Specify CPU Load for your server or servers

[1Man]

Thought I would share a nice piece of info about CPU load for running a single server or multiple servers.

 

Server startup parameters via .bat file

 

Example:

 

@echo off
start "arma3" /HIGH /affinity 30 "arma3server.exe" -mod=@Epoch;@allinarmaterrainpack;@EpochHive;@sem;@asm -config=E:\Cherno\SC\config.cfg -port=3302 -profiles=SC -cfg=E:\Cherno\SC\basic.cfg -name=SC -loadMissionToMemory -enableHT -autoInit -malloc=system
@exit

 

So my .bat file looks something like this /HIGH is priority /affinity is which CPU's I will use "your server executable" [Mods you are running] [server config/port/profile/performance config] variables you can use which depending on hardware will either help or hurt your server so be careful with these except -autoinit as this will start your server's mission.

 

/affinity

CPU's then /affinity value

 

0-1 /affinity 3

2-3 /affinity C

4-5 /affinity 30

6-7 /affinity C0

 

Now if you want to dedicate 4 cores

0-3 /affinity F

4-7 /affinity F0

0,2,4,6 /affinity 55

 

 

I hope this helps some of you and the players that connect to your server's

[1Man]

376 views and not 1 comment apparently everyone understands the steps glad to see it.

[Kimzer]

Thanks a bunch for this! Saved me alot of googlin! :D

[ElricMelnibone]

Do you allocate max memory as well? 

 

-maxMem=16384

 

We are using

 

-cpuCount=4

 

So would using  

 

/HIGH /affinity F

 

Actually help then?

[umfufu]

If u have a 6 or more core CPU then u would bind the arma process to only 4 cores , leaving the others free

Has nothing todo with memory

[1Man]

Do you allocate max memory as well? 

 

-maxMem=16384

 

We are using

 

-cpuCount=4

 

So would using  

 

/HIGH /affinity F

 

Actually help then?

 

Well if you have the available memory you can load the mission into memory, as for your parameter I believe thats only for Arma 2. So if you have an 8 core processor and you have 4 dedicated to the server Arma 3 server.exe then in theory you could allocate 2 cores to a headless client and the remainder to the OS.

[js2k6]

I go about this a bit differently from you, hex does my head in. 

 

so part of my launch/restart/keep alive batch.

PowerShell "$Process = Get-Process arma3server; $Process.ProcessorAffinity=15"

the 15 is relative to the core number, numbers count a lot like binary values. 

like the table below. 

 

my example of 15 sets core affinity to the first 4 cores

a value of 255 would use all 8 cores, 195 would use core 1, 2, 7 and 8 for example. 

core 1: 1
core 2: 2
core 3: 4
core 4: 8
core 5: 16
core 6: 32
core 7: 64
core 8: 128

[1Man]

Yes you could use binary or hex but this will and does keep things very simple for the non technical admin.

[uniflare]

Pretty sure you only need 2 cores for each server you run. Arma doesnt span across multi cores afaik. And only uses a second core for some ai stuff. Unless you run a headless client -In which case you can max another core for more ai.

No point in getting a server with more than 3 cores imo. Unless its a dedi.

Was this way for A2 and pretty sure nothing has changed. All about sheer clock speed / flops n mips.

[1Man]

Flops and mops are the tops God im corny

[viper179]

so say you have a intel xeon 12 core logical 24 core physical would having all of them running help out or no and if so should i say use 3 on core 1 and 3 on core 2

[uniflare]

Its all about raw core speed rather than how many cores.

 

You could run 4 arma services even 6 pretty easily with 12 physical cores. might even double that, not sure how logical would preform over physical cores though.

[PAR4NA]

so say you have a intel xeon 12 core logical 24 core physical would having all of them running help out or no and if so should i say use 3 on core 1 and 3 on core 2

I'm testing with the cloud south, my machine is equal to its.

 

Which parameter you are using?

[1Man]

Updated to include none HT cores see original post

[mimic]

What would you recommend as a minimum CPU clock speed for a 100 man server?

[second_coming]

What would you recommend as a minimum CPU clock speed for a 100 man server?

At present, I'm not sure there are any CPUs capable of that.

[mimic]

Can you give me some idea's as to clock speed recommendations?

 

I have my own dedicated server. It's an i5 quad-core 3.5Ghz with 16GB RAM and an SSD. I have it overclocked up to 3.75Ghz, but could push it further if needed.

 

I'm running two server instances on this one machine. Both have 100 slots, but the most I've ever seen on one of my servers is 22 players, which was putting CPU usage at 65%. Missions and AI are offloaded on a headless client running on a totally separate machine.

