Troubleshooting Dedicated Servers

Argathor

<div class="IPBDescription">I need some help!</div>I am sorry if there is a better place for this discussion, but I have read as much as I could find and haven't found my answers yet.

So, I have begun running my own dedicated server from my home PC (visible as duplex #1, or some similar variation). I have now gotten it working with GMOverMind and Automatic Updates, however...

The few times it has had people on it has frequently crashed, during matches and at the end of matches. My problem is that I cannot tell what caused it to crash. The logs do not seem to mention anything out of the ordinary, just players joining/leaving and chat messages, etc.

Is there a way I am missing that I can use to troubleshoot problems with the server.exe?

For reference I am using:

PC:
i7 920 @ 4.2ghz
12GB RAM
64 GB SSD (has windows and the server folder on it)
Win7 64bit
Connection: 50mbit down, 5mbit up (soon 100mbit down, 10mbit up).

Mods:
GMOvrMind v12
Automatic Updates

Are there any inherent issues that arise from running it from a normal PC? (other software running that might cause problems etc?)

Are there any steps I can take to better setup my PC for running an NS2 server?

Is there anywhere that will log how/why the Server.exe stopped responding?

Any help/advice would be appreciated!

RockyMarc

I'm sorry nobody has replied to your thread yet, I only ran a server for a few months many patches ago, so I wouldn't be of much help. I do know that the game does crash after a few rounds on my client side and I think it may be the server too because everyone crashes out.

Is your server on map rotation after a round end?

Argathor

Thanks for the reply. The server was setup to run a rotation of summit, mineshaft and tram (on a 60min timer).

Is there any way I can use windows to see why an application crashed?

RockyMarc

Not sure about windows applications, my dell server had the software built in (whatever it was called), you might want to try and set the server to change the map after each round, I know it's annoying but it restarts the power node bugs and it seems to have cut down my crashing quite a lot.

RockyMarc

oh and like 'player' said in another thread -
v10 of GameOvermind crashes upon map-changes, and I'm still seeing a couple of those around (and probably more that I cannot detect), so go ahead and upgrade to v12.

Have you got latest verseion of Overmind?

ScardyBob

We've had issues of crashes during map cycling while using GmOvrmind on the 156 West servers. If that's the problem your having either disable map cycling or remove GmOvrmind (or update).

endar

He is using V12 of Ovrmind, so its not that.

I see your using the automatic updates mod, in that mod it recommends that you run a reg file which removes the windows error reporting and notifications, which is a good thing, as this allow the server to start again without manual intervention. The only problem is you don't see the error, it just appears to silently crash and restart. Check your event viewer though, you will see the cause of the crash (often a dll), but whether that will help you? I doubt it.



I'd probably remove the map rotations to rule that out. After all completely unloading a server and reloading without disconnecting players, by nature can cause problems initially.

Argathor

Thank you for all the replies. As endar suggested I am using GMOverMind v12 currently.

I think you have given me enough to keep me busy next week. I will start by going back to vanilla (no mods, no mapcycle, etc.) and see if that is stable and then move on from there.

Damn you endar, I was relying on you for a super simple amazing fixes everything fix! I will let you off this once though!

On a side note, I thought I had mastered running more than one mod at the same time on the server, by sticking all the files for two mods in one folder then running that. However now it seems that is not working, but initially I thought it was. Is this the correct way to go about running more than one mod, or are there other options?

Argathor

Also, do any server admins have any advice for tweaks/tricks that have helped to improve performance or stability?

Any advice for core affinity when using my personal PC? Specially if I am going to try playing NS2 at the same time? Set NS2.exe to Cores 0 & 1 and Server.exe to Cores 2 & 3? etc.

player

<!--quoteo(post=1906226:date=Feb 23 2012, 11:26 AM:name=Argathor)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Argathor @ Feb 23 2012, 11:26 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1906226"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->On a side note, I thought I had mastered running more than one mod at the same time on the server, by sticking all the files for two mods in one folder then running that. However now it seems that is not working, but initially I thought it was. Is this the correct way to go about running more than one mod, or are there other options?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
A little copy-pasta:
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Copy all your mod's Lua-scripts into the "NS2GmOvrmind\Lua"-directory and use "-game NS2GmOvrmind", it'll run NS2GmOvrmind and your mod will piggyback on it.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
You can add exactly 1 mod onto GameOvermind this way (or as many as you like, given they don't overwrite each other's scripts).

Argathor

Thank you player, you have just made me (and Soul Rider) very happy!