HFM.NET - Client Monitoring Application for Folding@Home

[harlam357]

HFM.NET - Client Monitoring Application for the Folding@Home Distributed Computing Project

Homepage on Google Code: http://code.google.com/p/hfm-net/

Please see the Homepage on Google Code for the latest version.

Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/hfm-net/

Please see the Google Group for complete release notes, help, and support.

[harlam357]

New Version: 0.2.2 - Build 30 - Beta - Download

- md5: ab5884b637143d300f1cf6d8b3906a52

- sha1: 7aabe1ba456de88cc39fb3dd81d03b842fb93bbb

Change Log

• Fix: FTP Client Type Download on Linux (Mono).
• Fix: Frame calculations 'AllFrames' and 'EffectiveRate' were not persisting from session to session, would default back to 'LastThreeFrames'.
• Fix: Allow special keystrokes (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, etc) in Numeric only textboxes.
• Fix: Formatting error with links to individual clients on the standard web summary.html page (client links would not work when used with Firefox on Linux... Windows based browsers were fine)
• Fix: Show NotifyIcon (sys tray icon) after Form has been shown (user reported unhandled exception when double-clicking on Icon before main Form is shown).
• Fix: Current UnitInfo states now being saved correctly when leaving the current configuration (not just on shutdown).
  
  
• Change: Status Color Green is Color.Green (lighter) in lieu of Color.DarkGreen.
• Change: Halting lookup of unknown protein description when doing Web Generation. Eliminates "HFM.Helpers.ProteinData.DescriptionFromURL threw exception..." messages that appear unnecessarily.
• Change: Host Configuration - Validate 'Local Path' after returning from the Folder Browse dialog.
• Change: Added check for EOC XML Stats 'Status' to limit the number of XML data retrievals when the stats do not change (like what usually happens at 12 noon update).
• Change: Time based column alternate formatting to use leading 0 (i.e. 00min 00sec).
• Change: Don't show Save Dialog when user selects a "Save" operation and no Filename and no Clients are defined.
• Change: Added error dialog when Import FahMon Configuration yields no added clients.
• Change: Added error dialog when Configuration Load yields no added clients.
  
  
• Enhancement: Add support for finding duplicate Project (R/C/G) and User + Machine ID combinations (HTML Summary reflects these changes as well).

Upgrading HFM to the latest release

• When upgrading HFM, please take the new Zip file and extract it to the same location as your current install and overwrite the older files.
  
  
• The user settings are tied to the location of the HFM.exe file. So if you move or otherwise rename any directory in the path to the HFM.exe file, you will lose your custom settings. Please choose your install location wisely, I recommend a very generic folder name like "\Program Files\HFM". Settings will also not follow the application from machine to machine. It is possible to transfer them and I will post instructions on how to do so at a later time.

Primarily a bug fix/change release for a few issues that have been discovered by myself or brought to my attention over the last few weeks. Most notibly: 'AllFrame' and 'EffectiveRate' now persist from session to session. The Green Status Color has been changed to make it a ligher shade. Added another check on the EOC Stats refresh to help eliminate continuous refreshes when the stats do not change but have been updated (like what usually happens at 12 noon). Changed the Time based alternate column formatting to use a leading 0 (i.e. 00min 00sec) - this was requested, I think it's fine... but please let me know if you don't like it. I could add the non-leading 0 formatting back in and have another variation, and I might do this anyway but if you like the previous style telling me so will nudge me to add it back in sooner. Otherwise, quite a few changes 'under the hood' to prep for the future. I anticipate this being the last version under the v0.2 moniker. Version 0.3 should be next up baring anything major that crops up from this release. Here's a list of potential changes/enhancements to the next major milestone:

• Send E-mail or SMS text when detecting an EUE state.
• Dynamic Web Application Component (ASP.NET based WebApp fed data by HFM.NET client monitor).
• Auto-Run on Windows Startup option.
• Add Core Name and Core Version output to CompletedUnits.csv file.
• Add New Version Notification (possibly download and update as well).
• Option to show the entire FAHlog file in the HFM UI (in lieu of only the current WU).
• Others... and many 'under the hood' changes planned that I won't detail.

