Loading times so long I get time outs!

[112th_Rossi]

Whenever I join a multiplayer server, the loading time to get in the cockpit is so long that I get server timeouts!

 

I am running off an SSD. Are there any plans to improve this? What is everyone's load times approximately?

 

My spec:

 

AMD FX8350 4.0Ghz

ASUS Sabertooth 990FX R2.0

2x Kingston HyperX SSD 240GB

16GB RAM

Gigabyte 970GTX G1 Gaming Edition

Windows 10

[Dugong]

Same here, it can take two or three attempts to get on to a server and it seems to be worse the more populated the server is.

[droopy114]

Same here, it can take two or three attempts to get on to a server and it seems to be worse the more populated the server is.

 

True, more people>more attempts, sometimes 3, otherwise timeout. Annoying...

[SixMarbles]

Same issue here. After the first load, I can connect and play with a ~20 second load.

Using 2x Samsung 850 Pro in a RAID 0 array.

 

Here is a notable bit of my log file:

 

00117.177 INFO EDTERRAINGRAPHICS3: force loading finished!

00117.177 INFO EDTERRAINGRAPHICS3: Force loading pipeline 'map'. Radius 6000.000000. Pos=-248650.875000,117.107254,625911.500000!

00117.208 INFO EDTERRAINGRAPHICS3: force loading finished!

00221.926 INFO NET: disconnected: 5 Server ping timeout

00226.768 INFO EDTERRAINGRAPHICS3: edtg::SH::initRenderItems()

00226.778 INFO EDTERRAINGRAPHICS3: edtg::CreateSurfaceRenderItem()

 

Notice the extremely long delay from 117 seconds to 221. Is there a way to make the log file more verbose so we can identify the problem?

[SixMarbles]

New info / ISSUE RESOLVED:

During the slow load, the game loaded files at about 3 MB/sec average.

 

I have moved the install from my RAID 0 array to a single SSD. Considering the prodigious number of files moved (34,610) and the amount of data (29 GB), the transfer went very fast. I averaged about 75 MB/sec with peaks over 240 and never falling below 35 MB/sec. This is not fast for a sequential read but it proves that the array is not faulty and its read performance is fine. Not a hardware problem.

 

Now the missions load in around 20-30 seconds. This is how it used to be!

 

This has told me that my install was highly fragmented. I am probably to blame as I kept using dcs_updater.exe to move the install from @openbeta to @release several times in the wake of the Viggen release. In between doing all of this, I downloaded a number of Steam games whose data likely filled the swiss cheese-like holes in my SSD array.

 

It seems SSD TRIM operations/optimization were not being done by Windows 10. Whatever. issue resolved.

[arkroyale048]

I have a question though for pure HDD users.

My reasoning is that a decent enough HDD back in the days before SSD's became prolific. Could still load fast.

 

What has changed between then and now that even a top notch current HDD still has slow loading ?

 

This is the problem I've been encountering. I have a top notch HDD but my loading times are noticeably slow; not enough to cause timeouts mind you; but enough to catch attention.

 

Also, a workaround/ solution suggestion is very much appreciated :)

[112th_Rossi]

The assets for the game are stored in Zip files. I suspect it's slow at decompressing them for use.

[shagrat]

The assets for the game are stored in Zip files. I suspect it's slow at decompressing them for use.

My personal observation is, the first time decompression takes very long, because after an update it seems there are updated shaders stored, lua DB tables processed and/or verified etc.

 

Depending on modules installed (and updated) this may vary.

 

After this initial load (which even on my SSD takes considerably long), it should load in about 20-30 seconds.

 

Other influencing factors are the preload radius and in Multiplayer the server needs to distribute the mission to all clients, which depending on the mission assets (voiceovers, lots of scripts, briefing pictures etc.) takes quite a while.

 

Keep in mind for MultiPlayer most of our connections are asynchronous and UPload has less bandwidth, usually...

 

Waiting for a server mission to load can seem like the game crashed, as you don't see anything happen, most of the time.:smartass:

[BitMaster]

You can always run DCS in windowed mode and open Ressource Monitor from within Task Manager with DCS.EXE marked as process to track. You will then see exactly what when why and how, across the hardware scope of your system, including net traffic.

 

No need for guessing, monitor it :P

[feefifofum]

AMD FX8350 4.0Ghz

 

 

There's your problem right there, unfortunately. The AMD chipsets, being comprised of multiple, weaker processors, perform very poorly in DCS which, like most games, does not fully utilize multi-core CPUs.

 

AMD boxes are great for applications that can put all 270 cores or whatever they're putting in there these days to good use, but unfortunately most of the software in the world doesn't.

 

Here's a performance chart of CPUs running DCS I grabbed from another thread around here a while ago when a friend of mine was having similar performance issues with his AMD rig. You'll notice even 1st gen i7 and a cheap i5 outperform AMD's latest and greatest offering at the time due to the limitation of AMD's multi-core architecture.

