Re: [Boost-users] [mpi/serialization] Potential bug or just library misunderstanding?

Subject: Re: [Boost-users] [mpi/serialization] Potential bug or just library misunderstanding?
From: Júlio Hoffimann (julio.hoffimann_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-09-30 14:55:34

Hi Tim,

I don't know, maybe is the way stdlib containers requests memory? As far as
i know, push_back() member functions sometimes allocates more than the
strictly necessary amount to avoid doing this many times for each element
inserted. Maybe the constructors in a nested stdlib type like
std::map<int,std::vector<> > are doing something that compromises the
approach?

As a user of the library, i never get into the details. Would be great if
some maintainer of Boost.MPI could explain what is happening. I never see
any of them answering questions on this mailing list tough. Yes, this is
sad. :-(

Good luck,
Júlio.

2011/9/30 Tim Jacobs <tjacobs2_at_[hidden]>

> Thanks for the reply Julio. I thought that the purpose of using the
> skeleton/content approach was precisely to deal with situations such as
> this. The object (a map in this case) I am trying to send is fully populated
> when the skeleton is sent and thus it's "shape" does not change and the
> buffer should be of the appropriate size. If this is not the case then how
> does one go about sending a std::map at all? Also, I'm failing to see how
> this situation differs from sending a std::vector, which works fine.
>
> Thanks again,
> Tim
>
>
> 2011/9/30 Júlio Hoffimann <julio.hoffimann_at_[hidden]>
>
>> Hi Tim,
>>
>> This is not a bug, the MPI_ERR_TRUNCATE is related to the underlying MPI
>> implementation and occurs when the receive buffer is lesser than the message
>> size. For to use the Boost.MPI skeleton and content approach you must
>> guarantee a fixed "shape" object. So, for example, you should not use this
>> approach with boost::optional<> unless you know it's state beforehand
>> because it's "shape" depends on it. (as a discriminated union, it could be
>> seen as a one element or a empty container)
>>
>> In other words, Boost.MPI can deal with all Boost.Serialization types, but
>> not all of them are adequate to do "skeleton and content" in common tasks.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Júlio.
>>
>> 2011/9/30 Tim Jacobs <tjacobs2_at_[hidden]>
>>
>>>  I'm not sure why the following test-class produces this error:
>>> "MPI_Recv: MPI_ERR_TRUNCATE: message truncated"
>>>
>>> If the std::map has only a single element (ie I remove one of the
>>> test[].push_back() lines) the error does not occur. Can someone verify that
>>> this is indeed a bug and not just novice misuse of the library?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Tim
>>>
>>> #include <boost/mpi.hpp>
>>> #include <boost/serialization/string.hpp>
>>> #include <boost/serialization/vector.hpp>
>>> #include <boost/serialization/map.hpp>
>>>
>>> int
>>> main( int argc, char * argv [] )
>>> {
>>>   boost::mpi::environment env(argc, argv);
>>>   boost::mpi::communicator world;
>>>
>>>   if(world.rank()==0){
>>>       std::map<int, std::vector<std::string> > test;
>>>       test[1].push_back("FOO");
>>>       test[50].push_back("BAR");
>>>       world.send(1, 1, boost::mpi::skeleton(test));
>>>       world.send(1, 1, boost::mpi::get_content(test));
>>>       std::cout << "sent" << std::endl;
>>>   }
>>>   else{
>>>       std::map<int, std::vector<std::string> > test;
>>>       world.recv(0,1,boost::mpi::skeleton(test));
>>>       world.recv(0,1,boost::mpi::get_content(test));
>>>   }
>>> }
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Boost-users mailing list
>>> Boost-users_at_[hidden]
>>> http://lists.boost.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/boost-users
>>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Boost-users mailing list
>> Boost-users_at_[hidden]
>> http://lists.boost.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/boost-users
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Boost-users mailing list
> Boost-users_at_[hidden]
> http://lists.boost.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/boost-users
>