Just a question, maybe it a silly one...

Sniipe

File distribution at the lan.

Lets say there is a game about to start for example quake 3. No one has the game (unrealistic I know) except the server. If we all wanted to play it we would all have to download it there and then using FTP, or link on the intranet.

So I was wondering how difficult it is to set up and install a client for the likes of a torrent system, or similar.

I use Azureus at home but is it easy to convert that for a lan settings in regards hosting a file... etc...

po0k

Torrents could be good.

A round-robin FTP system (everal mirrored FTP dumps on say 3 servers) could also help distribute the load.
But Torrents would actually be pretty cool - though I'd imagine there'd be a few people there who wouldn't know how to use it.

I'll look into setting up a torrent box. If we had 3 full-time seeds for everything... Perhaps a DVDR with patches for each game as backup.

Doodee

SyxPak wrote:

Torrents could be good.

A round-robin FTP system (everal mirrored FTP dumps on say 3 servers) could also help distribute the load.
But Torrents would actually be pretty cool - though I'd imagine there'd be a few people there who wouldn't know how to use it.

I'll look into setting up a torrent box. If we had 3 full-time seeds for everything... Perhaps a DVDR with patches for each game as backup.

well, if torrents were in use then there would be no need to have the same files on 3 different servers, one super seed means that a number of individuals can download off that seed and when they finish they themselves become surrogate seeds.

Rory, fantastic idea btw.

po0k

More seeds == more aggregate speed for everyone.
If you've one seed, it'll be slow as shíte for the first while till everyone gets their chunk. It wouldn't be much better than FTP for *quick downloads*.
We have servers. We can clone the 10Gigs or so of patches and mods onto them, each runs the torrent, have one of them also running the tracker...and boom. Lots and lots of speed.
GigE nics would also be an idea.

Doodee

if 2 people download the patches off the server and host the torrent is not gonna take that long. its not as if your hosting it for all public users to download. and not everyone is going to need to download the same patches. also if people have the patches already all they have to do is rename/re-seed by clicking the torrent. that saves server space for other files.

Asok

Fibre to the anus ftw!

po0k

JP....
We'll have to configure one machine as [super]seed and tracker.
It doesn't take much more effort to copy the files and torrents to another server or two to provide more capacity.
This is extra performance and a better service for little or no extra effort or complexity.
I say this because very few if anyone is going to leave their torrents running.

Sniipe

good point about ppl leaving their torrents running. But they will only be needed just before a game for ppl to download. Maybe it will work. I don't know. Does any other lan do it?

Doodee

copying the file to another server is exactly the same as another server just downloading the file and seeding. also with uploads from multiple servers whats going to run games then?

As rory said, its only needed once per user for whatever it is they require, theres no point wasting resources that could be put to use elsewhere.

timeout

Will there be space allocation for personal servers at the LAN? I mean for those of us that happen to have a separate PC for holding all their files and hosting games on while they just use the other for playing on. They could be used for this torrent idea thing, maybe?

Doodee

that may very well be the case given all the problems that seem to be arising.
Its so hard to feed the masses that cant feed themselves aparently

ARGINITE

IMO it would have to be very easy to use other wise people just wouldnt bodder, but thats could just be the lazy person breaking out in me.
It is a good idea tho, its just to get people to use it.

Doodee

well with a sseed/tracker server running, and torrents hosted somewhere, all that would be required is people use whatever torrenting software they already have or one provided at the lan

po0k

Doodee wrote:

copying the file to another server is exactly the same as another server just downloading the file and seeding.

...except you can have it copied pre-lan and not have to wait the 30mins or so whie it grabs all the other patches too. doofus.
When it's pre-copied, we can just fire up the torrents on it and let things work away. Turning off torrents as they're not needed. This can al be monitored from the tracker message logs I'm sure.

also with uploads from multiple servers whats going to run games then?

The torrents won't affect game load when sitting idle.
And as this will be the first time we try this so we may aswell get the testing out of the way early.
I'll be there Thursday, and am taking the friday off to get this stuff done.

As rory said, its only needed once per user for whatever it is they require, theres no point wasting resources that could be put to use elsewhere.

whisht would ye.

Doodee

your logic baffles me, are you predicting that 45people are going to be downloading.

just test it on 1 server, theres no point in having load on 2 servers.
people are going to have to test the patches once they download them. yes your right that idle torrents wont cause any stress but active uploads will. ping spikes will occur on any active games servers.

Jeff suggested a DC Hub might be a better idea.

po0k

No way are we running DC.

Have you forgotten lessons learned?

po0k

Doodee wrote:

your logic baffles me, are you predicting that 45people are going to be downloading.

I'm not saying that's going to be regular, I'm thinking of providing for the maelstrom of activity that'll be happening Friday evening/early saturday morning.

DooDee wrote:

just test it on 1 server, theres no point in having load on 2 servers.

Yes, I see your point. But let's test....and not forget

jp@skillz.org:~$ [b]man nice[/b]

people are going to have to test the patches once they download them. yes your right that idle torrents wont cause any stress but active uploads will. ping spikes will occur on any active games servers.

Yes.
A compromise would be to ask people to leave their torrents open for as long as they can bear the warm feeling in their hearts, combined with leaving the extra torrent servers up early on, niced down to low priority and shut them off when they're not needed or in the unlikely event that performance is an issue.

Jeff suggested a DC Hub might be a better idea.

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