 

Edited April 18, 2017 by feefifofum

[shagrat]

There's your problem right there, unfortunately. The AMD chipsets, being comprised of multiple, weaker processors, perform very poorly in DCS which, like most games, does not fully utilize multi-core CPUs.

 

AMD boxes are great for applications that can put all 270 cores or whatever they're putting in there these days to good use, but unfortunately most of the software in the world doesn't.

 

Here's a performance chart of CPUs running DCS I grabbed from another thread around here a while ago when a friend of mine was having similar performance issues with his AMD rig. You'll notice even 1st gen i7 and a cheap i5 outperform AMD's latest and greatest offering at the time due to the limitation of AMD's multi-core architecture.

 

What I don't understand is how the CPU performance in a modern PC affects the NETWORK performance?

 

To my knowledge the PCI-Bus architecture handles network traffic between NIC and SATA/IDE over the PCI-Bus controller (South-Bridge).

 

The CPU isn't involved in transferring data from the network interface to the SSD.

Even if the data is loaded into the RAM, the North-Bridge would handle the transfer after the initial command to load a file into RAM... :huh:

[hansangb]

What I don't understand is how the CPU performance in a modern PC affects the NETWORK performance?

 

To my knowledge the PCI-Bus architecture handles network traffic between NIC and SATA/IDE over the PCI-Bus controller (South-Bridge).

 

The CPU isn't involved in transferring data from the network interface to the SSD.

Even if the data is loaded into the RAM, the North-Bridge would handle the transfer after the initial command to load a file into RAM... :huh:

 

I don't use MP DCS yet. However do keep in mind that it's the app DCS that is generating the data and transferring it to the network. So while PCI and NIC may not be the bottleneck, if DCS falls behind it will start the domino effect.

 

I'm getting ready to try some MP (local) as I'm told it helps with VR - some of the traffic generation is handled by the host computer. So when I get the chance, I'll capture the traffic and see if there are limiting factors at the TCP level. Another very common culprit when it comes to "network slowness"

[shagrat]

I don't use MP DCS yet. However do keep in mind that it's the app DCS that is generating the data and transferring it to the network. So while PCI and NIC may not be the bottleneck, if DCS falls behind it will start the domino effect.

 

I'm getting ready to try some MP (local) as I'm told it helps with VR - some of the traffic generation is handled by the host computer. So when I get the chance, I'll capture the traffic and see if there are limiting factors at the TCP level. Another very common culprit when it comes to "network slowness"

If DCS' data transfer to the North-Bridge is slower than even a 1GBit NIC that, let's say, would be "surprising"... :megalol:

 

I'd rather look into processes clogging the TCP-stack in Windows. (Goddamn auto-updates BITS comes to mind).

Other background software transferring data etc.

 

The typical bottleneck is the "MP Server" upload, as it needs to transfer the whole mission. It needs to check with the master server, find its target client(s) and upload the complete mission to them... If you have both clients in a LAN, try connect via IP. That leaves only the check with the Master server.

[Voodooflies]

I got the same issue. The loading times are so long that I can't connect to most of MP servers. I had to create an autoexec.cfg file with a line that disable ED newest MP network logic, thus I can connect to any MP servers, however I find the performances terrible with much sutters when panning the view around within the cockpit. I don't have such bad performances on SP.

[gunslinger5577]

Agreed, since DCS 1.5.6.4546.280 Update 2 load times cause game crashes and timeouts. Also, once I do get in there are horrendous micro-stutters... Was fine before patch. Tried several aircraft as well.

[Winston 60]

Longer multiplayer mission load times have returned again for us in the stable release version 1.5.6.4546.280 Update 2. Our server seems to load the mission in a reasonable amount of time, but all clients suffer from longer than usual loading times.

[BitMaster]

No issues here and I mostly or only play on crowded servers.

 

The only disconns I get are from servers that host more players than the poor server can support but that problem is on the other end of the string !

 

What helps are TCP Offload capable NICs and adequate UL/DL rates on EITHER end of the string, given that the CPU&RAM of the server can handle it 1st place.

 

Whenever you can, get an Intel NIC or a board with Intel NIC, avoid any other by a mile inbetween, a tip from a server admin.

Edited May 20, 2017 by BitMaster

[shagrat]

Whenever you can, get an Intel NIC or a board with Intel NIC, avoid any other by a mile inbetween, a tip from a server admin.

Check, that you have an Intel based chipset on the mainboard first... ;)

 

...but yes, Intel tends to optimize their own stuff for one another, somehow.

[hansangb]

Just out of curiosity, can people who experience issues check the NIC setting (Properties, Configure button at the top, Advanced tab) to see how "packet coalescing" or "Interrupt Moderation" is configured?

 

You may find that disabling it may help.

 

(If you're curious why it may help, google "wireshark evil odd packet")