dedicated server performance with 1.16

[t-800a 151]

I have been playtesting DAC missions, with Silola and some other friends, nearly every evening in the last weeks and we were very happy how good our dedicated server performed.

But now with 1.16 the performance of the dedicated server has gone down drastically.

We have different missions on different Maps ( some of them on A3MP ) but all of them with Vanilla Units, and some of them with Addon Weapons for the Players.

These missions are now desgined to stress DAC and the server. This means we have around 400 AI that are created on mission start, and then reduces to around 150-200 who are effectivly present on the battlefield at once. Now that makes for a good amount of AI and scripts running to stress the server.

pre 1.16

Most missions had a DAC init time (the time it takes for DAC to create all waypoints, units, ...) of around 90 seconds for those testing missions. And the server ran while playing this missions around 20 to 30 FPS depending on how much combat is going on, etc.

A smaller mission on Caribou Frontier, more designed like a real COOP mission for 5-10 players had a init time of ~25s and ran at 50 FPS the whole time.

after 1.16

The stress test missions have a 200+ Seconds Init time and Server FPS is at 5 to 15. Even the smaller COOP mission has now a Init time of 60+ seconds and only runs at about 20 FPS.

Now we are wondering what has changed to the server, that the updated killed server performance for us. and yes we have tested this on different servers.

[SavageCDN 231]

I have noticed the same and there are problems with the 1.16 release as far as dedicated server goes. I would recommend joining the Arma 3 Dedicated server channel on Skype as Dwarden is making available 'performance binaries' (ie: new server .exe) which you can get access to from there.

You can PM me your Skype name and I can add you to the channel if you like.

PS: do you need more help testing? :p

[terox 316]

I passed Silola the link for the perf binaries a couple of days ago m8, he should have them

[silola 1086]

Hi,

yes...that's true, but I have no possibility to start the new exe (the service starts allways the arma3server.exe).

If I simply rename the new file, the server stops after a short time. I have contacted the support of Nitrado to find out how I can start another exe file.

But I still wonder why the performance is so bad after the latest update :-(

Greeting

Silola

[t-800a 151]

We just did a quick test with the performance exe on a root server. And the init times did not change ... this feels like the whole scripting engine is slowed down by factor 2.x ... :(

[kremator 1064]

Hmmm I'm not seeing this at all guys. At 250AI I'm still getting 50FPS on my dedi.

[gabberxxl 9]

Hmmm I'm not seeing this at all guys. At 250AI I'm still getting 50FPS on my dedi.

Same on my dedi, but clients fps are insanely low. Max of 40fps and 30fps avg, even when looking in the sky or at the ground. What are your clients fps and graphic settings?

[t-800a 151]

Hmmm I'm not seeing this at all guys. At 250AI I'm still getting 50FPS on my dedi.

If I run the missions lokal, on dedicated parrallel to my game, I also have no issues with them. eg. the Caribou Mission then runs on the Server at ~47 FPS and has a init time of 25-30. When Silola tests this lokal, he has no problem either.

But then, on the dedicated server, performance says goodbye. AI still reacts fine, but the whole scripting engine is very slow, and server fps as already described.

Same on my dedi, but clients fps are insanely low. Max of 40fps and 30fps avg, even when looking in the sky or at the ground. What are your clients fps and graphic settings?

This is not about my client FPS ... only about server FPS

Edited April 16, 2014 by t-800a

[thenach 10]

Using dedicated with Zeus or With VTS and so far with 250 AIs my CPS never goes down... stays at 47

[silola 1086]

Hi,

what means "CPS" ?

We have no idea why the performance is so bad, because we have changed nothing within the missions,

and we have carried out the tests on two different dedicated servers, with exact the same result :-(

Before the update we had excellent performance on all missions on our servers for weeks.

But now there's no more fun to test, because it's just frustrating :(

Silola

[TheBigOne_014 16]

Using dedicated with Zeus or With VTS and so far with 250 AIs my CPS never goes down... stays at 47

Same Here!

[kremator 1064]

Hi,

what means "CPS" ?

Silola

Hey Silola,

CPS is cycles per second, from ASM. It is VERY useful to see how the server is coping.

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?155881-Arma-Server-Monitor-%28very-small-but-useful%29

[silola 1086]

Ahh...thx Kremator!

Silola

[kremator 1064]

Normall when I find the CPS dropping the AI start to become stupid. Also with ASM, you can put FPSMin as one of the things to look at. This will dictate lag for players (or so I believe).

Looking forward to DAC :)

[silola 1086]

Hi,

I've uploaded a short video that shows you the problems we have...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uMFV1HF24E&feature=youtu.be

Not only the server FPS are very bad, but also the output of the sever is extremly different and I don't know why :(

I think that the game server provider does not install the "normal" Arma3 version, but a special server package.

Perhaps with this package is something going wrong. It's only an idea.

And as I said before ... with the version before the last update the dedicated server@nitrado runs smooth as my dedi server@home.

Greeting

Silola

[terox 316]

cps is cycles per second. (Basically the same as FPS on a client, but because the server doesn't create frames (Graphical) it's measured in cycles per second

Most of us use Freds A3 monitor which actually states the cps plus a lot more information that you may find useful while developing DAC

I run the dedi server package install without any issues, so I doubt it's that.

The data in/out would be very low if a lot of players were connected.

How many AI did you have on the map?

How many players were connected:

What are the server specs and the bandwidth settings in your arma3.cfg

can you also post the command line you are using to start the server

How did you get on with the performance binary, there's a No.2 w.i.p pending

Edited April 17, 2014 by Terox

[silola 1086]

Hi,

on both test missions (based on the video) exactly 300 AI and one player.

That's why I'm confused about the different data output :butbut:

commandline server@home:

"D:\SteamLibrary\SteamApps\common\Arma 3\arma3server.exe" -config=server.cfg

I do not know the bandwidth of my provider. But it should be large enough.

My own bandwidth is: 50MBit download / 8 MBit upload (VDSL)

Nitrado basic.cfg:

MinBandwidth=71457280;

MaxBandwidth=322428800;

MaxMsgSend = 1024;

MaxSizeGuaranteed = 1024;

MaxSizeNonguaranteed = 512;

MinErrorToSend = 0.020000001;

MinErrorToSendNear=0.020000001;

MaxCustomFileSize=0;

Unfortunately, I can not use any other exe than the original one at Nitrado.

The provider gave me a rejection.

I think that this problem can not really be solved only with the perfomance exe.

Silola

[SavageCDN 231]

"D:\SteamLibrary\SteamApps\common\Arma 3\arma3server.exe" -config=server.cfg

The dedicated server package (by default) is called Arma 3 Server so perhaps you are using the client install run as a server?

**sorry I read this as the path for your provider's server not your own home server **

Perhaps since you are using the client install as your home server there are differences? In Steam the dedi files are called Arma 3 Server

I'm sure Terox or I could set you up with a server to do testing if you can't get it worked out with your provider.

Edited April 17, 2014 by SavageCDN