lomac server info

[nannosk]

hi all,

i'm doing a surveying finalized to understand the optimal way to create a lomac server as many others (VVS504, s77th). my problem is that it does'nt exist a lomac server edition that could be managed from a remote emplacement (to open new missions or simply to open the server). One solution could be Windows remote desktop. could anybody give me some useful info about the way to make e lomac server ??

thanks everybody

[Ice]

The key to a good server is upload speed. At least 1024Kb/s up. for 16-20 players

[Floyd]

Read there:

 

http://www.verbalass.com/dedmac/

[zorlac]

VVS504 server sees ~2Mbit upstream for approx 20 players.... upstream is the important bandwidth (its on a 35Mbit link, so 2Mbit is nothing in the grand scheme of things)

 

Dedmac is also highly recommended, as is at least 1Gb of RAM (trying to find more all the time), turning off all non-essential services, setting lockon process affinity to a single CPU (if you have multiple CPUs or Cores).

 

As for remote desktop administration, try VNC (free) or Sunbelt's Remote Admin (not free).

 

If you have a lot of objects in your maps (ground vehicles for example), expect the server to eat memory a lot, and crash regularly...

[Mako_159th]

That's a coinciendence!! I work for Sunbelt in the UK.

 

Remote Admin is a very good tool - may be a little expensive for what you are trying to acheive though.

[zorlac]

<comic-book-guy>

Best tool ever :)

</comic-book-guy>

 

M$ Terminal Services wont work cos it views a "virtual" desktop, which wont show the lomac server you started on the real desktop (and under 2000/XP, it will log that local user out anyway when you connect from remote).

[JaBoG32_Viper]

Setting up a good server isnt as hard as it sounds.

First u have to take a look at the servers hardware and connection.

The server should have at least a midrange-graphiccard, not an onboard.

For big missions or multiplayer-sessions with more that 20 player it's recommended to use a 100MBit-server. I dont know the prices for that in non-german countries, but with a couple of pilots who pay for it should be realizable.

Important thing is a good remote-desktop-tool. We use VNC and it works very good. With this little and free tool u have the possibility to admin the server like u r sitting in front of it.

Second u have to be sure, that the server is safe enough (firewall + virusscanner) and only the ports u need are open.

Than u have to buy a legal copy of FC for the server (prefer the download version cause so u dont have the cd in the drive) and install it like on ur local pc.

Install Hyperlobby, same as local.

Go into lomac, set down all graphic-setting to low (only environment should be on mid, so u can see trees and houses)

A good reason is to start lomac in window-mode.

U have to go into config->graphics.cfg and change some lines:

 

DisplayMode
{
   resolution = {640, 480};
   bpp = 16;
   fullscreen = 0;
   aspect = 1.333333373;
   Interface
   {
       resolution = {640, 480};
       bpp = 16;
       fullscreen = 0;
       aspect = 1.333333373;
   }
   Simulation
   {
       resolution = {640, 480};
       bpp = 16;
       fullscreen = 0;
       aspect = 1.333333373;
   }

 

If u want bigger resolutions u can do, but these settings works very good with little losses. U can kick player, chat, look how good are the frames and so on. These settings keeps the frames good and u can work multitasking.

 

Btw. turn off reflections and mirrors and set sounds to lowest, u dont need it on the server. Every setting that goes to min get the frames higher and dont have the worked by cpu or connection.

 

With these settings on our server (http://www.virtual-jabog32.de ) we had some sessions with over 40 pilots.

[zorlac]

Also:

 

in config/graphics.cfg

 

MaxFPS = 5;

 

(why do you need 40-50+ FPS on a server? :) )

[JaBoG32_Viper]

frames below 25 maybe buggy...i dont know why but i see somtimes, that, if frames on server below 25, theres a warp/lag-problem.

[zorlac]

thats because the server is (normally) running at ~100% CPU if you dont lock the frame rate... so its shoving polygons at the graphics card as fast as it can, *AND* doing all the game/server related stuff at the same time. If you get down to 25fps or less, then the server is heavily loaded... not because its chucking any more graphics around, just because its doing more "server" work in the background, leaving less time to check stuff at the screen. If you lock the FPS to something very low, that frees up a lot more time to do background stuff. Setting low FPS for the graphics on the *SERVER*( doesnt affect the rate at which it process the server stuff and returns the info to the clients... i would much rather it was spending CPU time on that, than updating a low res, low setting windowed version of Lomac that most of the time I never look at.

 

(Hell, the 504 server is running on a weedy 1.7GHz Xeon with 1Gig of RAM and copes with 20 player OK most of the time... and it has a LOT of ground targets to look after as well as connected players).

[JaBoG32_Viper]

Ok, ok ;)

I have to say, that i've setup the server before 1.1 and i dont try these settings yet.

