Beware Iceworlds

[Megacruncher]

Recently I've had a few a few CPDN model seizing-up usually in the last 1%. The clock keeps running but there is hardly any advance in the % done and the time to completion creeps up. If you check the graphics you see that the earth has turned into an iceworld where time stands still.

It has been noticed by others in this thread. If this happens to you it's basically time to abort the model! Or watch your RAC plummet.

[jockmacmad2]

Interesting note on that:-

Note 1 - The primary computers that occasionally have this problem are Windows PCs running on Intel Pentium 4 or later processors. It is unknown at this time why some models turn into iceworlds on this platform, and not on Macs, AMDs and any computer running Linux.

[Megacruncher]

Are you trying to imply that it totally undermines the scientific validity of the project if different platforms give different results? I hope not.

[MacDitch]

I think this is just on the HADSM3... models.

I had four of them running a few weeks back (that 20k upload) of which three finished with no problems and one basically stopped at 98%. I continued to run it for a few days (we do do this for the science right?) but it only increased 0.004% in 48 hours so I gave it up and aborted it.

[Megacruncher]

I continued to run it for a few days (we do do this for the science right?) but it only increased 0.004% in 48 hours so I gave it up and aborted it.

I think that it is generally agreed that the Iceworlds are scientifically worthless (after the big chill has set in anyway) and that abortion is the best option. Once it's aborted you can hn do some more science (& get more credits).