Improving Server Performance

[cpgaming]

Hi all,

I've been going over the services that are running on my dual power 2600 server to try to improve the performance for the game servers i'm running on it. I've disabled all the mail services, the ftp service and IIS. What else can I disable to try to improve the performance of my machine.

A little background on my situation.

I run a game server related company. I was able to run 8-10 gaming servers on a previous machine hosted elsewhere by another company. I decided to test the serverbeach network as I'm aware alot of gamers use their boxes to host their game servers. I moved all the accounts from one box in my previous datacenter to my box on server beach. The pings are great and the Peer1 network seems stable and fast. But the processors on the top end machines offered don't seem able to handle the load of my servers at all so far. My previous box had 8 servers on it that i decided to move. I have (since the move) had to steadily decrease the amount of servers on the box I rented thru serverbeach. Started with the same 8 servers in the same configuration. I've had to drop down to 5 servers on the box and that is still not good enough. Its starting to look like (with a Dual processor server) i might be able to get away with 3 small game servers if they don't fill up. 5 is making the servers cpus go eratic. My turning off services that are running (IIS 6, FTP publishing, Mail Services) has had some slight effects but not enough yet for this to work yet, and i'm worried about turning off things that are critical to run the box and allow me to login to manage my clients game servers.

Ultimately I need to find out exactly what on my windows 2003 server i can safely disable so i can get this new box close to where it should be. I need to log in thru rpc myself and other then that i don't really need any of the extra services running on the box.

[cpgaming]

using cpuz i'm noticing some voltage changes. Very constant ones although they aren't dramatic overall they do seem to spike at the same times that the cpus do when i'm watching them with the task manager. Is this potentially a powersupply or mobo issue and not a services issue?

I'm afraid to contact tech support without doing everything I can on my own first. If anyone has any thoughts on this matter I'd love to hear them before i have to break down and submit a support ticket on the box.

[Razors Edge]

If you figure out all the items that can be shut off without effecting the game servers I would be interested in this information. I run a set of online games on my server now and considering opening a bussiness doing game server rentals aswell.

-Razors Edge-

[KyleMulligan]

DHCP, Wireless, IPSEC (if you're not using it), Windows Audio, Help and Support, Print Spooler, WWW, FTP, SMTP, etc...

[dcsvany]

Kyle. Can/Are you running your games as services or via desktop. If as desktop that takes up processor speed and not really necessary. I was able today, matter of fact, to delete 16 processes from my processor lineup just by running my game as a service vs having the computer auto login and run from the startup folder. Also most if not all dedicated Games these days will just not run correctly on Dual proc servers. The programming for dual procs was just not on their minds when programming the code for the game you are running. You have to remember the programming starts about 1 year before the latest hardware. So games comming out today were not built for dual proc servers today. Also Remember W2K3 just came out this past year and the same situation is for the code to be for the code of W2k3. Not for nothing...see if a dual proc w2k server works for you better. (if you have the funds to do this.. I might add.)

Unless you have something in your game cfg file that states that you can run dual pocessor. You did not state what games you are running but my server which is a Tribes 2 server has this below:

Tribes 2 example

// Set this to 0 if your server is having stuttering problems
// Single CPU = 0
// Dual CPU = 1
$Host::EvoUseHighPerformanceCounter = 0;

Hope that helps.

[KyleMulligan]

I don't run any game servers. I use my machines for web hosting.