the top team forums on what to buy, where to buy and how to set it all up.

To illustrate the raw power of a sever farm look up the stats for a team called HPCS, all serer's on extended burn n and chewing through WU like there is no tomorrow. this is a commercial server farm though and not doable by us mere folding mortals.

Jesse_V wrote:For some info regarding these questions: viewtopic.php?f=38&t=20427

I'm the OP on that thread, so I'll add some to that. I made a post later in that thread saying I had become discouraged since I wasn't familiar with SSH (using the command line to install FAH and run it) so I had given up but started it again last night. I have a server running CentOS Linux with a 3.4 GHz i7 using the v6.34 SMP. I used the Linux SMP guide and the wiki for info on installing it. It's basically the same as running it on a desktop, except it's on 24/7 regardless and there are UPS systems, generators, monitoring, etc. to make sure the server is up as much as possible.