Change Log

Version 1.0 beta

Bug fixes to GApplication
Breaking API change: new namespace: Alchemi.Core.Owner includes the application specific classes such as GApplication, GThread, GJob etc. Please check the release notes for more information.
The Manager and Executor can now operate as Windows Services, enabling easier utilisation of compute resources without the need for a user to be logged in always.
Logging capabilities added to the Manager, Executor, Core API loge-events, such that easier debugging and error reporting is possible.
The Alchemi Console and other tools are enhanced to provide additional functionality such as GUI-based job submission and monitoring.

For maximum scalability, the Manager now uses SingleCall (previously Singleton was being used).
Manager now comes with a configuration file with CustomErrors off so errors are propogated to remote clients (previously, errors were not being propogated if a client was on a different machine).
Access to the scheduler for non-dedicated execution in the Manager is synchronised so multiple non-dedicated Executors cannot attempt to execute the same thread.
Stopping an application is now much faster and can also be done from the Console.
Aborting a thread on a dedicated Executor does not cause an error.

Executor does not compete with running applications for CPU time.
- Screensaver removed since Executor can now run all the time.
Role-based security:
- Any node connecting to the Manager must specify a username and password.
- Three groups of users: Administrators, Executors and Users.
- Default accounts for each group with username/password: admin/admin, executor/executor and user/user.
Alchemi Console: GUI monitoring/administration application with the following functionality:

User administration: adding users, modifying passwords.
System summary with processing power statistics and real-time graph of % power usage vs. power available.
List of Executors with statistics.
List of running applications with statistics.

GConnectionDialog component: allows the user to specify grid connection properties at runtime.
Hierarchical grids disabled until v1.0.0
Bug fixes.

VS.NET components for GApplication and GConnection, allowing drag-and-drop development.
Manager restructured to allow custom schedulers to be plugged in.
Security infrastructure in place.
Improved remote error handling model.
Bug fixes.

Bug fixes.
No need to compile the GThread-derived class separately as a .dll .. all code can be in a single file.
Windows XP style UI for Manager and Executor.

Bug fixes.
Fault tolerance: detection of disconnection of both dedicated and non-dedicated Executors and associated cleanup.
Fewer delays with dedicated scheduling.
Additional core functionality (abort thread, abort application etc.).
Grid threads now execute in a System.Threading.Thread on the Executor.
Error details (if any) of remotely executed thread available via the GThread.RemoteExecutionException property.
API for submitting and monitoring tasks/jobs (including example application).
Console user interface for submitting tasks/jobs and monitoring applications/threads and tasks/jobs (including example usage).
Parallel Mandelbrot set generator sample application using the thread model.