Category: SL Tech

Server Deployments, Week 20

As always, please refer to the server deployment thread for the latest updates / news.

There was no main (SLS) channel deployment on Tuesday, May 11th. On Wednesday, May 12th, the three RC channels were all updated with a new server maintenance package, comprising:

• Internal server logging changes
• Back-end system bug fixes
• Reply-To email changed in postcard sends

As noted in my TPV Developer meeting report for week #17, snapshots are sent via the “secondlife.com” domain, but use the sender’s own e-mail address as the originating address in the “from” field. This, and other ways ways in which e-mails flowing out from “secondlife.com” are handled has resulted in some ISPs regarding the domain as a spam domain, and have been pro-actively blocking it.

The “reply-to email changed in postcard sends” refer to a change made to how the “from” field in snapshots sent to e-mail (which the Lab refers to as “postcards”)  is addressed in an attempt to alleviate the problem.

At the time this issue was raised at the TPV Developer meeting, it was indicated that the Lab was considering removing the the snapshot to e-mail capability server-side. However, as was indicated in the meeting, doing so would break a number of wardrobe HUD systems which are popular among users. Whether or not this fix is an attempt to address the spam issue without having to remove the snapshot or e-mail functionality is currently unclear.

SL Viewer

Attachments Viewer (Project Big Bird)

The attachments viewer was promoted to release candidate status with version 3.7.29.301361, release on Wednesday, May 13th. This viewer provides a series of fixes for attachment-related issues, particularly when multiple attachments are added or removed at the same time. It also has enhanced logging, so the SecondLife.log file will have some additional lines related to avatar state in general and attachments in particular.

Linux

As noted in a separate report, the Lab have now blogged about seeking assistance from open source developers in the continued development and maintenance of the Linux flavour of the viewer.

 Outfit Folder Changes

A recent change to viewer functionality means that it is no longer possible to drag and drop sub-folders of items into the My Outfits  / Outfits folder – see BUG 9209 (FIRE-15603). This change, which is in the official release viewer, is filtering out into various TPVs, and has been causing some consternation.

While it is still possible to create sub-folders within My Outfits / Outfits and drag and drop items into them, many people have tended to simply unpack new clothing items into a default folder and drag that folder (or the Direct Delivery folder for the clothing) into My Outfits / Outfits, and then sort the contents into suitable outfits from there. Others have used the Appearance floater to create outfits, save them, and then drop them into My Outfit / Outfits – which also is no longer possible.

It’s unclear precisely what problems can occur in allowing drag-and-drop in My Outfits, although it appears drag-and-drop into My Oufits was never intended to be allowed. The change itself was made by Vir Linden, shoe has most recently been working on a range of improvements to try to reduce issues of inventory loss; he is now involved in the JIRA discussion, seeking to understand use cases relating to dragging-and-dropping folders into  My Outfits.

Ichi-go Ichi-E, Fantasy Faire 2015 (Flickr)

Server Deployments Week 19 – Recap

On Tuesday, May 5th, the Main (SLS) channel received the server maintenance package deployed to all three RCs in week #18, comprising internal server logging changes  and a new flag for llGetObjectDetails()  – OBJECT_LAST_OWNER_ID; plus new data which can be requested  via llGetEnv(). These are:

• “agent_limit”- get the maximum number of avatars normally allowed on the region (teleport home, and login to last location, are allowed to exceed this).
• “estate_name”- returns the name of the estate (e,g, “mainland”, “Linden Homes”, “My Happy Estate”, etc. )
• “region_cpu_ratio”- returns the number of regions per CPU for this region type (i.e. “1” or “4”)
• “region_product_name” – returns the type of region this is: “Estate / Full Region”, “Mainland / Homestead”, “Estate / Openspace”, “Estate / Full Region – Skill Gaming” etc.
• “region_product_sku” – returns the region’s product number as a string
• “region_start_time” – returns the time the region was last (re)started, in llGetUnixTime format
• “simulator_hostname”  – returns the simhost running this region. Same as llGetSimulatorHostname but without the script delay.