[harlam357]

70+ views and no comments from the TechReport crew?

I'd love some feedback.

[Dagwood]

I viewed the post but I do not have a need for this right now. It looks like more monitoring than I need. I have one client.

[sluggo]

70+ views and no comments from the TechReport crew?

I'd love some feedback.

Okay, here's some feedback. Dropping "donate" buttons in the two posts which serve to introduce the project seems to me to be out of line. I'm sure you spent a lot of time developing this platform and wouldn't mind recoving some money for your effort, but how about restraining those impulses and keeping the solicitations for funds on your site?

[harlam357]

70+ views and no comments from the TechReport crew?

I'd love some feedback.

Okay, here's some feedback. Dropping "donate" buttons in the two posts which serve to introduce the project seems to me to be out of line. I'm sure you spent a lot of time developing this platform and wouldn't mind recoving some money for your effort, but how about restraining those impulses and keeping the solicitations for funds on your site?

Dude... take it for what it is. I have threads about HFM.NET on 9 forums where Folding Teams reside. One formatted for vBulliten, one formatted for phpBB... it's just my standard post Top Post and standard Update Post when I release a new version. If you're reading the posts as "please give me money" then you're not reading the other 95% of the posts. May I reiterate... the software is FREE... GPL v2 code. Donation is a way for users to say "Thank You" if they wish. Geeze... again, take it for what it is... this project has been active for a three plus months now. I'm just posting about it over here for the first time as the other forums/teams have kept me quite busy.

I hate to get off on the wrong foot here with you guys... but I feel like you are the one who is out of line with your response.

[sluggo]

Dude... take it for what it is...
I hate to get off on the wrong foot here with you guys... but I feel like you are the one who is out of line with your response.

I'm not even close to being any sort of spokesperson for the general population here, so I shouldn't worry too much yet about getting off on the wrong foot with everyone else.

My objections to your post were, I thought, fairly clear and to the point. But just from a practical point of view, wouldn't it make more sense to solicit for donations after people have tried, approved, and adopted your project as useful tool rather than going with "Hi, my name's harlam, here's my cool program and a donate button and a list of donors"? You tell me.

Oh, and "Dude"? Really?

[farmpuma]

harlam357,

Welcome to the TR forums and thank you for creating another FaH monitoring program. There has been an empty space since Larry "TheWeatherman" quit supporting Electron Microscope (I hope he is OK), although I've managed to get by with FahMon.

There has been moderator discussion related to your introductory post. And like sluggo, I feel the inclusion of a donate button in your first post is a bit spamish. just brew it!'s opinion is to let it stand, however the chief administrator said, "If it was a program that wasn't about folding, would it be considered spam? I'd tend to think yes..." While I feel that free to download software presented in the appropriate forum is not spam, the chief does have a point and is the chief.

The Electron Microscope download page had a donate button and I was happy to donate for a program I used on many folding systems. The point being that many people consider a donate button in the introductory post to be poor form. I hope you take this in the spirit of the constructive feedback you asked to receive.

[just brew it!]

Donate buttons removed. To the OP: Check your PMs please.

[harlam357]

Oh, and "Dude"? Really?

Yes... Dude... I can't say Dude!?

harlam357,

Welcome to the TR forums and thank you for creating another FaH monitoring program. There has been an empty space since Larry "TheWeatherman" quit supporting Electron Microscope (I hope he is OK), although I've managed to get by with FahMon.

There has been moderator discussion related to your introductory post. And like sluggo, I feel the inclusion of a donate button in your first post is a bit spamish. just brew it!'s opinion is to let it stand, however the chief administrator said, "If it was a program that wasn't about folding, would it be considered spam? I'd tend to think yes..." While I feel that free to download software presented in the appropriate forum is not spam, the chief does have a point and is the chief.

The Electron Microscope download page had a donate button and I was happy to donate for a program I used on many folding systems. The point being that many people consider a donate button in the introductory post to be poor form. I hope you take this in the spirit of the constructive feedback you asked to receive.

