Dedicated Servers Not responding

[The Jack]

I am currently having some problems with the Open Beta Dedicated Server.

Ever time I run it the server starts, but then I get "DCS (Not Responding)"..... I have installed it twice....

Is there anything I cna do to sort this please?

Edited February 8, 2021 by The Jack

[Flappie]

Hi. The dedicated server doesn't display anything. It looks like a blank window.  To administrate it, you need to launch the web interface through the "Local Web GUI" shortcut.

 

Useful video:

 

[The Jack]

YEs.... and on the blank window it say "DCS (Not Responding)" in the top left corner of that box. It also says it is not responding in the Task Manager.

The GUI ttries to connect but can't!

[Flappie]

I see. Please attach your dedicated server's log ( I guess it's located in "C:\Users\username\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta_server\Logs" ).

[The Jack]

Here's the log

dcs.log

[Flappie]

Thanks. It seems your server is looking for a graphics card but can't find any. I assume the PC you're running the server with has none?

 

2021-02-08 22:46:25.508 INFO    GRAPHICSVISTA: renderer: 'dx11backend.dll'
2021-02-08 22:46:25.509 ERROR   GRAPHICSVISTA: Can't load render backend 'dx11backend.dll'. Reason: The specified module could not be found.

 

Try to launch your server with --norender option (source).

[The Jack]

No... It has a GTX660 2gb in it....

I'll give the no render option a blast and let you know.

thank you for the help!

[Flappie]

That's weird because the GTX660 is supposed to be DX11 capable. Check the graphics driver maybe.

[USSR_Rik]

Looks like you created desktop icom by hand:

 

=== Log opened UTC 2021-02-08 22:46:13
2021-02-08 22:46:13.288 INFO    DCS: Command line: "D:\DCS World OpenBeta Server\bin\DCS.exe" 

 

It's wrong - no necessary launch parameters and DCS tries to start full version with render and GUI.

 

Open icon properties and change launch object as follows:

 

"D:\DCS World OpenBeta Server\bin\DCS.exe"  --server --norender

 

[peachpossum]

I'm having a similar problem, my DCS dedicated server is not responding. I tried to launch with the --server and --norender flags, but it still wont respond.

This started happening right after the latest Windows update.

log attached.

dcs.log

[Flappie]

Hi @peachpossum. Just as Rik said to The Jack, your server doesn't start with the --server and --norender parameters. See for yourself:

 

=== Log opened UTC 2021-02-13 02:05:21
2021-02-13 02:05:20.704 INFO    DCS: Command line: "C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World OpenBeta Server\bin\DCS.exe" 

 

Should be somehing like:

 

=== Log opened UTC 2021-02-08 22:46:13
2021-02-13 02:05:20.704 INFO    DCS: Command line: "C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World OpenBeta Server\bin\DCS.exe"  --server --norender

 

[peachpossum]

Hi Flappie,

I tried launching my server with the arguments (flags?) that Rik posted, just modified to use the path to my install.

I used the CMD tool and pasted this text (same as your example in 2nd code snippet) ...
 

"C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World OpenBeta Server\bin\DCS.exe" --server --norender

My DCS server launched but got stuck in the same way as when I just click the shortcut. It's possible I posted the wrong log the above after launching from my short ut.

I'll add those flags to my shortcut as Rik originally suggested and try that again, but I think I found the root cause of my issue.

In the meantime I tried running the same mission from my game machine, and it too got stuck at the end of the load bar when creating a new server within the DCS Game itself. This persisted after many attempts and would lock my computer and force a hard restart.

Eventually I tried opening another mission and everything worked as expected, so I think the mission I was trying to load on my dedicated server was fubar somehow. 

Now I have a new problem - how do I tell my dedicated server to NOT launch that fubar mission? Is there a way to clear a cache (repair did not work), maybe a LUA file somewhere with recent missions?

Thanks for the help

[peachpossum]

It looks like the answer to my dilemma is posted by Rik right here Multiplayer Server Admin

 

I will try editing my missionList in the serverSettings.lua file.

[Flappie]

Thanks for your feedback, @peachpossum.

[SirFaultyBot]

Hi guys! I am trying to run a dedicated server and I am having a similar issue: the server runs and clients can connect but on the server desktop it only displays a white window and task manager says that the application is "not responding". No errors in the log file and everything looks ok so: is this just the way it is supposed to work?

 

Thank you.

 

Edit: I am running the server launching "DCS_updater.exe" which should automatically set the "--server" and "--norender" flags; however, I tried launching "DCS.exe" directly with explicit flags and the result is the same.

