I just wanted to provide an update to everyone as to the status of the server. In the past couple of months, I have encountered some trouble. I lost the original server config after an incident, and as a result I have a temporary server in place. Of course this all happened during my prep time for finals at college, so I really haven't had a chance to rectify the situation until recently. I know that this server is probably not what people want to play, and I am making changes accordingly. Since it has been 6 years now since the original release of Unreal Tournament (UT99), I will not be running UT99 anymore as a service. I am working on a server config for a new Strangelove CTF server, this time based on UT2004. This new server will go live sometime between July 1st and July 8th, 2005.
Since I have this opportunity, I would like to touch on a few additional topics. I would like to clarify that I am the admin of this machine, and I have actual physical access to the machine (its sitting on the floor in my office). It is a Compaq Proliant D380 G1, meaning that it is a dual-processor P3 733MHz with 2 GB of RAM and ~35 GB of disk space in a RAID 5 configuration. Since the start of MMSLVCTF/RA I have run Linux. This will probably not change, since I am a full time college student and cannot afford the additional costs and maintenance that come with using Microsoft windows server products; in light of this, please make sure that any server changes that you suggest are Linux-compatible. Please note that I run this on a cable connection; while I do have a better upstream/downstream rate than in the past (ISP says 384/4000 now), I do use both my connection and server for purposes other than serving games (although most of the other functions that my server performs are available only to hosts on my LAN).
Things that may lag you out or otherwise affect gameplay:
- I am an IT guy, so as a result I occasionally have to remote in to work to provide support after hours.
- Both my wife and I are college students, and our areas of study both involve computers. As a result, we both occasionally have to upload things.
- My server is a testbed for software development (PHP/Apache/MySQL);therefore, the server may be loaded heavily during testing times. This is not a new situation, but the load may increase due to running UT2004 instead of UT99. None of these services are available to the public, so you should not be competing with web users for bandwidth.
- We are entering the summer season here in Indiana, and my office has a tendency to get really hot when the outside temperature increases significantly; when these conditions persist I will be shutting down the server until the evening (~8 pm Indiana time). I wish that I could change this, but I live in what is sometimes referred to as a "cookie-cutter" home, which has made things as simple as running a cable for my cable modem a great inconvenience. We also are entering the time of year when thunderstorms are more common, if there is lightning / high winds the server will be shutdown.
As with the original incarnation of MMSLVCTF/RA, DARKMATTER is my co-admin. He should be able to change maps in case of server error and kick/ban people in the event of inappropriate behavior or cheating. In the future, I want to be able to grant him the ability to login and restart the server or UT2004 if needed, and potentially to add new maps/models. Any questions or comments not regarding the specific issues mentioned above need to come to me (
dead_sun_rising@yahoo.com), although I request that you copy DARKMATTER (
bobby12_2002@yahoo.co.uk) so he is kept updated on the situation.
Thank you for your patience regarding the recent down time; I invite you to come check out new server in a few weeks and email me with your comments.
Regards,