Thank you for the welcome!

Although the feedback I was looking for was regarding the application, not my post... I do appreciate your constructive tone regarding my post.

I'm not going to get into the whys of my post formatting... I think it's clear by now that this post format was already established and I am just trying to share my work. Some forums have rules against donation links or anything else that can be viewed as solicitation. I did read the Forum rules and guidelines and I found nothing that prohibits such on these forums. If I missed something that would have spoken to such, I apologize and please point me in the right direction so I can be informed. I do see the rule against spam, but I hardly think my posts qualify as spam. However, in cases such as this... it's a matter of opinion.

Please know that I'm trying to form good relations with you guys... so I hate that this has blown up as it has. Besides one other forum I received no such response to the donation links in my posts... and the forum that did have the problem had it explicitly stated in their rules, so it was my fault. I've made it a point since then to read other forums' rules before posting a new thread regarding HFM.NET.

The links are gone and I hope we can put this behind us... I'm sure you'll all soon see that my application and I are here for the betterment of the FAH Project and not my own wallet.

Kind Regards,
-H

[harlam357]

New Version: 0.2.2 - Build 31 - Beta - Download

- md5: 9a0d3c858fc0c1bdd7fb2a68f152bd04
- sha1: 4eb65e8cb1b6ede4b7b35f4ec792a8de35bab4b3

Change Log

• Fix: Issue with Save As... function not using the file name supplied by the user in the Save As... Dialog. Was using current config file name instead... which in the case of a new configuration would result in an unhandled exception - Thanks augie!!!
  
  
• Change: Messages Window can now be closed using F7 key.
• Change: Now a single instance application (attempting to start HFM.exe again won't yield an exception, just a dialog telling you the app is already running).
• Change: User specific UI settings like log file splitter location, column indexes, and column sort are now being saved at the time they are changed... not just on application shutdown.
  
  
• Enhancement: HTML Summary now respects the 'Allways List Offline Clients Last' option.
• Enhancement: Add options to turn on/off the search for Duplicate User/Machine ID and Project (R/C/G) (HTML Summary reflects these changes as well).

Upgrading HFM to the latest release

• When upgrading HFM, please take the new Zip file and extract it to the same location as your current install and overwrite the older files.
  
  
• The user settings are tied to the location of the HFM.exe file. So if you move or otherwise rename any directory in the path to the HFM.exe file, you will lose your custom settings. Please choose your install location wisely, I recommend a very generic folder name like "\Program Files\HFM". Settings will also not follow the application from machine to machine. It is possible to transfer them and I will post instructions on how to do so at a later time.

A major fix for a nasty bug I created. If you're auto-loading a default config file, you probably didn't experience it. Couple other quick changes and enhancements based on user feedback. Please upgrade to avoid any problems saving your configuration files.

[SomeOtherGeek]

Just to let you know that I will be downloading it tonight and letting you know how get along with it. I'm sure it will work good. I like all the numbers on the grid, so I think it will rock me!

Hang tight and more is coming.

[SomeOtherGeek]

Yea, I like this one... I'll try it for a while... When I get the new node, many more will show. I have to find a way to show images, even flash...

[harlam357]

New Version: 0.3.0 - Revision 53 - Beta - Download

- md5: 9c7f1f2b20f0347bb09e4e1cafe81753
- sha1: fde168a5d04491da73058c0d1dc0ca56672913d8

