BOINC projects
A 'BOINC project' is essentially a server that distributes jobs. Each project has a master URL, which exports RPCs directing the BOINC client to servers that distribute jobs and files. The master URL can also provide a public web site that describes the project and shows its status.
Volunteers can create "accounts" on projects. The BOINC client (which runs on worker nodes) can be "attached" to accounts on any number of projects.
Projects are independent; each one has its own applications, accounts, databases and servers.
Creating a project is relatively easy. An organization can create multiple projects, e.g. for testing new applications. A project can run entirely on a single computer (in fact, a computer can host multiple projects). A project can also be spread across multiple computers, so that it can handle large numbers of attached clients.
BOINC itself is based at UC Berkeley. Projects can ask to be 'vetted' by BOINC. BOINC operates a server at https://boinc.berkeley.edu with various functions:
- It provides a web site explaining what BOINC is, and showing a list of vetted projects.
- It provides downloads of the BOINC client for all supported platforms. These installers are 'signed' by UC Berkeley.
- It exports an RPC with the list of vetted projects. The BOINC client periodically fetches this list and uses it in the 'add projects' GUI dialog.
- It exports an RPC with the list of the current client versions. This is used by the BOINC client to notify volunteers when a new version is available.
The original assumption was that there would be many projects, competing for computing power (i.e. volunteers) by generating mass-media publicity and creating compelling web sites. In practice, the need to attract volunteers has been a major obstacle to the creation of new projects.
To address this, we created Science United (SU).
SU is an example of an account manager. Volunteers can attach the BOINC client to SU rather than to individual projects. They register (with SU) the areas of science they want to support. SU then dynamically directs their computing resources to projects in these areas.
SU eliminates the need for projects to do PR or create web sites. A new project working in an area (say, biomedicine) can register with Science United, and it will immediately get a share of the computing power of volunteers who support biomedicine.
BOINC Central takes this one step further. It lets scientists use volunteer computing without creating a BOINC project - or indeed knowing anything about BOINC. BOINC Central is a BOINC project that supports widely-used science applications (currently Autodock Vina). Academic researchers can submit batches of jobs to these applications via a web interface.