What is Pending Validation?

On most projects, at least two tasks are sent out to different hosts. Those hosts will usually have different CPU makes (in some cases even GPUs) and different cache lengths (the amount of work one wants to have in store to cover for project outages).

The project doesn't take all data back and puts it in a database, it'll want to verify that the data you sent back isn't just a chapter of your favorite Sci-Fi book. And thus, they validate it against another computer.

Only when both results from both computers match each-other, is a copy put in the science database, credits granted etc. If they do not match, a third copy of this task is sent out and done by another computer. When that one sends its result back, that gets checked against the two that were available before. The result matching the third one gets credit, the one not matching does not get credit.

Since deadlines differ per project, it can take quite a while for tasks to get credit, especially if it has to wait for someone else's deadline to pass before it's sent out again and then returned. We're talking months here, in some cases even half a year.

Original writer	Original FAQ	Date
Jorden	526	10-05-2010