 

Thanks!

[second_coming]

Can you give me some idea's as to clock speed recommendations?

 

I have my own dedicated server. It's an i5 quad-core 3.5Ghz with 16GB RAM and an SSD. I have it overclocked up to 3.75Ghz, but could push it further if needed.

 

I'm running two server instances on this one machine. Both have 100 slots, but the most I've ever seen on one of my servers is 22 players, which was putting CPU usage at 65%. Missions and AI are offloaded on a headless client running on a totally separate machine.

 

Thanks!

My server is a dedicated i7 3770 @3.9GHz, 16GB RAM, running Windows 2008 server (with Arma3 running from a dedicated SSD).

Before the latest round of Arma 3 and Epoch patches it was just about coping with 55 players (running both the server and headless client with FuMS and A3EAI, approx 40 AI).

As it is at the moment it is now lucky to handle 40-45 players and keep the fps/cps over 10 (not that recently I've had that many players online at once).

The main issue I'm seeing recently is that the FPS/CPS drops at random and the CPU usage doesn't come anywhere near maxing out (ie. there is lots of unused CPU capacity). I think it's an Arma3 issue rather than Epoch.

[mimic]

My server is a dedicated i7 3770 @3.9GHz, 16GB RAM, running Windows 2008 server (with Arma3 running from a dedicated SSD).

Before the latest round of Arma 3 and Epoch patches it was just about coping with 55 players (running both the server and headless client with FuMS and A3EAI, approx 40 AI).

As it is at the moment it is now lucky to handle 40-45 players and keep the fps/cps over 10 (not that recently I've had that many players online at once).

The main issue I'm seeing recently is that the FPS/CPS drops at random and the CPU usage doesn't come anywhere near maxing out (ie. there is lots of unused CPU capacity). I think it's an Arma3 issue rather than Epoch.

If you're talking about your FPS and CPS suddenly dropping, look to see if it coincides with a player joining. If it does, try removing A3EAI and see if that fixes it. I had this problem. My FPS and CPS would be sitting at 46-50 with 10 players on, and then all of a sudden it would just drop to the mid 20's when a random new player would join the server. I removed A3EAI because FuMS was able to do for me what A3EAI was doing, and suddenly no more FPS/CPS drops. Stays pegged at 45-50, even with 140 AI on my headless client and 20 players. Mind you my CPU usage then is getting a little high, but it was stable and players were commenting on the smooth FPS on their end.

[second_coming]

If you're talking about your FPS and CPS suddenly dropping, look to see if it coincides with a player joining. If it does, try removing A3EAI and see if that fixes it. I had this problem. My FPS and CPS would be sitting at 46-50 with 10 players on, and then all of a sudden it would just drop to the mid 20's when a random new player would join the server. I removed A3EAI because FuMS was able to do for me what A3EAI was doing, and suddenly no more FPS/CPS drops. Stays pegged at 45-50, even with 140 AI on my headless client and 20 players. Mind you my CPU usage then is getting a little high, but it was stable and players were commenting on the smooth FPS on their end.

I'll give it a shot, thx :)

[Sneakydude]

Depends what your aiming to get. If you looking for missions where random AI are spawning all over the map everyone will load those. To do this on a sandbox environment, you need to decide do we want 100 players playing epoch loot, or do you have 10 players all wanting AI missions.

 

You cant really have both and say I want 60 FPS too.

 

Unless arma starts giving out the correct coding sequences for all mods, epoch and many others will fall into the Grey area because there is tons of errors.

 

So for now even Dayz themselves haven't fixed it. You have 50 players, and each town loads a few Zombies. You still have the massive loading of 2 minute window.... remember after you enter the game.

 

Thanks for your server specs, like this!

[second_coming]

Since removing A3EAI I am no longer getting random FPS/CPS drops on the server, not had it under load yet though, I've reintroduced the Epoch sappers and drones (limited to 1 per player on the server).

 

I'll give some feedback on the FPS/CPS when under load if I manage to get a reasonable amount of people on the server (it's been dead for the last week, averaging only 15-20 at peak).

[jjvaardt]

i came across this:

start-affinity-command-

 

To get right HEX number imagine your cores in plane format 8765 4321 (for 8-core CPU) in backward direction (but NOT like 1234 5678)

Now to use cores 8 & 7 would be like     76543210

                                                                 11000000

then just convert the binary to hex with windows calculator set to programmer

 

Now to use all cores would be like     76543210

                                                            11111111

and so on