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Question: Guess the loot server processor!

Doer

Doer

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David "Doer" Falkayn
Okay, maybe this isn't a loot theory. It's more a loot server theory. As i sit here waiting for 6 mobs and a refiner action to complete, and not for the first time this hour, i ponder what type of processor might power the loot server.

I'm guessing it's a 486DX-33, but i concede it is possible that they didn't spring for the coprocessor on a server, so maybe it's just a 486SX-25 or something like that.

Your guesses?
 
eniac. ... they get it for free when students of computer science can visit it during their comp history courses
 
z80 , nothing better to do some math ;)
 
518px-Schoty_abacus.jpg
 
I'd go guessing some Xeon (for reals), the random lootlags seem like they'd be caused by something else than the slowness of the server itself, maybe network overcapacity (doubt that), or more likely some backup stuff being done at the same time.
 
It isn't a dedicated server, it's just a simple script running on MA's mailserver, counting the amount of "WTF!?" in the mails and tuning up the drop rates accordingly.
 
Cail said:
or more likely some backup stuff being done at the same time.
Click to expand...
would not be the first time...
it did happen allready more than once that MA had some automatic serveur maintenance that create big lag....
 
The processor's name is called Lootius, nobody knows its whereabouts not even MA themselves.
 
I might be off a little here but my guess.....


Loot Server :

+ Processor

=


Therefore, the processor must be an industrial grinder.

Solved.
 
Maybe it isn't the loot server's processor being too slow? What if it was the loot controlling program code being too "fat"? Probably needs some trimming and streamlining or something from all those 10 yr+ of "fat accumulation". :confused:
 
sawachika said:
Maybe it isn't the loot server's processor being too slow? What if it was the loot controlling program code being too "fat"?
Click to expand...
While speculating, and especially based on experience (with EU), I'd say it's - in no particular order - an unfortunate combination of database choice, network congestion (!), lack of RAM, too slow disks, crap design, and incompetence.

Disk I/O isn't a problem nowadays for a system handling just a few tens of thousands of individual accounts (at best!). Slap on some mirrored SSD's, even if cheap 128GB, and you get half a gigabyte sustained both read and write (I have data to back this up, from "old" Intel 520 SSD drives). Keep in mind the "back-end" servers are never even told about how much money you have spent until the time comes to loot; the "area server" handles all your ammo-/decay-losses (VU10 proved this without a shadow of a doubt).

CPU? C'mon, if you have CPU issues nowadays for such Embarrassingly parallel workloads you're doing something wrong.

Network bandwidth? We only know they co-locate (if even that; perhaps they just rent virtual servers) in Amsterdam. We don't know if they have the actual (bigger-)money-handling servers (such as loot-system) in Gothenburg or if it runs on the Port Atlantis server. Heck, we don't even know if they even can spell "10Gbps" yet. No matter, the amount of delay they repeatedly induce suggests a lack of competence.

RAM? Well, they could theoretically try to run the servers on 512MB 32-bit Windows machines - even if virtual ones - and try to patch them up as we go.

Crap design? While it could explain the horrible downtimes to just roll out an update (that should take at most 30 seconds if properly tested), I can't believe even MA are that moronic (I admit, I had and still have some fears that I could come to regret that statement).

As I see it, the only remaining is and database choice and (potentially) connection Amsterdam<->Gothenburg. Anyone want to continue... Kim?
 
Random generator that works on CPU ? No way :laugh: MA work closely with the Swedish zoo, so a bunch of monkeys randomly clicks on a buttons in the hope of getting a banana :banana: And bad design you say? Some guy installed system back in 2000, nothing was changed from that time. MA makes money, not a game.
 
For something that seems to be an extremely parallel 'issue', I would guess that an AMD opteron CPU may be the best for it.

Of course they can just run it a modded galaxy S2 phone (dual core ARM CPU with 1 GB Ram) if they are on a budget. lol. That probably explains the loot lag at times...... :laugh:
 
the-unknown said:
Of course they can just run it a modded galaxy S2 phone
Click to expand...
While it saddens me to say it, evidence seems to suggest an unmodded S2 could be more than enough to handle the loot workload of EU. I shit you not. The area servers handle all "common" loot, including both actual and fake no-looters (nova's).

Only when you get something beyond eye oil and 42 millipec ammo (read: you get an item, or at least the area server has decided you should get anything better than "normal loot" - that's what it's all about!) is the next level queried. That level could, especially today, probably be run on even a Windows phone. From 1997.
 
Evil Aeon said:
Random generator that works on CPU ? No way :laugh: MA work closely with the Swedish zoo, so a bunch of monkeys randomly clicks on a buttons in the hope of getting a banana :banana: And bad design you say? Some guy installed system back in 2000, nothing was changed from that time. MA makes money, not a game.
Click to expand...

And it also takes bananas to push those buttons, those monkeys have spent the last decade trying to figure how to press the button in the most eco way and recent researches has shown that they will get roughly 90% banana back in the long run. :rolleyes:
 
show me the money:yay:
 
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