I try out your settings. Maybe I surveyed thos setting cause it it's new with 1.1.

 

Thanks for the information.

[GILLOU]

ok well, what operating system did you prefer for FC server ?

 

(xseries 336 bi-xeon 3ghz) what graphic card on xseries ?

 

Thanks

[dynamocl]

<comic-book-guy>

Best tool ever :)

</comic-book-guy>

 

M$ Terminal Services wont work cos it views a "virtual" desktop, which wont show the lomac server you started on the real desktop (and under 2000/XP, it will log that local user out anyway when you connect from remote).

 

Remote Desktop connection (Or the RDP) protocol can connect to the console, just need to append the -console switch. Use it all the time at work. Remote desktop is part of server 2003/XP, so it is cheap.

[Gunja]

Btw. turn off reflections and mirrors and set sounds to lowest, u dont need it on the server. Every setting that goes to min get the frames higher and dont have the worked by cpu or connection.

hi Viper

When a friend makes the server and puts settings on low, we all get low settings on our PC's. If he puts it to high, we all get that then.

Please do tell what to do so that the server doesnt force settings on clients.

thanks

[NEODARK]

Yeah I'm the one setting up the server. (NEODARK-DEDSERV) :thumbup:

 

It's a 3500+ o/c'd to 2.5ghz

2gig ram

6800GT

with scsi HDD's

2Mb upload

 

Normally I setup the server at 800x600 (so I can see gui in menu) and most options to medium or low (except scenes to HIGH since I thought this was the only thing that was exported to clients)

 

-Is there a way to make my server NOT force settings on clients?

 

-The other big question I have is NET connection speed when launching server. What should I use? 128/128 or 1024/128 or what?

 

Anyway, this is a great thread with a ton of good info, please keep it coming.

[LawnDart]

Viper,

What connection bandwidth is the JaBoG server running on? 100Mbit?

 

Does anyone know of a way to setup the server to not allow high ping players to connect? Is there a string such as "MaxPing = 200" you can use in the config.lua for example?

 

 

The Virtual Thunderbirds dedicated server specs:

AMD XP 2000+

2048 DDR Ram

10 Mb Full Duplex

Windows Server 2003

Tier 1 Connection

 

We also use VNC to configure the server with much of what Viper talked about being the same. We typically leave the server in F11 view with sky only to allow a steady flow of 130 frames per second, all settings low except "scenes" in the graphics options.

 

Connection speed of: 2048/2048 server side and 128/128 client side. Has anyone else had luck with other settings? This has worked out great for us thus far...

 

 

Forced server settings,

Delete the following or parts of the following to not force server settings to each client. btw, this does not include graphic options you guys were talking about. The only forced video option from the server is "scenes" as Viper described, while everything else is left up to the client to configure his own system for optimal performance.

 

\Lock On\Config\network\config.lua

 

};

serverFiles = {

[1] = "./Bazar/Names.lua";

[2] = "./Bazar/Racks.lua";

[3] = "./Bazar/Types.lua";

[4] = "./Config/Weapons/Guns.lua";

[5] = "./Config/Weapons/DrawInfo.lua";

[6] = "./Config/Weapons/Bombs.lua";

[7] = "./Config/Planes/Pylons.lua";

[8] = "./Config/Planes/Damage.lua";

[9] = "./Config/Planes/AIControl.lua";

[10] = "./Config/Export/Config.lua";

[11] = "./Config/View/Server.lua";

[12] = "./Config/View/Labels.lua";

[13] = "./Config/World/World.lua";

[14] = "./Config/Network/stats.lua";

};

[NEODARK]

cool, thanks for the info lawndart :D

 

OH and as far as I know. There's nothing to limit a client to connect due to high ping/.

[Gunja]

thx LawnDart :)

[NEODARK]

I dunno whats up, but I cannot find the "MaxFPS" line... Should I add it, and if so.. where in the graphics.cfg?

 

nevermind, i just added it to the bottom of the file and it worked. :D

[NEODARK]

Just wanted to add again, thanks for all the great tweaks.

 

I was impressed in how much they free up the CPU.

 

Specially the FPS cap to 5, my CPU did not even reach more than 15% ussage (according to task manager) with a few clients, thus making it run much quieter than before.

 

Thats with a netowrk packet sniffer, and a few other performance monitoring apps.

 

Seems each client needs an average of 5 to 7 Kb/s when connected @ 128/128.

 

Ram also stayed well below 700MB all this time on a mission with a ton of ground objects.

[LawnDart]

Sorry to post this again, but is there a way to setup the server to not allow high ping players to connect?

 

A string such as "MaxPing = 200" or similar for example?

 

Thanks!

LD