Hello All, Right to Rebel (=rTr=) has been hosting a 40 person DayZ SA server through Vilayer since July, 2014. For the most part, everything was running fine on the server until the .49 update. Since that update we've experienced a lot server crashes and server lock-ups. Below are some of the observations and issues that seem to present a pattern. I'm hoping that by posting this information that we can find similarities between the =rTr= server issues and other servers that may be experiencing similar issues and find the root cause in order to find a fix or a work around. Server crashes shortly after max capacity: I've been watching our server for the last couple of weeks and I've noticed that shortly after we reach max capacity (between 5 and 30 minutes later) our server will crash. This is a constant and never fails. I don't know if this is a hosting issue or a game issue. At the time of the crash, we are at least 38/40 to 40/40 with CPU usage at around 5%, memory being around the 10%, and a varying bandwidth. We have been unable to duplicate the crashing by say throwing a splint on the ground (for those who remember that issue) so we're not sure if this is a hosting server issue or an in game development issue. Server locks up and won't restart: This has been relatively new but it is becoming more frequent. Twice in the last 3 days our server has locked up and we have been unable to restart the server. If the STOP button actually works, you get a spinning circle and maybe it will stop, or maybe it won't but if you do get the option to START the server, the only thing that happens if you click on that is you get a spinning circle for about a minute and then it appears to time out. I tried for an hour the other night just clicking the start button to no avail. According to Vilayer's ticket response it "looks like there was a fault or error with the monitoring software on the node that was stopping your server from running." I was unable to get a response from them as to whether this was a game/patch issue or a mechanical server/hosting issue. Server logs: I've been collecting server logs over the last couple of days and I've noticed a couple of things. The first thing I've noticed is that unless you manually stop/start the server, the server logs do not update the time or date. In other words, if you are monitoring the server through the server console, the time and date does not update so you can watch the console for an hour (or more) and the time and date will NEVER change. This first example is from a couple of days ago and the log displays over 3 hours worth of data and it all says the exact same thing. (This exact same message for hours on end) 2014.10.16 13.35.49 VILAYER MASTER SERVER COMMAND : get 2014.10.16 13.35.49 VILAYER MASTER SERVER COMMAND : normal Checking server status, server running on xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:xxxx 2014.10.16 13.35.49 VILAYER MASTER SERVER COMMAND : get 2014.10.16 13.35.49 VILAYER MASTER SERVER COMMAND : normal Checking server status, server running on xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:xxxx 2014.10.16 13.35.49 VILAYER MASTER SERVER COMMAND : get 2014.10.16 13.35.49 VILAYER MASTER SERVER COMMAND : normal Also, we see some error messages when the server restarts. I see these errors on every restart and I have been unable to get an answer as to whether or not this is normal so i would appreciate it if someone with some firsthand knowledge is able to tell me if this is normal or not. Error message on automated restart: Server not running executing start process... Checking if service on xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:xxxx is already running... ERROR: The process "DayZServer_25129.exe" not found. ERROR: The process "cmd_25129.exe" not found. ERROR: The process "bec_25129.exe" not found. Service is stopped executing start process BEC Installed adding to startup infrastructure... Server running on xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:xxxx These error messages only occur on the automated restart or server crash and not on a manual stop/start of the server. Server restarts take a long time: The other thing I've noticed is when a server restarts at it's scheduled time or after the server crashes, it takes over 15 minutes (literally 15 minutes and 9 seconds) for the server to become playable again. Below is the server log (shortened version) of when the server crashes and restarts: Restarting service on xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:xxxx SUCCESS: The process "DayZServer_25129.exe" with PID 7224 has been terminated. SUCCESS: The process "cmd_25129.exe" with PID 6100 has been terminated. SUCCESS: The process "cmd_25129.exe" with PID 7520 has been terminated. SUCCESS: The process "cmd_25129.exe" with PID 5292 has been terminated. SUCCESS: The process "bec_25129.exe" with PID 6120 has been terminated. ERROR: The process "DayZServer_25129.exe" with PID 7224 could not be terminated. Reason: There is no running instance of the task. (this message for a total of 6 times) ERROR: The process "cmd_25129.exe" not found. ERROR: The process "bec_25129.exe" not found. ERROR: The process "DayZServer_25129.exe" with PID 7224 could not be terminated. Reason: There is no running instance of the task. (This message 33 times) Server running on xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:xxxx 2014.10.16 13.35.49 VILAYER MASTER SERVER COMMAND : get 2014.10.16 13.35.49 VILAYER MASTER SERVER COMMAND : restart BEC OFF/ON: Initially, i read some posts on the forums that turning the BEC OFF may reduce server crashes. In my experience, it has not made a difference whether it has been off or on. I ran our server with BEC OFF for 5 days, and with it ON for 5 days and we experienced the same issues as listed above. The one thing i have not tried is uninstalling BEC from the server to see if that would make a difference. Again, I would appreciate anyone with knowledge on this posting and letting me know how it has worked for you. Anytime we have an issue and we submit a ticket to Vilayer they say it's a patch issue or say "it appears to be running normally" and close the ticket. I am more than willing to work with both Vilayer and the Devs to help figure out what is going on. I work from home and i monitor the server most of the time from 7am to 10pm, depending on other real life responsibilities. I'm also willing to work with other admins or hosting sites to see how we can narrow down what can be causing the server crashes and lockups. Basically, I want what everyone wants and that's a working, stable platform to play DayZ SA on. Thanks for taking the time to read my post and I would appreciate any constructive feedback or recommendations anyone has to offer. Thanks again, =rTr= Mindreaper DayZ SA Admin
