Lag Spikes in CODUO MWTDM server Options

[elroy]

Sgt Steel was in game with us tonight and I thought I would elaborate here for clarity....

I have been seeing lag spikes for a while now (a month or two) in the server-even when I am not in game (using HLSW). Sometimes, the server even times out for a few minutes (from HLSW) it gets so bad.

These are spikes, not a typical time out. None of the other 12 or so servers I monitor has this going on, just the MWTDM server (i.e. your other servers are fine). I typically play with a ping of 30-50, so its not my game/connection. I thought it may be my provider, but others were commenting on the 'lag spikes', so I asume the prob. is more widespread.

Its usually peak times, but not necessarily a 'full' server.

Hope this info helps to troubleshoot. Thanks for mixing up the rotation Sgt Steel-much appreciated!!!!

[Shred and Burn]

ruh roh rahstro

[steel]

Thanks. I'm interested in how you run the HLSW on our servers, sounds like a great tool.

The problem we saw last night was the Cassino map. As soon as I changed the map, the problem went away. I've subsequently taken off the Cassino map from Modern Weapons TDM.

There is some server chugging when the server nears 40 players, especially as players get artillery. The server is really close to exceeding gamestate. This can't be helped, as it's a very tricky thing to get custom maps that run with such big mods as ours.

It's worse for any player who has excess files in their /uo directory, hasn't recently defragged their hard drive, has their settings cranked up high, plays via a wireless router, etc.

The other laggies are network congestion. When it's occurring, I've jumped out of the game and ran pingplotter, and see the high ping spikes and packet loss in the network routing to the server box.

When all the above happen at once, it's the "perfect storm" for a player, and they're not going to have a fun experience on the server.

Any ideas you have to mitigate the problems would sure be appreciated.

[steel]

I found the hlsw software and am trying it out. Nice tool.

If anyone's interested, it's at www.hlsw.org.

[elroy]

I've used HLSW for a long time now and its great when you are adminning several servers. HLSW originally stood for Half Life Server Watch, but is compatible with almost ALL online games now. If you have RCON, you can punch in your password and use it for some basic admin stuff without entering game, including sending messages in game without having to enter (though you can't see any responses), grabbing GUID #'s.

As I mentioned, I am seeing lag spikes while not in game, so I know the spikes aren't because of a cluttered directory-though you are right, if someone has a high ping issue-try and run lean. With HLSW you can program in a bunch of servers and monitor with the ping monitor to see how they are performing (relatively).

I saw the spikes before you loaded Cassino, so maps may be a compounding factor, but not a root cause. I wouldn't be surprised if a hacker and/or Punkbuster issue may be involved, but you are probably going to have a hard time trouble shooting that one-may want to start logging WHO is in-game when spike are hitting........Good Luck

[steel]

I put in a tweak this morning to {MOB} Modern Weapons TDM. Then I went on the server and watched my lagometer through a few maps when the server was nearly full. It helped tremendously. Everyone on the server was commenting about the lag being gone.

Thanks for the nudge!

[livetokill]

well i havent been on in awhile

but i have endured some lag everytime i start playin the server but after the first map im fine and i can get back to the killing

its gotten better since last night so the thing is working

[elroy]

I am seeing huge lag spikes right now on HLSW (Sun 3PM EST) running Barbecue with 36 peeps on. It is timing out on HLSW even.

I still wonder about a hack or PB problem.............

This post has been edited by elroy: 09/30/07 2:09pm

[elroy]

Now at 3:37PM EST. with the map change to Needles Eye, the spikes disappeared-just like that. Curiouser and curiouser.

[steel]

I just came out of the server, we had 34 players, lots of artillery booming, the works, and my lagometer showed no lagging.

I'll bet I know what you're seeing. The way coduo servers are queried by activision and gamespy is that these services query the IP and then the 28960 port. They don't consistantly scan the non-standard ports during each query, so these are often missed. It's the same reason servers with non-standard ports don't always show up in the game's browser unless you refresh it a bunch of times.

The Modern Weapons TDM server's port is 28961 instead of the standard 28960 port. So, yes, it's going to be missed or appear to "time out" every few scans.

[elroy]

hmmm, wonder why from one map to the next the change is instantaneous? You must be right, but I just hate mysteries-lol.

SO maybe my recent lag during playing has been rectified with your earlier 'tweaks', and the lag spikes I am seeing on HLSW are unrelated to the in-game probs. I have been experiencing in this server.