Server re-install

[MrAlBobo]

Now...obviously most people should have noticed the many problems with the server now, I think a complete re-install has good odds of improving the situation as it stands. There are two goals behind this thread, I 1st want to see if the community agrees with the idea of restarting the server, and I want to gather some ideas on what needs to be done before the server restart.

The stuff that needs to be done beforehand as far as I am aware is:
- save the maplist (maps can be direct transferred from the redirect)
- save the server.cfg (id prefer to have the community write a new one so the ideal configuration is reached)
- save the file that stores admin status (not sure what it is with sm)
- have the community decide on a good motd and perhaps server name
- redesign the privileges of admins, it seems a bit flawed to allow admins to turn on low grav, but not allow them to set next map, also, noclip ability should be restored

looking for suggestions on anything i missed along with suggestions for the various config files

[Rexy]

Speaking from experience as one of 4 Administrators for my gaming community, there's nothing wrong with giving out a little more power to the moderators. For one thing, as a personal opinion, I believe all moderators should have the power to change/set the next map; I feel like that should be a given regardless...

But secondly I'll vote no specifically because I know reinstalling is a good deal of work (speaking from experience). And from what I've seen the server runs fine, there are just some inconsistencies here and there. But it's not broken by any means, so why fix what isn't broken?

And thirdly, I don't own or contribute to the server's management or financial support--meaning, what right do I have to say OMG THE SERVER SUCKS FIX IT NAO! I don't really have the right to complain.

EDIT: And most of those things you've listed can just be updated, no need to completely reinstall it...

[MrAlBobo]

the things ive listed are the things that are working right now, otherwise they would not be listed in the inclusion of the new server <_<

from my personal experience, i find its far easier to simply start over then to try and fix everything that goes wrong. In all the time ive been on this site someone has always been wrong with the server, always, i mean look at some of the old gameday threads, there has been at least one crash on most of them, and i can recall one of them where immortal has said something along the lines of omg the server didn't crash this time, that is by no means normal

the reinstall is primarily for the purpose of consistency, if its a fresh install, then when something goes wrong we will be able to assume that one of the recent changes has caused it, not that it might be one of the old bugs. Personally i happen to think that sm is causing the problems (at this point lag) and a wipe of that with a fresh install of sm should do alot to fix the problems, but again, wiping everything guarantees the problems will be fixed or at least that they can be said to not be the fault of the server but the server company.

And, in theory it is the community server and as such the community should have a say in how it is run.

Provided an reinstall is not done the steps to verify the problems would be as follows:
1) run tracert on the server under high load and at various times of the day from a few different people to check for significant spikes, if there are then the server company needs to be contacted, if not then proceed to step two
2) have the config files examined for any anomalies, and test a variety of different settings, if this changes nothing then proceed to step 3
3) check sm and metamod for the list of mods on the server and confirm that some old deleted mods do not have files kicking around, or are still there and being unused, or if some of the settings might be slowing the server, if removing these does nothing then move to the next step
4) remove metamod and sourcemod completely, restart the server then do a fresh install of the two, with updated versions if possible, if this does nothing then move to next step
5) reinstall the server...

i find just reinstalling the server looks more attractive to me...
maybe try the tracerts beforehand

[MrAlBobo]

umm...holy crap, this is quite ugly

Tracing route to 233.93.233.72.static.reverse.ltdomains.com [72.233.93.233]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.0.2
2 * * * Request timed out.
3 10 ms 11 ms 8 ms rc1ar-ge5-0-0-11.ed.shawcable.net [64.59.189.146
]
4 23 ms 24 ms 33 ms rc2bb-pos0-0-2-0.vc.shawcable.net [66.163.77.222
]
5 28 ms 27 ms 28 ms rc1wt-pos4-0-0.wa.shawcable.net [66.163.76.126]

6 28 ms 28 ms 26 ms te-3-4.car3.Seattle1.Level3.net [4.71.152.25]
7 35 ms 35 ms 36 ms ae-31-51.ebr1.Seattle1.Level3.net [4.68.105.30]

8 43 ms 38 ms 31 ms ae-1-100.ebr2.Seattle1.Level3.net [4.69.132.18]

9 78 ms 71 ms 71 ms ae-2.ebr2.Denver1.Level3.net [4.69.132.54]
10 72 ms 71 ms 76 ms ae-1-100.ebr1.Denver1.Level3.net [4.69.132.37]
11 81 ms 88 ms 75 ms ae-2.ebr2.Dallas1.Level3.net [4.69.132.106]
12 80 ms 77 ms 86 ms ae-62-62.csw1.Dallas1.Level3.net [4.69.136.138]

13 149 ms 211 ms 219 ms ae-12-69.car2.Dallas1.Level3.net [4.68.19.4]
14 78 ms 85 ms 86 ms DATABANK-HO.car2.Dallas1.Level3.net [4.71.170.2]

15 76 ms 86 ms 76 ms 66.18.0.138.databank.com [66.18.0.138]
16 * * * Request timed out.
17 76 ms 75 ms 76 ms 233.93.233.72.static.reverse.ltdomains.com [72.2
33.93.233]

so...ignore 2 my modem simply refuses to be pinged, there are also good odds that it whats happening with 16
9 has a rather large jump, but the new ping seems to be sustained, so that is probably not much of an issue, however number 13 is a huge issue and may constitute much of the lag, so i don't know, some other people try a tracert and see if that same host still fails

[Nineaxis]

The server desperately needs to be fixed, and I'd be inclined to say a fresh install would do it some good. I like the idea of the community writing the config, motd, and server name, that way it will be what the community wants (and a good way to get everyone involved).

[Queops]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nineaxis

The server desperately needs to be fixed, and I'd be inclined to say a fresh install would do it some good. I like the idea of the community writing the config, motd, and server name, that way it will be what the community wants (and a good way to get everyone involved).

I make Nineaxis words, my words.

[drp]

well if nineaxis says so, then it definitely needs to be done!

ill talk to djive and immortal and see if they have any problems with this, and if not, ill take care of it soon and give the server a little more attention than its gotten in the past.

[Armadillo of Doom]

I certainly wouldn't mind giving it a fresh install. Though I've only experienced minor lag when changing maps, and that's recently. Mods all have the same access. Setting the next map is just a plugin file that I didn't think to add, but can do so easily enough. I use firefox, and motd's are ie-based, so they never show up for me. What exactly needs to change about it?

[GrimGriz]

Last time I looked it was blank or just said Welcome

[Nineaxis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Immortal-D

I certainly wouldn't mind giving it a fresh install. Though I've only experienced minor lag when changing maps, and that's recently. Mods all have the same access. Setting the next map is just a plugin file that I didn't think to add, but can do so easily enough. I use firefox, and motd's are ie-based, so they never show up for me. What exactly needs to change about it?

You haven't ever experienced the small lag spikes that lead up to the 15-second disconnects? Play a little more, we assure you it is problematic.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrimGriz

Last time I looked it was blank or just said Welcome

Same here.