Use Launcher Dedi Server instead of SteamCMD dedi server, is this possible ?

[ceecee]

I read somewhere that in order to use the rF2 Launcher Dedicated server that one just has to change a port number somewhere.
Is there anyone out there doing this and if so could you help with some data please ?
After running for years, a working licensed rF2 Launcher dedi server, we moved to the buggy, constantly disconnecting clients (but not crashing ) SteamCMD dedicated server when nobody could connect anymore because ISI shut down Matchmaker.
But the disconnects are only getting more regular and now also in race.
So any help to return to using the rF2 Launcher Dedicated server would be appreciated so we can get back to a normal League evening.

 

[Carr]

As far as I am aware it is exactly the same, the only difference between the SteamCMD version is that it doesn't contain some of the files required to be able to launch Single Player or Multiplayer. What is the problem you are having?

 

[Marcel Offermans]

As @Carr mentions, both are exactly the same so any differences you might have will be caused by user configuration. There are many guides out there on configuring a dedicated server. If you are having problems, try to describe in more detail the steps you've taken, what you expect to happen and what actually happened. One common cause for a dedicated server to not work is an incorrect setup in your firewall/router software (not forwarding the correct ports to the correct internal IP address).

For the record, the fact that ISI shut down their matchmaker is completely irrelevant. Ever since rFactor 2 moved to steam, it has been advertising dedicated servers both on the Steam and ISI matchmakers. The former is still available, so nothing "broke". The only thing we recently did was to completely remove all code that was talking to the ISI matchmaker because that one will never come back anyway.

 

[ceecee]

Thanks for the reply Marcel, when running the previous Launcher dedi server working without problems, the day the Matchmaker connection lost message arrived, the server was suddenly no longer accessible. (nothing had been changed).
The problem with the SteamCMD dedicated server since the beginning has been disconnecting at the end of the race for both local and online clients and recently, now disconnecting in race. The server stays online and can be reconnected without a problem.
This I have reported here : https://forum.studio-397.com/index.php?threads/latest-1109-build-updates.59017/page-4#post-930617 and uploaded traces.
and here : https://forum.studio-397.com/index....in-effects-and-more.58675/page-36#post-931986
Ports etc are configured according to advice as when server is running, racing is fine for both local and online clients. But disconnects are becoming more common and now effecting racing.
The Launcher dedi server never had disconnect problems, I have reinstalled SteamCMD multiple times and have it now running on a separate SSD.
Hardware is up to date and been running for some years problem free.

 

[ceecee]

@ceecee are you running the rfactor2 dedicated server on your gaming pc, which you are racing on, or have you installed the rfactor2 dedicated server on a completely separate computer/server?

Going by experience, we always had lag and disconnect problems, when the server was being run on a pc which was also being raced on at the same time.

Dedi server is run on its own PC (with all unnecessary services off except Teamspeak server).
Connection to and the running of the server is fine and problem free for both local and online clients.
Server is running on a 200down/22up connection and local client pings at 5-8ms and online client 18-25ms (online client is on a 80down/18up connection).
The problem is that at the end of a race the server disconnects both local and online clients, this is worse since the last rF2 update.
Server remains up and running, reconnecting is problem-free.
Recently we are starting to get in game disconnects.
These are problems that has never existed while running the server from the Launcher (for some years now).
Hardware is unchanged in all this time, only difference is that we have to run the SteamCMD dedi server now (which has introduced these disconnects).

 

[ceecee]

@ceecee what is your server specs. I have a strange recollection that your using one of those old Intel Q series processors with the security flaw, which was patched by Microsoft causing a performance drop.

Thanks for the reply Mangoletsi, yes it is a Q9550 with the 12Mb L2 cache but no, the Microsoft patches have nothing to do with performance here.
The Intel patches though do however they are still busy with them and will probably only patch the last 5 years of processors.
They are expected to release new CPU's without the overflow code bug starting around October.
Besides that, the computer is running just as well as has always done, the problem is software based as the game disconnects the clients after a race but server remains up and running.

