ARMA2 Dedicated = 25% CPU Max ?

[Ofcra_Leon 10]

Hi guys,

I don't know if it is the good section but i got a question about CPU usage on dedicated (windows)

We tried nearly all setting and we are unable to make server use more that 1 Core at all.

Here is the cpu usage depending core affinity :

1 Core = 100 % Usage

2 Core = 50 % Usage of each core

3 Core = 33 % Usage of each core

4 Core = 25 % Usage of each core

So in fact we never use more than 25 % of the Xeon Cpu

Is this an exec limitation or do i miss something ?

Regards,

[gossamersolid 155]

have you monitored it when the server was full of players?

[Ofcra_Leon 10]

Yes

Its like there was a limitation on cpu usage (overall usage)

[Jwam 0]

I've got the exact same problem here.

I was alone on the server while monitoring.

I ran a mission with a lot of AIs and buildings.

I got 11-15 FPS on the server using the #monitor command ingame. I thought that having such a low FPS rate was due to an overload of the server.

When I switched back on the server and checked the CPU usage, It was only using 25% CPU.

Why doesn't it automatically use more resources while overloading ? Is it a normal behavior ?

Thanks in advance for your help :)

Edited June 27, 2010 by Jwam

[Taxman 10]

you could try the -cpucount=4 parameter... OR get yourself Firedaemon.... and you can tell it which cores to use and run it as a service... great program..

[Jwam 0]

Hi Taxman, thanks for your answer.

When I set cpucount=4, the server uses 4 cores up to 25 %

When I set cpucount=3, the server uses 3 cores up to 33 %

When I set cpucount=2, the server uses 2 cores up to 50 %

When I set cpucount=1, the server uses 1 core up to 100 %.

It did the same when I was using a program to allocate a program to several cores.

[Taxman 10]

hmmm. now thats interesting... never realised that Jwam matey.....

[Ofcra_Leon 10]

i use serverdoc to manage 5 arma servers and results are the same as jwam

[columdrum 11]

I also noticed that some moths ago, if you find any solution to make the server use all the cores at 100%( when needed :P), post it! :D

[whisper 0]

Until recently (and it's still the case in 1.05), server was only using 2 threads, 1 for main game, 1 for AI.

Are your missions using many server-calculated AIs?

[Dwarden 1124]

tried use exThreads=0 and tried use exThreads=1

?

thanks ...

[Jwam 0]

I also noticed that some moths ago, if you find any solution to make the server use all the cores at 100%( when needed :P), post it! :D

Of course colum, if I find anything new, I will post it here.

Until recently (and it's still the case in 1.05), server was only using 2 threads, 1 for main game, 1 for AI.

Are your missions using many server-calculated AIs?

Hi whisper.

I monitored the server with many missions, including massive PvP games and also massive coops full of AIs. Both with 1.05 and 1.07.

Unfortunately, I haven't noticed any difference in CPU usage. If I do not set any value for the "cpucount" parameter, it will use the 4 cores up to 25 % only, in any kind of missions.

I'm using Windows Server 2008.

Aren't you experiencing the same behavior ? Could you, server admins, take a look at your server CPU usage during huge games and report here ?

I googled about this alot, and I was surprised not to find other guys facing this problem. Maybe it's just happening to us, or maybe nobody checks the server resources while playing. I don't know..

Thanks for your help.

[columdrum 11]

I'm using Windows Server 2008.

I am also using Windows Server 2008, if that matters,but i think that most of dedicated server (on windows) are running it.

I tried all -cpucount and various server.cfg settings without sucess. I will try the new -extreaths parameter today.

Aren't you experiencing the same behavior ? Could you, server admins, take a look at your server CPU usage during huge games and report here ?

A coop game of 35+ players, got cpu(total of 4 cores) %15-23 , and fps of the server dropped to 10fps sometimes. There was only some desycn problems but i think that the fps shouldn't drop until all cpu % are used.

Edited June 28, 2010 by columdrum

[Ofcra_Leon 10]

I tried every exthread config possible and 30% is the max cpu usage value i saw

[nobrainer 0]

I can only speak for ArmA2 but after 1.07 I don't need any -exThreads at all.

Uses all 4 cores, not to the fully but it spreads it out evenly.

I'm using Win7 64-bit with 12GB memory

Don't seem to drop below 50 FPS for those coops we're playing.

Had to use -exThreads=7 some beta's ago to utilize more than 2 cores.

[Jest 10]

It still seems on heavy AI missions, all of the AI processing gets stuck into one Core. Even after reaching 100% of that core, the AI won't spill over into any other Core.

If a PVP mission is ran, the process is spread out perfectly over all of the cores and 50fps is easy even when crowded.

[columdrum 11]

Same issue is still in the lastest version, just yesterday in a 50+ player coop the server where at 2-10fps all the time and only ussing 20% of total CPU ussage :(.