There were no planned RC deployments or restarts for Wednesday, May 6th.

Group Chat Failures

There are been a number of odd group chat issues recently, such as those outlined in see BUG-9130. Simon Linden has been investigating the issues, and gave his findings at the Simulator User Group meeting on Tuesday, May 5th, “Basically the chat server gets stuck with bad info about where the avatar is. The normal ways that would get corrected aren’t working right … but trying to log off and back in, or leave and re-join the group might fix it.”

When asked if a re-start of the affected chat servers could clear the problem, he replied, “possibly … except one of the features of the chat servers is that they try to save everything and re-load it when they come back up.   That way everyone isn’t kicked out of all their group chats when it restarts. I’d have to check but I think they may save the bad info about [the affect avatar]. ”

Group chat messages are routed to you via the region you are in at the time the message is sent. However, if you have moved to another region during the conversation, the region will tell the group chat service you are no longer there, and the service then performs a look-up to locate you so that the messages can again be sent to you via the region simulator. “In this case, Simon explained the current issue, “it’s failing with a different error due to a change in the grid configuration, and not handling it correctly.”

With the cause of the issue now identified, the Lab hopes to get an update out to the chat servers to fix the problem very soon.

Attachment Failures

As has been noted in these updates, the Lab currently has a series of viewer-side fixes for problems relating to attachment issues (items detaching on region crossing / teleporting, items showing as attached when detached or vice versa, etc.) which are  at project viewer status (“Project Big Bird”) and  will be progress through the viewer channels in due course.

In addition to the viewer fixes, there are are some server-side issues with attachments the Lab is investigating. In particular, the Lab has identified that requests for multiple simultaneous attachments at or near the upper limit (38) to be attached at the same time will invariably overload the pipe, although why this is the case still has yet to be determined.

Experience Keys / Tools

Work continues with the back-end of Experience Keys / Tools, and Simon Linden has most recently been working on the key values database for the system (which can be used to store information relating to users who have been  / are engaged in an experience, such as their progress, items they may have collected / attached, etc.). Given the anticipated popularity of Experiences, and the fact that people have already identified other potential uses for the key value database, the Lab is trying to ensure it is robust enough to handle and and all uses it might be put to – and can deal with the potential of poorly-written scripts persistently polling / updating it more than is strictly required without necessarily impacting its performance.

Other Items

Agent Updates, Draw Distance and SL Performance

In discussing the group chat issues during the Simulator User Group meeting, the conversation turned to the matter of agents and child agents. While the region you are operating in has the main connection to your avatar (your agent), it may also be sending information to avatars on other regions, and you may also be receiving updates from surrounding regions.

Simon explained things thus, “while you’re here, you’re also talking to the region next door; it will send you updates about what happens over there … it has a camera for you and knows what you can see, and sends you updates but it doesn’t run your scripts, for example.”

This tracking of what is going on in other regions is determined by an avatar’s draw distance and the direction in which they are looking, and the “camera” Simon referred to in his description is known as a “child agent”.

Child agents help with a number of tasks – the such as allowing you to see what is going on in a neighbouring region, as Simon mentioned, and also assisting with aspects of region crossings.

Obviously, there will be child agent updates going on between neighbouring regions as a matter of course. But when you have an abnormally high draw distance, the chances are that you are having an additional impact not only on the regions immediately adjacent to the one your in, but every region that falls within draw distance / view, as you are forcing them to send you updates as well, and you are forcing the region you are in to work that much harder to pass those updates to you.

Hence why it’s a good idea to keep your draw distance down to a reasonable level (say 256 metres or lower) for as much as you can. You’re not only helping improve your own experience (however powerful your own computer might be) – you’re showing courtesy to those active in the regions around you and who might also be affected by the region they are in having to take time serving data you may not need to your viewer.