Severe lag spikes, using Process Lasso

[AnkH 2,233]

13 hours ago, GSalden said:

Written by SteveW :

http://www.codelegend.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=632

Ok, this method does not work on my end. Whatever number I use in the .bat file, after starting up the Software, according to the Windows Task Manager, all cores are assigned. I tried it with Active Sky, the .bat file fires up AS, but no effect of the affinity I set. Do I have to play around with the administrator rights? Furthermore, starting the .bat file creates a file called 1601 on my Desktop. I do not know, what this is...

[SteveW 1,792]

1 hour ago, AnkH said:

Ok, this method does not work on my end. Whatever number I use in the .bat file, after starting up the Software, according to the Windows Task Manager, all cores are assigned. I tried it with Active Sky, the .bat file fires up AS, but no effect of the affinity I set. Do I have to play around with the administrator rights? Furthermore, starting the .bat file creates a file called 1601 on my Desktop. I do not know, what this is...

Why not try with say Notepad first it's easy to manage - test that then insert your addon in place of notepad.

/affinity 9 =1001 in the example. Use WinCalc in Programmer mode see binary and decimal. 

In the example right at the top of the page:

"C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /c start "Notepad" /affinity 9 "C:\Windows\notepad.exe"

Starts Notepad.exe on 1001

[SteveW 1,792]

This comes up a lot and has been resolved since FSX came out.

If we change priority of P3D its resources become a different priority - that's bad for P3D in any sense. Especially bad is raising priority of P3D only to find it waits for the processes you forced lower. You can't "raise" priority, it will only lower other's priority.

Using any app to manage the Affinity of an app that does its own thing (P3D/FSX) is a mistake.

Some apps you can set affinity and they will still appear to use all cores after that (e.g. FSX) - Task Manager might not help you diagnose it. I have my own tools to look into the sim.

Edited April 17, 2018 by SteveW

[AnkH 2,233]

Why is Notepad easier to manage? It is so simple as you say and as you have written on your homepage, what I did:

"C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /c start "Active Sky" /affinity 3 "D:\HiFi\ActiveSky\AS_P3Dv4.exe"

nothing more. I tried with "3" and with "3072" (I use an 8700K with HT on), in both cases, AS is executed by the .bat file, fires up and uses all cores according to the Task Manager. And it writes a file on my desktop called "1601".

[SteveW 1,792]

1 minute ago, AnkH said:

Why is Notepad easier to manage? It is so simple as you say and as you have written on your homepage, what I did:

"C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /c start "Active Sky" /affinity 3 "D:\HiFi\ActiveSky\AS_P3Dv4.exe"

nothing more. I tried with "3" and with "3072" (I use an 8700K with HT on), in both cases, AS is executed by the .bat file, fires up and uses all cores according to the Task Manager. And it writes a file on my desktop called "1601".

Notepad starts in about 1/2 second saves time getting your .BAT right.

[SteveW 1,792]

When trying to work on problems don't mess around with two unknowns!

Break it down to the least unknowns.

We know Notepad works - check....get that going - check

Now add something like an addon  you do not know works or not....

 

Edited April 17, 2018 by SteveW

[AnkH 2,233]

Ok, will try with Notepad then... does not help a lot if Notepad works but AS no, as I do not want to run Notepad while simming ;-)

[SteveW 1,792]

Just now, AnkH said:

Ok, will try with Notepad then... does not help a lot if Notepad works but AS no, as I do not want to run Notepad while simming ;-)

Of course it helps because you know the technique works first.

The art of problem solving is progressing a stage at a time knowing that it's working up to that point. Then take the next step.

[AnkH 2,233]

I am pretty aware of problem solving approaches, no worries. However, if the problem is due to a single coding line only, I sometimes jump to a conclusion. My bad. Can't test it now, as I am not at home.

[SteveW 1,792]

7 minutes ago, AnkH said:

I am pretty aware of problem solving approaches, no worries. However, if the problem is due to a single coding line only, I sometimes jump to a conclusion. My bad. Can't test it now, as I am not at home.

Yes, I thought you did from experience of your posts in the past. I'm placing posts for others to find really, it helps those new to it.

Edited April 17, 2018 by SteveW

[SteveW 1,792]

...This is exactly why I recommend setting up with batch files first - see it working first in a known condition.

Are there any problems or anomalies - could be another component of the app has a problem. Check it all out first in the .BAT file.

Now we know the app works OK when we allow it to start only on certain cores - we need to know what we are doing there or we can scupper the performance.

After that we can allow PL to handle those suitable. We set PL to make sure they start on the restricted set of cores and not started on all cores then corralled into fewer because that can also cause problems.

[SteveW 1,792]

Applying AMs and changing Priorities will decrease the performance of that component with less cores, and if the component relies on other tasks completing, that will also result in loss of performance. That's OK when we know what we are doing and that's what we want.

[SteveW 1,792]

Sometimes, with some apps, after a certain number of cores, no amount of adding cores will increase performance. After that performance degrades and heat increases. As in all things - there's an optimum.

[ComSimPilot 623]

Thank you Steve! I followed your advice and now I start all my add-ons through a .bat file on cores 5 and 7, while I start P3Dv4 with an affinity mask of 85 on my 7700K, and everything runs super smootly now. I deleted Process Lasso completely. No blurries, smooth performance. A huge thank you! 

[SteveW 1,792]

2 minutes ago, Daedalus said:

Thank you Steve! I followed your advice and now I start all my add-ons through a .bat file on cores 5 and 7, while I start P3Dv4 with an affinity mask of 85 on my 7700K, and everything runs super smootly now. I deleted Process Lasso completely. No blurries, smooth performance. A huge thank you! 

You're welcome. Good work!