Change Log

• Enhancement: Log Parsing... Log Parsing... Log Parsing... a new approach, more being identified, just a huge improvement in reliability and future enhancements.
• Enhancement: Add support for 'GettingWorkPacket' Status (Purple Status Color).
• Enhancement: Email Reporting - Configure a reporting Email Address and SMTP Server and option to report clients detected in a 24hr. EUE Pause state (not yet tested on live data).
• Enhancement: Encrypt sensetive data before storing in XML. This includes Host Server Passwords (encrypted the next time the configuration file is saved) and the following preferences fields: Proxy Server Password, SMTP Server Password, & HTML Output Folder or FTP URL (these fields will be encrypted on the first run of HFM v0.3.0).
• Enhancement: Support for Log Text Coloring. Current Color Key: Blue="Key" Line / Green=Frame Progress Line / Red=Core and Client Shutdown / Grey=Not Identified
• Enhancement: Add Auto-Run on Windows Startup option (tied to user account via reg key in HKCU).
• Enhancement: Update code to write Core Name and Core Version, Average Frame Time based on all frames, and upgrade support from previous file layout for CompletedUnits.csv.
• Enhancement: Indentify a Core Shutdown Result of "INTERRUPTED" and add these to the failed WU count.
  
  
• Fix: Altered code to use DateTimeStyle values specifically for Mono Framework. Mono does not appear to like the NoCurrentDateDefault style, which results in the DateTime.ParseExact method returning a DateTime equivalent to DateTime.MinValue. This yields a TimeOfDay equal to TimeSpan.Zero, which results in no frame durations being calculated. The bottom line... I BELIEVE THIS FIXES THE LOG PARSING ISSUES ON MONO!!!
• Fix: Use local volatile list in Messages Form to hold current Debug messages in lieu of accessing the current message lines from the TextBox. This appears to have solved the problem with messages that go "missing" from the Messages Form (most evident when running under the Mono Framework).
• Fix: Unhandled exception when double-clicking a client with the Ctrl key held down - Thanks ixor!
• Fix: Progress Column sorting. The value 100% was not being sorted properly (sorting was based on text value, now based on float value) - Thanks ixor!
• Fix: Benchmarks Form to use TableLayoutPanel. Now scales properly when using Large Fonts (120 DPI) - Thanks ixor!
• Fix: Project ID has to be known before any work unit data is added to the benchmarks data. Any data added by previous versions with a Project ID of 0 will be deleted upon entering the Benchmarks Form.
• Fix: Fixed a long standing bug that output an incorrect Expected Completion time on Instance web pages.
• Fix: Correct spelling of "occurred" in process start error messages (ProcessStartError Resource String).
• Fix: File name validation (as used by the Host Configuration Dialog). FAHlog.txt and unitinfo.txt file names could be entered with grossly unacceptable values.
  
  
• Change: Remove requirement for unitinfo.txt file to be present for log parsing to run.
• Change: Update Main Form and HTML Summary to draw "Unknown" when Download Time or Deadline is DateTime.MinValue.
• Change: SysTray Icon ToolTip to read "x Working Clients" and "x Non-Working Clients" to use the same nomenclature as the HTML Output.
• Change (for anyone building from source): ScriptedRelease config is the only config that runs Pre or Post Build events. It is to be used for CruiseControl.NET CI Server Builds. The standard Debug and Release configs are available to use without any third-party dependencies (MSBuild Community Tasks, NUnit, NCover, FxCop, etc). Set AssemblyVersion.cs Revision number to 0, only official releases should contain the Revision number. This file will be updated only with Major.Minor.Build from now on.

Upgrading HFM to the latest release

• When upgrading HFM, please take the new Zip file and extract it to the same location as your current install and overwrite the older files.
  
  
• The user settings are tied to the location of the HFM.exe file. So if you move or otherwise rename any directory in the path to the HFM.exe file, you will lose your custom settings. Please choose your install location wisely, I recommend a very generic folder name like "\Program Files\HFM".

I've been quite busy getting this ready the last month or so. The code has gone through so many changes that the notes above really just touch on the highlights. I really can't say much of anything else... long time coming.

Thank you for using HFM.NET.