 

[Goanna]

the problem is software based as the game disconnects the clients after a race but server remains up and running.

We've just completed a 3 race evening with 18 drivers (no AI) and not one disconnect either through race or at race end. Our remote server is;

 

[ceecee]

We've just completed a 3 race evening with 18 drivers (no AI) and not one disconnect either through race or at race end. Our remote server is;
View attachment 12359

Good to know Goanna,
Here since I moved from the Launcher to SteamCMD this is every end of race.
I reinstalled onto a dedicated SSD but this did not change anything, rest of the PC runs fine.
Now finishing a few computers and will run a new trace on both server and local as Friday night is our league night.
Server stays on, just disconnects (Connection lost) both local and online clients while loading new race.
Reconnection to server for clients is problem free.
As it seems, it is my problem and there is no support so we will deal with it and hope for future updates to solve it.
Hardware/network/software is checked multiple times (that is my daily job, I am a self employed IT installation technician for 25 years)
This is the end of the trace of a successful 30 minute World GT3 race at sm_Imola with 28 AI if anyone can recognise anything as the problem (not sure why I get a smiley on Post !):

4538.51s game.cpp 2611: Entered Game:ost()
4538.51s sound.cpp 1611: Entered Sound:ost()
4539.57s specialfx.cp 4171: Entered SpecialFX:ost()
4539.57s steward.cpp 9632: Entered Steward:ost()
4539.61s dynman.cpp 2771: Entered DynMan:ost()
4539.62s slot.cpp 1142: HALT? Time UNloading Max Koebolt was (0.00+0.00+0.00+0.00+0.00+0.01+0.00+0.00+0.00+0.00+0.00+0.00+0.00) = 0.01
4539.75s camera.cpp 5541: Entered CamMan:ost()
4539.75s render.cpp 3135: Entered Render:ost()
4539.75s onscreen.cpp 4330: Entered OnScreen:ost()
4539.75s vidman.cpp 3164: Entered VidMan:ost()
4539.84s plrfile.cpp 2929: Entered PlayerFile:ost()
4539.84s plrfile.cpp 2037: Attempting to save to C:\Games\rfactor2-dedicated\UserData\player\player.TMP
4539.89s plrfile.cpp 2061: Retcode: 0 for renaming to C:\Games\rfactor2-dedicated\UserData\player\player.JSON
4539.89s JNILog.cpp 32: SRLI: received 36 bytes of data
4539.89s JNILog.cpp 32: Putting on the event bus: SessionResultImpl [sessionType=PRACTICE1, entries=[SessionResultEntryImpl [steamId=0, position=-1, positionInClass=-1, totalLaps=0, finishTime=-1.0, fastestLapTime=-1.0]]]
4539.89s game.cpp 2656: Entered Game::Exit()
4539.93s JVM.cpp 158: Invoking stop call
4539.93s JNILog.cpp 32: Stopping framework
4539.93s JNILog.cpp 32: Thread interrupted
4539.93s JNILog.cpp 32: Joining
4540.42s JNILog.cpp 32: Joined
4540.42s JNILog.cpp 32: Stopped framework
4540.42s JNILog.cpp 32: Framework stopping bundles
4540.42s JNILog.cpp 32: Framework unregistering native services (including this logging facility)
4540.42s JVM.cpp 163: Destroying JVM
4540.42s JVM.cpp 165: Destroyed JVM
4540.42s sound.cpp 1632: Entered Sound::Exit()
4540.42s specialfx.cp 4201: Entered SpecialFX::Exit()
4540.42s dynman.cpp 2851: Entered DynMan::Exit()
4540.42s render.cpp 3184: Entered Render::Exit()
4540.42s onscreen.cpp 4361: Entered OnScreen::Exit()
4540.42s vidman.cpp 3226: Entered VidMan::Exit()
4540.45s osman.cpp 1015: Entered OSMan::Exit()