While my new networking code seems to have the main loop of the server running faster on average, I am still seeing some lag spikes. I added a bunch of timers in the last patch and have isolated with some good certainty what most of these lag spikes are. They are read queries to the DB when someone is logging in. It doesn't happen every time someone logs in, but often enough.

I don't see anything particularly bad or slow with these queries, but what I am going to try is multithreading the log in process so that no matter how slow it is to read in the initial data from the db, it won't slow or lag the main loop.

Right now in code, there are only a couple times we actually read from the DB. Mostly we write and all those writes are currently passed off onto another thread, so doing the same with reads makes sense.

Sounds good, as long as it works

yayy less lag is good, go jeff!

Noticed that the huge spikes occur every 1hour. Could it be cause by the DB backup or maybe some other job?

Sounds good. Nice to hear an update on it.

Good to know that you are hard at work at solving some of the lag issues Jeff. Thanks for the info.

Like i said in other posts, it REALLY GREAT to have some info on what the hell is going on...even if I don't quite know exactly what you are meaning, its nice to see that problems are being identified and solved.

Also, giving us info like that can allow some of the more experienced people with coding/servers the ability to help or suggest solutions that perhaps the admins dont think of..

Remember that we want this game to work really well too.

-ERMAN

/me smacks the DB what did I tell you about being slow, can you not read good or something! Thwack! Read faster!

Good idea Jeff, I like to know stuff like that cause I actually understand it ^.^

Hey jeff, that is the case, but you only made the lag worse imo, it's not just me, the lag spikes are just longer and more often. For some reason, my SS runs better if a have a different program running in the foreground, and SS is in the bg, and when i have a really bad lag spike, i minimize SS, and that sometimes works. A little puzzling to me

~GD

if you can do things to maniulate your client to stop lag then its you, not the server

Before people bash Goz, he did just get something correct.

Goz got 120 xp. Goz leveled up!

yea i gota agree. goz gave some decently informed advice!

if anything you do on your computer effects the speed and/or quality of the connection it is your computer not SS. maybe your video card or perhaps the computer just isnt strong enough to push through the application with other processes running in the backround. might want to try some heavy virus scanning. they effect computers big time.

GOZ! - I am shocked , some marked improvement from you in the last few months, prehaps you are aging!

-oVo

Goz may be correct, but if thats the case then the System Requirements are fucked up.

I have a 64 MB Video Card, thats 4x what this game needs.

And i still get insane Graphics Problems, i get a low FPS, and thats all.

With a 16MB video card I can get around 22-28 FPS. I would suggest: lowering your resolution, running fewer programs, scanning for spyware/adware/viruses (I personally prefer Spybot Search and Destroy as well as AVG Free).

If you are running Vista that can also be an issue: I personally prefer Windows NT5.0 (Windows 2000) for only running Star Sonata, as it works properly without the increase in system usage by unnecessary software present in Vista and XP. You could also try disabling the Aero or Luna GUI of Vista/XP and using Classic.

As well, you have to consider what the game lists are minimum requirements: minimum won't get you very far.