Hosting servers

[Adammo 0]

PVM is a freeware that allow you to hook MANY machines together to make one giant machine.

PVM PAGE

Many Universities use this method to do scientific calculations. I think that the OFP HOST servers could use this to OFFLOAD processing power to other machines around it.. Example would be to allow a OFP world the ability to run on lets say 2 or maybe even 50 pc's acting as one giant server.

PVM is not for everything.. Example you can't use it to play a DOOM and make it run any faster... But for processing of numbers, which OFP servers is doing, this would work great.

I noticed while monitoring my server using the #montor 5 command that once the FPS get down to < 7 desync starts climbing.. even though the output and input is still minimal.

To use PVM the program needs to be compiled for it. That means Bi Studios would need to put in HOOKs that would utilize the ability to dish out processor power to many machines... all of the instructions on doing this can be found on the link above.

This may solve at least the CPU utilization issues that OFP hosting servers hit when they get a lot of users online.

This runs on Windows and Linux and can be shared across both platforms in the same OFP server

Capt Moore

More CPU intensive missions.... BRING IT ON

[Hellek 0]

Well, the first step before making a cluster of machines is making a cluster of processors on one machine.

And both clusters and big multi-processor machines are too expensive for game servers.

Of course it would be cool to run OFP2 on "real" servers (meaning not "cheap" 2-CPU sytems with Intel or AMD CPUs but instead stuff like 16 processor Alphas with 32gigs of ram or as adammo said, clusters) but it is not realistical to expect anybody to host on such machines. Is there anybody who could afford a system costing 100k+ $$$ just for hosting a big OFP2-server?

And if there even was somebody rich and crazy enough to do that there would be lots of technical difficulties. To execute a program on many different CPUs (or even different comps) it needs to be designed specifically for that. So it would definately be a huge load of work for BI.

PS: You could of course make a cluster of cheap comps but you have to know that a cluster of 16 AMD 1400 comps is far away from performing like for example 8 AMD 2800 comps would and worlds away from the performance of a single comp with 16 processors.

So if you think something like "I have 7 fps with a single comp so 3 comps of the same speed would be enough as 21 fps are sufficient", I have to tell you that with a cluster of 3 comps you would never come close to 21 fps, I doubt that a cluster of 4 would reach them.

PPS: My father is working at a Univercity and therefore I have some experience with fast servers and workstations (but never logged in on a cluster yet) and I can tell you that those things are damn expensive. Of course it would be cool if BIS would release a ded. server for (in my case) Alphas (I have one which they don't need any more) but I guess that except me, only a handfull of other people would use it.

PPPS: Anyway, it would be good if BIS would make at least a ded. server for the AMD 64 bit processors (Opteron/Hammer) because they probably get many users and as they are 64bit you can use them for big systems (32bit comps can only access 4gbyte ram which is not much for servers, 64bit comps can access, hmm, well, a lot (2^64 I think but I am too lazy to calculate now)).

PPPPS: Sorry if my post sounds a bit confusing, I am so tired now and probably should delete the post and rewrite it tomorrow but I already is so much text, don't want to rewrite it ...

[Lt_Damage 0]

I'm looking at one of these for our Australian based OFP2 server:

BL20P 3.06GHZ 2P-1GB

Two Intel Xeon 3.06 GHz processor standard, up to 2 supported. 512-KB Level 2 writeback cache memory per processor. 1024-MB to 8-GB of 2-way interleaved capable PC2100 ECC DDR (2 X 256 MB) memory. Three Compaq NC7781 PCI-X Gigabit network adapters (embedded) 10/100/1000T with WOL and PXE. One additional 10/100T network adapter dedicated to Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) Advanced Management. Smart Array 5i Plus Controller integrated on system board. No hard drives ship standard. Up to 293.6-GB maximum internal storage with optional hard drives. No optical drives included. Plugs vertically into Compaq ProLiant BL p-Class Server Blade Enclosure. Dual Port Fibre Channel Card provides redundant SAN connection optional.

I can get them for around $7000AUD should run two OFP 2 servers quote comfortabley with room for expansion.

I buy servers at cost as I work closely with HP/Compaq but its still big dollars.