[harlam357]

New Version: 0.4.0 - Revision 86 - Beta - Download (MSI) Download (Zip)

- md5 (msi): 3637aebf71f23d562fe1607bf2a208ea
- sha1 (msi): bca05e7ee40e98acd09886a64e99db96a22fb4bf

- md5 (zip): 1e3d2193becfb5ffae5480b3737c24bc
- sha1 (zip): 5894911479e20ae97a1806283fc3063646ef87bf

Change Log

• Enhancement: HFM.NET is now also delivered in an MSI Installer Package. This is now the preferred method for installing HFM.NET on Windows.
• Enhancement: Queue Viewer - for viewing information contained within the F@H client queue.dat file.
• Enhancement: Benchmarks Upgrades
  - Minimum & Avgerage Frame Time Graphs (bar colors user configurable)
  - Ability to remove all benchmarks associated with a specific Client ("X" next to client names).
  - Ability to remove all benchmarks associated with a specific Project (right-click on Projects).
  - Ability to refresh the Minimum Frame Time based on current cache of 300 Frame Durations (right-click on Projects).
  - Save Benchmark Graphs to file (png, jpeg, gif, tiff). - Note: emf file type crashes under Mono
• Enhancement: HTML Output Instance Pages - include the FAHlog.txt section for the active work unit.
• Enhancement: HTML Output Instance Pages - include a link to the full FAHlog.txt file.
  - Note: The option enable or disable the copy/upload of the FAHlog.txt files is available in the Preferences.
• Enhancement: Benchmarks and Messages Forms now save their Size and Position from session to session.
• Enhancement: Option to run the application minimized to the system tray.
  
  
• Fix: Bug causing partial cpu client frames to be detected as a full frame.
• Fix: HTML Output pages are now correctly marked as utf-8 and have their DOCTYPE set to HTML 4.01 TRANSITIONAL.
• Fix: (Mostly) Compatibility issues with GUI layout under 120DPI fonts (Windows only). There are still some small alignment issues with the queue viewer show/hide functionality.
• Fix: Grid Tooltip paints when entering a cell the first time, not continually. This fixes high cpu usage on Windows 7 (and probably Vista) due to continual redraw.
  
  
• Change: Text benchmark output only shows production lines when the client is running the benchmark project.
• Change: Reduced the number of simultaneous log retrieval threads from 64 to 20 (I believe I was starving the thread pool with too many threads).
• Change: Effective Rate is no longer based on a sliding value (current Date and Time). It is now based on the last log retrieval time for each client, yielding a fixed value between data refresh cycles.
• Change: VERY IMPORTANT!!!!
  - Due to UAC rules for installed applications under Vista & Windows 7 this version will move your BenchmarkCache.dat, CompletedUnits.csv, & CompletedUnits.0_2_2.csv files to your user's HFM.NET Application Data Folder. *
  
  * HFM.NET Application Data Folder (example locations)
  
  - Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\HFM
  
  - Vista / Windows 7: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\HFM

This will be the last version update post in this format. For the sake of simplicity and to make it easier on me to do version update posts on this forum and other forums, I have moved the content found in the Top Post of this thread into This Page in the HFM.NET Google Group. From now on these version update posts will simply be a post with the latest version number and links to the HFM.NET Google Code Homepage and HFM.NET Google Group.

Although I will continue to visit this thread periodically, the HFM.NET Google Group will now be the primary place to go for HFM.NET News, Discussion, and Support - enabling all users to converge in one central location. I encourage all HFM.NET users to join the Google Group. It's Free!

To easily keep up with the latest project news, subscribe to a HFM.NET News Feed!

• HFM.NET Google Code Feeds: http://code.google.com/p/hfm-net/feeds
  
  
• HFM.NET Google Group Feeds: http://groups.google.com/group/hfm-net/feeds

[harlam357]

New Version: 0.4.2 - Revision 92 - Beta - Download (MSI) Download (Zip)

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Need help with HFM? Have a Feature Request? Please Join the Discussions. Post in the HFM Google Group.

http://groups.google.com/group/hfm-net

[harlam357]

New Version: 0.4.6 - Revision 99 - Beta - Download (MSI) Download (Zip)

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Need help with HFM? Have a Feature Request? Please Join the Discussions. Post in the HFM Google Group.

http://groups.google.com/group/hfm-net

[theo343]

I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your monitor. Thanks!

[codedivine]

A suggestion : It will be helpful to post a short description of what the tool does on the google code homepage. Even 2-3 lines will be sufficient.

