[Nel] A small document for your consumption
Vincent Archer
archer@nevrax.com
Tue, 17 Apr 2001 12:27:13 +0200
I'll answer both posts at the same time...
According to Thierry Mallard:
> Possibly this can be partially avoided by providing your own DN Server's IP ?
> (dunno precisly how the client would connect to it, but still...)
There are two ways you can find out a server:
1) Hardcode the IP address (then, you cannot move the server)
2) Use DNS for dynamic IP (then, the hardcoded address is the root of the
DNS tree - which, hopefully, changes even less often than we will)
You can't specify your "own DNS". Using that is basically the same as
using method 1: you still have to put a server at a static IP that gives
you off the dynamic IP.
> > 2: The client submits its login, password, and system capabilities.
>
> In plaintext ?
If we assume the link has a crypt method in it, why not.
Three possible methods for password submission
1) Plaintext, assuming the connection has a form of crypt in place
2) MD5/crypt password. Spoofable, since:
a) You can capture the MD5/crypt string
b) You have the client source, so can hack it to send the static
crypted password instead of crypting the - unknown - plaintext
3) MD5 for a dynamic challenge. A good example: the server sends you the
current date when you connect, and you use that date as the first
bytes of the MD5 digest.
> > 4: The client selects the world it wants to log on, and submits the IP address
> > of its world service to the LS.
>
> Would it be good if the client could select several worlds ?
> (then the negociation following could use this to get a good WS)
Not good. Typically, the client will connect to the world the player has
a character he wants to play today :)
However, the client may use the IP addresses of the WS to ping them and
figure out which connection is better (when selecting its first world).
> So the WS is (or can be?) a load-balancer to all the FES in a given world ?
> -- the balancing being done at network level, not process level --
The WS *is* the load balancing mechanism. Since he's aware of all FES
up and running, and knows their load right now, he's best suited to
determine which FES can afford to manage a new character.
> I wonder if it couldn't be more interesting if the client disconnects from LS
> _after_ having initiated the connection to the FES. Then, if something goes
> wrong, the client could goto 4 directly.
Hmmm, that might be good, yes.
--
Vincent Archer Email: archer@nevrax.com
Nevrax France. Off on the yellow brick road we go!