New Server Program Update...

[Vice]

A major update is available for the server program which offers greatly reduced CPU use and automatic control of CPU utilization. Here is a quick summary of the benefits of the new CPU system:

- Lower CPU resource needs, almost half or more of a decrease on most systems. My system went from about 50% on one core to around 25%.

- Automatic control of CPU utilization to adapt to any changing resource conditions on the system. If a program launches in the background and starts using up CPU resources, the server program will now automatically adapt and increase its utilization to compensate. This helps the program maintain a needed level of performance for reliable gameplay.

- CPU bar graph and numercial gauge monitor included in the program. On decent systems, the numerical value should remain around 4 or 5, indicating light CPU utilization. The graph and gauge will change color to yellow or red if CPU resources become low and risk hindering performance.

- Improved multitasking performance if another program is running in the background.

- Likely improved stabilility/reliability.

Leave line 810 blank in the text2.dat file to use the new automatic CPU system. You can also still manually set it if you want to lock in a value. If you update, make sure to back up your current text2.dat file and copy over lines you want to keep, but remember, line 810 needs to remain blank to use the automatic CPU system.

http://www.starwraith.com/ERServer.exe

[CS-ACI-]

Hello,

810 is blank, and the CPU reading is 9.
Update rate says 200 and FPS is 33.

So it might be my system, but it looks about the same, task manager say 52% usage.

Steve

[Vice]

Interesting, are other programs running in the background? That's running near max, so the program is trying to compensate by increasing utilization. It should work just fine at level 9 with 33 fps (the FPS is the main indicator of reliable performance), just sounds like something else is eating into the CPU's resources.

[CS-ACI-]

Hello,

Just stopped and quit the server, and TM says CPU usage at 1% memory at 561Mb.

Restarted the server, TM now says CPU usage 52% memory at 600Mb.

Update rate still set at 200 and FPS sitting steady at 33.

CPU number in ERserver window started out a 6 for about 1 second then went to 8 for 2 - 3 seconds then went to 9.

One other thing I noticed, and it may be completely irrelevant is the core usage, before the shutdown and restart core 1 was doing a little more work than core 2, afterwards it was the other way round, core 2 is doing a little more than core 1. We are talking 5 - 10 % difference on the cores.

Steve

[Vice]

Interesting, it could simply be trying to make up for a performance shortfall somewhere else in the system, a bottleneck of some kind. I don't recall your system specs, but if you can send me an msinfo report, I'll look into it.

[CS-ACI-]

Hello,

Email sent with system info .NFO file.

Steve

[CS-ACI-]

Hello,

One thing I have noticed today, FPS is now sitting at 34, I have changed nothing.

Steve

[Vice]

That's ok, the new program can run at 32-35 fps depending on the system and its available resources, it is no longer sync limited to 33, that's how it can now regulate CPU utilization. If the framerate gets too low, the program knows it needs to access more utilization and will throttle up the setting. If the framerate gets too high, it will throttle down for less CPU utilization. 32-35 or so is normal and optimal.

[Edited on 9-27-2008 by Vice]