[ArmaholicBR 10]

Our server has a different problem, Server FPS goes from 30-50, very smooth gameplay, but sometimes at 50 FPS there's a hang and you can move, but all other units you see freeze for 1-2 seconds, coming back to normal after that period. You can see a HUGE server FPS drop during those seconds, going to 5-10, going back to 50 shortly. Problem has been going on for some time now and we don't know what could be done..has anyone dealt with something like this?

We are running ARMA2:CO on a Win 2008 R2 dedicated..I have tried most BETAS since 1.54..

Tyvm!

[visceralsyn 10]

I've been messing with the ArmA² and the ArmA² CO deddy servers for LAN setup, with Server-2K3 and Mandriva 2010.

When running under Winders, basically... it ran like poop, runny poop at that. Freezes, Server-FPS dips to the teens, were kinda normal.

When I switched to Mandriva 2010, both ArmA² and one of the Beta Exe's, run like a hot knife, through melted butter. ArmA² CO didn't seem to have as many issues, so have not tested any OA Beta Exe's. The frequency of that Server-FPS dip, is waaay less, and only to upper 30's now. Test runs on Warfare missions, Benny's and release MPMissions.

Likely to put CentOS Linux on it, and chuck Mandriva 2010.

Running on a Dual Core 'Wolfdale' Xeon E3110, I've seen it use 55% ~ 60% cpu usage.

...Syn...

Edited November 8, 2010 by VisceralSyn
typos and other grammatical errors, as usual...

[ArmaholicBR 10]

I've been messing with the ArmA² and the ArmA² CO deddy servers for LAN setup, with Server-2K3 and Mandriva 2010.

When running under Winders, basically... it ran like poop, runny poop at that. Freezes, Server-FPS dips to the teens, were kinda normal.

When I switched to Mandriva 2010, both ArmA² and one of the Beta Exe's, run like a hot knife, through melted butter. ArmA² CO didn't seem to have as many issues, so have not tested any OA Beta Exe's. The frequency of that Server-FPS dip, is waaay less, and only to upper 30's now. Test runs on Warfare missions, Benny's and release MPMissions.

Likely to put CentOS Linux on it, and chuck Mandriva 2010.

Running on a Dual Core 'Wolfdale' Xeon E3110, I've seen it use 55% ~ 60% cpu usage.

...Syn...

Thanks for your answer, I thought i could be doing something wrong, since I didn't see those hangs on AAS servers...even with lots of players.

Our server FPS drops to 15 or so but other units on screen freezes completely for 1-2 seconds, coming back after those seconds..I can move during the freeze tho..it's annoying our players already..

I think that it's somehow is related to the basic.cfg performance values..can anyone confirm that?

[palerider 10]

I've been messing with the ArmA² and the ArmA² CO deddy servers for LAN setup, with Server-2K3 and Mandriva 2010.

When running under Winders, basically... it ran like poop, runny poop at that. Freezes, Server-FPS dips to the teens, were kinda normal.

When I switched to Mandriva 2010, both ArmA² and one of the Beta Exe's, run like a hot knife, through melted butter. ArmA² CO didn't seem to have as many issues, so have not tested any OA Beta Exe's. The frequency of that Server-FPS dip, is waaay less, and only to upper 30's now. Test runs on Warfare missions, Benny's and release MPMissions.

Likely to put CentOS Linux on it, and chuck Mandriva 2010.

Running on a Dual Core 'Wolfdale' Xeon E3110, I've seen it use 55% ~ 60% cpu usage.

...Syn...

Whats your full server specs?

cpu

memory

hard drive

etc

[visceralsyn 10]

Intel Xeon E3110 3.0Ghz Wolfdale

Asus P5BV-C Bigby Intel 3200 MCH

2GB Crucial Ballistix DDR²-6400 @ 800mhz

Seagate 18Gb 15K RPM Cheetah

IBM 75GB 10K RPM

Adaptec 29160 SCSI Controller

Pioneer U03s SCSI DVD-Rom

Plextor UltraPLEX 40 SCSI CD-ROM

550w PSU

...Syn...

[palerider 10]

Looks like your server is maxed out 2 gig memory is barely enough when a full server will use close to 1 gig of memory itself. That doesn't leave anything for your operating system, etc. We run dual quad 5520's with hyper threading and 12-24 gig memory for our customer set ups. If your running 2 instances of OA I would not run them on anything less then a quad core with 8 gig memory. When running under windows check your page file and you will probably see it being maxed out when the servers have players in them

[visceralsyn 10]

I didn't ask for your opinion of my setup.

1. Runnin Mandriva Linux 2010, not Winders...

2. 2GB of ram, is fine.

3. I'm not running 2 servers.

4. ArmA² OA server has yet to break 800mb.

You've wasted your money on a quad, when to date nothing has proven to take full advantage of dual core. Linux trimmed down to bare essentials, no X, running init level 3. All daemons sleeping except the server, which also has its priority increased. Also unlike winders, Linux will use the swapfile correctly, and as intended.

Serve with what serves best, and free... Linux!!!

Linux is like a tee-pee, no windows, no gates, and a Apache inside!!!

...Syn...

Edited November 11, 2010 by VisceralSyn
Dang gumbed typos....