reported Server running in non-interactive environment hangs with 100% usage on a single core

[okopanja]

Hosting a server in non-interactive environment by invoking the executable from a windows service results in server failing to initialize.

At the same time one core will hang at 100% and the server will not appear in server list.

In my case I have used github actions as a background service.

Attached are dcs.log and github actions.

I do believe someone mentioned in another forum topic I was not able to locate it.

 

 

 

run-dcs-server-troubleshooting.yaml dcs.log

[Flappie]

Hi @okopanja. See if this helps:

 

[okopanja]

@FlappieI think I already installed the modular server few months ago (I think around June), since not all the terrains are installed. I will be able to confirm this in the evening.

BTW: when I run it from UI I get new splash screens (NVIDIA + ED). In this case there is no 100% usage and server proceeds to work.

I used github actions so I can control the server remotely without the need to actively connect to it. By doing this I essentially have a service listed under Windows Service Manager. In this mode the DCS windows does not appear, and I suspect recent changes in the UI initialization of server are causing something to fail and loop, thus causing 100% usage.

Clearly I am using the DCS server in a way that is not the way they envisioned, but this way of running a server is a very common thing and actual default windows way of doing it.

I think I will try one of the traditional service wrappers to see if this happens with them as well (just to eliminate github actions as contributing factor).

BTW: this article is related to the windows services, but this is more for ED developers: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/services/interactive-services

Edited November 9, 2023 by okopanja

[okopanja]

@Flappie I believe I already have modular server, since:

1. my installation is only 28GB

2. I still have the original DCS_World_OpenBeta_Server_modular.exe and it is binary identical to the one I just downloaded.

Meanwhile I have tried following:

1. did slow repair: completed with no reported issues.

2. configure it to run with the service wrapper WinSW from: https://github.com/winsw/winsw

I tried several combinations of start folder, modes and parameters and the reproduced problem is still there: it gets stuck in same place at 100%.

 

Please merge my report into following topic, since this is identical issue. It gets stuck in the same way with just a slight difference is that at the end he gets:

2023-10-19 17:23:17.112 INFO    DXGUI_WIN_ADAPTER (Main): resize main window to [1024, 720]

 

[Flappie]

I know you're not supposed to add them (source), but have you already tried adding these parameters in your command line?

 --server --norender

 

Can you please run your server once without winsw then send the resulting log file? I'd like to compare both logs to see where the DCS service stops.

[okopanja]

Here is the normal log when running interactive.

Service approach hangs at the moment of this log entry:

2023-11-10 23:12:49.382 INFO    DXGUI_WIN_ADAPTER (Main): resize main window to [1024, 720]

I suspect it's that new nvidia splash screen.

Now I will remove both mods I have since both have EFMs and retry winsw

dcs.log

Still the same: even when clean with no mods it hangs.

I am surprised there are not more complaints.

I suspect people are not running DCS as windows server.

One more thing: I do not use system account to run service, but the same account that runs the DCS interactively with no problems.

[Flappie]

I've just tried renaming the picture so DCS cannot find it (.\DCS World\FUI\Common\StartImage.bmp.bak) but it doesn't work and it looks a lot like your log. Now is the time to find the script which triggers the splash screen... I hope it's not done in the binary.

...
2023-11-10 23:27:43.873 ERROR   wInfo (Main): negative drag of payload "{BKF_AO2_5RT}"
2023-11-10 23:27:43.873 ERROR   wInfo (Main): negative drag of payload "LAU-127_AIM-9L"
2023-11-10 23:27:43.873 ERROR   wInfo (Main): negative drag of payload "{F4-2-AIM9L}"
2023-11-10 23:27:43.874 ERROR   wInfo (Main): negative drag of payload "{4D13E282-DF46-4B23-864A-A9423DFDE50A}"
2023-11-10 23:27:43.874 ERROR   wInfo (Main): negative drag of payload "{3E6B632D-65EB-44D2-9501-1C2D04515405}"
2023-11-10 23:27:43.874 ERROR   wInfo (Main): negative drag of payload "{E1AAE713-5FC3-4CAA-9FF5-3FDCFB899E33}"
2023-11-10 23:27:43.874 ERROR   wInfo (Main): negative drag of payload "{BRU-32 MK-82SE}"
2023-11-10 23:27:43.883 INFO    DX11BACKEND (Main): DX11ShaderBinaries::loadCache ./Mods/aircraft/F14/fxo
2023-11-10 23:27:43.886 INFO    DX11BACKEND (Main): DX11ShaderBinaries::loadCache done. Loaded 0/0.

I also tried to create an empty file with the right filename but it didn't work either.

Edited November 10, 2023 by Flappie

[Flappie]

I was informed that the problem had already been identified internally. I'll let you know when it's fixed.

[okopanja]

I did not expect yet the fix, but I tested just in case: still the same behavior with 2.9.1.48111

 

[okopanja]

Still no fix with 2.9.2.49629.

[Flappie]

I've just bumped the report.