If you're running linux and would like to help!

[Trumpcard]

I've been doing testing on EQEMU using several linux tools such as LeakTracer and gprof to try and locate memory problems and bottlenecks in the code.

My problem is typically that I don't generate load on my machines (more than 1 client)

To assist, you can install and build LeakTracer on your machine , and run at least one zone using it, and get us some test data that covers use cases of several users in the zone doing different things. LeakTracer is nice, as you can preload the .so into your lib path, and all you really need is a zone executable compiled with -g so the leak-analyze script can use gdb to find the location of the problem.

LeakTracer is available at http://www.andreasen.org/LeakTracer/


Additionally, something else you can do, and at the same time is compiling the zone with -pg to enable performance statistics, then running the .out file through gprof , and dumping the results to a txt file. This will show where the code is spending all its time in execution.

I have attempted running zone through Valgrind, but so far have been unsuccessful getting it to work. Valgrind significantly slows code execution, and this causes too much delay in zone and the client believes the zone is unavailable.

If anyone runs a 24x7 linux server that gets decent load that would like to help, your assistance would be appreciated.

My tests have uncovered several issues we have been able to correct, but having someone test on a larger scale basis will give us more complete code coverage, and possibly broader results.

Thanks!

[arkaria]

I run a 24/7 server but I don't get the impression it gets much traffic.

Would it be worth me running LeakTrace? If so I'd be happy to.

[a_Guest03]

In January, I'm starting a web resale business, and I'll be buying hosting space and bandwidth. I don't think I'll be using 100% of the bandwidth (100GB up/down, or as low as 20GB up/down). I'll see what I can do about hosting strange processes like world before I sign the little contract.

I can choose a linux or a windows server and I'm going linux.

[Trumpcard]

Every little bit helps! Doenst need a ton, as long as we get a few people running in there.. What I want to see is RANDOM functionality executed, when I test, I test specific cases, so the cases are locked to what Im working on.

By letting random people run around and execute, you get a better model of 'real world usage', hence the result set will be much more rounded.

[arkaria]

Should I be adding -g to the make file or just at the command line "make -g"

[a_Guest03]

Trump, what kind of server are we looking at here? Do I need 256M+ RAM for sure, or 1G, 512? I think speedwise, I will be lucky to get a 1.8 hosted...

I'm a poor college kid :P But I'll do what I can to host some.

[Trumpcard]

Doesnt matter, the code should perform at the same relative level regardles of the speed/memory.

You can test on one zone only, you just need to make sure all the folks zone into the same zone to perform the testing.

You add -g into your FLAGS in the makefile, not to the make commandline

[arkaria]

Ok zone is recompiled with -g and I'm running zone via LeakCheck. Should I run every zone with LeakCheck or just one?

[Trumpcard]

I would run just one with leaktrace

the best way to do it is to name one zone zone.leak or something seperate from the other zones, then run it using the startscript. I created my own start script using the leak.sh one provided with the program with the emsharemem.so lib appended onto the end, and the zone i wanted to start, and run it in a seperate window so you can control-C or control-Z out of the zone when you've completed the run.

This should produce a leak.out file.

The problem with running it on all zones is that each one will overwrite the file, the only way around that is to create a seperate directory for each running zone.

Experimentation will tell you what works best for you

[arkaria]

I ran all 10 zones with the LeakTrace just to see what happenes. I now have a nice big "leak.out" file (40k).

Here is what "./leak-analyze zone leak.out" gives me.

http://www.1amos.com/leak.txt

[bobzub]

I would like to help. I run fish-wolf. I will try to get this stuff
set up when I get some time here soon.

[Trumpcard]

Ark,

I'm going to push out new CVS code this evening, can you rerun the tests using builds with it ?

No mem. leaks in this txt, just lots of allocation scheme differences. I'll check against our code base tonight and see if any of these are ones I havent corrected yet.

Also, it wont pick up .h files that are outside of the current directory, you can get around that by copying the common.h files into the executing directory (if you notice, servertalk.h is one thats listed as MIA)

Thanks!

[arkaria]

Yeah I'll do that for sure. Just post here or something when CVS has been updated and I'll recompile.

I can copy all the .h files into my bin folder if that will help or make a difference

[loderunner]

Was the source for the released version 0.5.0 binaries ever pushed to the public CVS? If it was I'm doing something wrong. I've been keeping up to date with CVS, but I've not gotten anything new since the 11/11/03 changelog. Just curious.

The CVS push you mentioned this evening, Trump, will that be dev or public? Just a bit anxious for some updated code to test/play with.

If you need additional leak testing, I normally run 5 zones on my little private server and I can have a few mates put a load on them, just let me know.

Thanks in advance. : )

[arkaria]

The source for the 5.0 release was not pushed to CVS as of vesterday but there is a zip of the source available along side the bins.

more leak info

www.1amos.com/leak2.txt