Edited April 2, 2021 by SirFaultyBot
more info

[Badass1982]

I'm having similar issues with all 6 of my dedicated servers that were running perfectly in 2.5 (just this morning in fact) I run all 6 with a batch file (which I can upload later with logs from my servers (I'm at work ATM).

 

I used to get 6 smaller little windows whilst the servers were up with white screens as I run in --no render mode I also run --webgui and --sever modes

 

Now when I launch the batch file they are extremely slow , they attempt to load then I just get one larger resolution black window that is a bigger resolution than what I have it set to in the instances autoexec.cfg file.

[Flappie]

Hi @Badass1982. Please try this:

 

1. Open the dedicated server Config\options.lua file
2. Add these lines, under ["graphics"] :

["height"] = 600
["width"] = 800

 

Edited April 14, 2021 by Flappie
typo

[Badass1982]

My options file hasn't changed. and its that the servers never load the resizing of the window is a side effect. I've noticed it no longer seems to be launching my instances and instead trys to just launch a DCS instance and not as it should be using the

 

--w instance_1

--w instance_2

--w instance_3

 

etc etc

 

Like I said prior to 2.7 this setup was working perfectly now I cant launch my servers.

[Flappie]

Some closed beta testers were having issues with the 2.7 dedicated server. Their solution was the one I described.

[Badass1982]

I have uploaded the log and the batch file (in *.txt format) for one of my instances. I have changed the width and height and that doesnt change anything the issue isnt that the resolution is wrong its that the servers dont successfully run and they dont even use the correct instance folders.

dcs.log ALL DCS Servers LOOPED RESTART.txt

[Badass1982]

Well it appears the issue was mods that were installed on the servers. Removed said mods and now the servers are loading nominally (they are much more sluggish than they used to run) but yeah I can highly recommend removing your mods from your servers!

[Flappie]

Thanks for your feedback.

Sounds seemed to  be causing the issue:

 

2021-04-14 20:14:04.508 ERROR   EDCORE: Drivers errors while mounting mods/tech/wwii units/sounds:
2021-04-14 20:14:04.508 ERROR   EDCORE: 	EDCDriver: can't open header file mods/tech/wwii units/sounds.edc//header.edch
2021-04-14 20:14:04.627 ERROR   EDCORE: Drivers errors while mounting mods/terrains/nevada/sounds:
2021-04-14 20:14:04.627 ERROR   EDCORE: 	EDCDriver: can't open header file mods/terrains/nevada/sounds.edc//header.edch
2021-04-14 20:14:04.631 ERROR   EDCORE: Drivers errors while mounting mods/terrains/normandy/sounds:
2021-04-14 20:14:04.631 ERROR   EDCORE: 	EDCDriver: can't open header file mods/terrains/normandy/sounds.edc//header.edch
2021-04-14 20:14:04.635 ERROR   EDCORE: Drivers errors while mounting mods/terrains/persiangulf/sounds:
2021-04-14 20:14:04.635 ERROR   EDCORE: 	EDCDriver: can't open header file mods/terrains/persiangulf/sounds.edc//header.edch
2021-04-14 20:14:04.641 ERROR   EDCORE: Drivers errors while mounting mods/terrains/thechannel/sounds:
2021-04-14 20:14:04.641 ERROR   EDCORE: 	EDCDriver: can't open header file mods/terrains/thechannel/sounds.edc//header.edch
2021-04-14 20:14:04.655 INFO    SOUND: Added sound path: E:\Dropbox\Saved Games\INSTANCE_1\Mods/aircraft/Civil Aircraft Mod/Sounds
2021-04-14 20:14:04.721 INFO    SOUND: Added sound path: E:\Dropbox\Saved Games\INSTANCE_1\Mods/aircraft/Hercules ver 6.6/Sounds
2021-04-14 20:14:04.746 ALERT   Dispatcher: Error running db_scan: ?:0: attempt to concatenate a nil value
2021-04-14 20:14:04.746 INFO    DCS: application shutdown

 

[Badass1982]

I've noticed that the individual instances are no longer names with the write directory's name and are instead just named DCS is there any way they can be named the name of the dcs instance so you know which application is which instance?? By instances I mean the little white server window when you have --norender set.

Edited April 14, 2021 by Badass1982

[Eld0r]

[removed] this post was related but got it's own topic now:

 

Edited April 15, 2021 by Eld0r
cleanup

[_SHIFTY_]

On 4/15/2021 at 8:08 AM, Badass1982 said:

I've noticed that the individual instances are no longer names with the write directory's name and are instead just named DCS is there any way they can be named the name of the dcs instance so you know which application is which instance?? By instances I mean the little white server window when you have --norender set.

 

+1 to this!

Our public server would restart by using the taskkill windowtitle filter, so that our mission server wouldn't be impacted if they were both on at the same time. That isn't possible now.