Server software and hardware changes

[ArmsAndLegs Guy]

As you might have deduced, currently Discogc is running on a rented server at a datacenter, on a quadcore machine, which unfortunately just dont have the processor speed to handle a full load.
The reasons for the switch, was manyfold - Cannon felt the backup ADSL line we were running on just didnt cut it, and by switching to a server at a datacenter could provide a better experience to the players while also give him access to a multicore machine to test some stuff related to his development of the split server system he has been working on lately, and the old server needed a large spring cleaning.

As you know, Majkp put together the current server, ran it and hosted it for about 3 years. The current specs can be seen on the wiki. After it was sent to me here in Denmark, it has gotten some new clothes externally, which also can be seen on the wiki. http://discoveryfl.com/wiki/index.php?titl..._RP_24/7_Server

As said above, internally it needed a spring cleaning, and to avoid downtime (since this is something we do in our spare time), when Cannon decided to rent a multicore server for his continued development, I decided to get some stuff done on the old server.

It is now running with a Raid 1 setup, which improves the read spead immensely, giving far faster startups, and is now running on Windows Server 2008 R2 64 bit version donated by Virus (Kudos for that Rob), which also improves speeds immensely compared to the old Windows XP 32 bit based setup from the last 3 years.

The Windows OS switch was also made in order to get access to all the ram installed on the machine. XP 32 bit will only see 4 GB. Alas, the 4 GB address space of the 32 Bit OS is also used for other things, so of the 4 GB installed, only 3 GB was available.

A 64 Bit OS doesnt have that address space limitation, and with the new OS we now have access to 3.5 GB of the 4 GB ram installed. The last ?1/2 GB of ram that is blocked, is due to the old server having an old Matrox Mystique PCI graphics card.

Will.Clayton from the forums have donated an unused PCI-Express-x16 graphics card he had laying around to the server, which will ensure that the PCI ressource allocations made now on the server, won't be needed thereby allowing us access to the full 4 GB of ram. As soon as it arrives here, it will be installed. Kudos go to him for that donation.

The server runs an E8400 Core 2 Duo processor, specified to run at 3.0 Ghz. It has run stable overclocked at 4.0 Ghz for the last couple of years. After all the hardware had been transferred into its new clothes, a couple of extra Thermal Take chassis fans, and a larger Thermal Take cabinet fan had been installed, it seemed like it might be able to be pushed a bit farther.

So at the moment the old server is pushing 4.23 Ghz at full load on both cores, while maintaining a system temp of 40 C, and CPU temp at 78 C - Leaving a comfortable 22 C up to the TjMax temp of 100 C for the Core 2 Duo processor line.
Example from the burn-in test yesterday :
http://peecee.dk/uploads/052010/Discoser...retest.png

This should make sure, together with the other updates, and the pleothora of bug squashing Cannon has done the last week, that the old server will run far better than before, when it returns online sometime today.

A & L Guy

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