[Nel] Dynamic load balancing?

Mon, 19 Feb 2001 15:43:59 -0600

Okay, so what you're saying is basically this...
+
+By seperating the services, you can have a cluster of machines, each running
+different services, and thus, keeping the load down across the board.  You
+would have a single system, for example, handling just combat resolution,
+and you would have another system that would keep track of the database...
+or on an even more molecular level (assuming you have a very large world
+with huge database demands) a database service that is strictly dedicated to
+handling certain types of objects (like dynamic world objects such as rocks
+and such, as opposed to character objects like their posessions in their
+backpacks for example).
+
+You would have other servers running the service managers for the AI of the
+monsters, etc, etc, etc...
+
+So instead of dividing up the world into geographical sectors and having a
+single system handle each sector... you would divide the world up into
+different processes, and have each system handle the specific process for
+the entire world.
+
+Let me know if I'm getting pretty close to what you're trying to say here.
+;)  My only question on the whole thing would be... what happens if you run
+into a problem where activity on a process gets to be too much for a
+server... would you be forced to upgrade that server?  Or could you
+theoretically split the process between two systems?  (running the same
+serice twice in the same cluster, on different systems).
+
+----- Original Message -----
+From: "Vincent Archer" <archer@nevrax.com>
+To: <nel@nevrax.org>
+Sent: Monday, February 19, 2001 10:33 AM
+Subject: Re: [Nel] Dynamic load balancing?
+
+
+> According to Glaze:
+> > Hello,
+> >
+> > I have one "small" question and I hope this is the right place to ask
+it. I
+> > was just wonder how (or if) you will solve the question of how to
+balance
+> > the workload on the game servers, will you use some kind of dynamic load
+> > balancing or have you opted for another approach.
+>
+> Hmm, I realise I've explained what is dynamic load balancing, but I
+> haven't answered this question.
+>
+> Let's hope we have a good discussion on this :)
+>
+> If you look at some of the basics in the... ok in the future design
+> documents, you see we're working with a kind of ORB approach, with
+> a naming service, which lets you discuss with specific services.
+>
+> We're aiming for a functional approach, not the classic EQ/UO/AC
+> geographical approach. In that classic model, each processus is a
+> complete copy of the code. It contains everything, from spell effects
+> to pathfinding to combat code. Each process serves a specific "area",
+> which is defined by an X/Y/Z box (or, for EQ, a zone ID number, since
+> each area is strictly separate).
+>
+> We're not going to use this approach. Chiefly because static allocation
+> fails when you put too many objects in the same area (be it because a
+> guild has decided to hold a meeting of all its 350 members there, or
+> because we want to have an event with an army of 100 mobs spawning).
+> And, as I explained somewhere else, dynamic allocation means:
+> 1) A complete lack of control on what process is doing what, and
+> 2) A need for a very fast way of finding who is near you and under
+>    which process control
+>
+> What we're aiming for is a functional approach. That is, each service
+> provides specific functions. For example, all items in the game are
+> handled by a single service. Combat runs on a separate service.
+> And so on.
+>
+> I'll let you imagine how this works, and then will further explain as
+> you try to shoot holes into that design. :)
+>
+> --
+> Vincent Archer                                         Email:
+archer@nevrax.com
+>
+> Nevrax France.                              Off on the yellow brick road
+we go!
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+
+