[theo343]

You mean like this?
http://groups.google.com/group/hfm-net/ ... ut-hfm-net which is linked on the top of this page http://code.google.com/p/hfm-net/

[harlam357]

@theo - Thank you for using HFM! Thanks also for the nod on the Features page - that's exactly what it's there for.

[harlam357]

New Version: 0.4.8 - Revision 121 - Beta - Download

Wow! Happy New Year Everyone! I'm pleased to announce that version 0.4.7 of HFM.NET was the most popular yet, with more than 500 individual downloads!!! Lots of good stuff planned for 2010. Start off by updating to v0.4.8. This is an incremental update with a few fixes - primarily a pretty big bug that surfaces when mangled SMP Client logs are encountered. Check the HFM Google Code page for downloads and details on the changes.

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Need help with HFM? Have a Feature Request? Please Join the Discussions. Post in the HFM Google Group.

http://groups.google.com/group/hfm-net

[harlam357]

New Version: 0.4.9 - Revision 154 - Beta - Download

Wow Again!!! (see my last release post) It's been a few since I've made an HFM update but I think it is well worth the wait. With the advent of the SMP2 client and readily available Bonus/KFactor work, HFM v0.4.8 hit an all time high in downloads for single version. Clock him in at over 2600 downloads!!! ...and I was all giddy about the 500 that v0.4.7 reeled in.

Check the HFM Google Code page for downloads and details on the changes.

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Need help with HFM? Have a Feature Request? Please Join the Discussions. Post in the HFM Google Group.

http://groups.google.com/group/hfm-net

[harlam357]

New Version: 0.4.10 - Revision 156 - Beta - Download

It has been brought to my attention that Stanford has rules against accessing their cgi-bin based pages and HFM violates those rules by accessing the Project Information pages in a scripted manner. Please note, HFM only attempts to access these pages when users enable the Web Generation option on the Preferences -> Scheduled Tasks Tab. Continued use of the Web Generation feature in ANY prior version of HFM MAY result in your IP being blacklisted by Stanford. Please update to avoid any undue action against your IP and undue load on Stanford's servers. I apologize to anyone who may have been blacklisted. I have asked the Pande Group if they would remove any user's IP from the blacklist if they come forth citing this issue with HFM. I assure you my intentions are for the betterment of the FAH community and in no way was I intentionally trying to violate the rules - I was simply ignorant of them.

What upsets me the most is that I am not the victim here, but rather my users are the victim. Again, I apologize if you were effected and I hope you will continue to use and support HFM.


Check the HFM Google Code page for downloads and details on the changes.

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Need help with HFM? Have a Feature Request? Please Join the Discussions. Post in the HFM Google Group.

http://groups.google.com/group/hfm-net

[harlam357]

New Version: 0.5.0 - Revision 180 - Beta - Download

Whew! Been a couple of months since I last came around huh? I'm pleased to annouce the availability of HFM v0.5.0 - which includes the long awaited "auto-update" feature. Just a couple (five) words about this.

You have the option to turn on or off the check for updates on start-up. The ONLY time HFM will auto-check for updates is on start-up. However, there is also a manual check in the Help Menu that will provide you more verbose feedback than the auto-check will.

What does this mean? It means I'll be able to deliever updates and fixes more quickly and easily. It means I will be in a thread near you even less often than I already am now. I have about 9 threads where I maintain/update this same information when I release an update. It's time consuming and I can easily spend several hours getting all my threads updated. So, for smaller, less significant updates my plan is to forego the usual thread updates since running HFM can now tell you when an update is available. I'm going to look into scheduling update checks or another means of ongoing notification since, if you're like me, you don't shutdown HFM that often.

When receiving an update notification you can download either the MSI or Zip distribution. If you're on Windows and download the MSI it will install once you exit HFM. No change to the Zip distribution, you're on your own.

Check the HFM Google Code page for downloads and details on the changes. As always, if you need to find me quickly, see below. I usually answer pretty quickly.

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Need help with HFM? Have a Feature Request? Please Join the Discussions. Post in the HFM Google Group.

http://groups.google.com/group/hfm-net