Macro-server?

[Just_Another_Guy_:) 1,066]

I know this may not be the better forum for asking this -reason why it is in off topic-, but i just had to ask.

I had seen some posts in the economy thread, in where they mentioned something about making an official server for all the TFC's forum members, and someone said that his/her server only allowed 12 players -which i think it's high, but still...-. Then i remembered someone talking about multicore systems...?

I simply wanna ask, is it possible for a MC server to be hosted* in more than just one computer, so it has a greatly higher players limit and runs faster? And it is possible to do this with greatly distanced computers, such as all the forum member's ones?

What i was thinking was that those players which wish to contribute to the server, could add their own computer as a "host" of the server, that increasing the performance of the server and letting more players to enter it. The bigger it gets, the more players could contribute, and the server could reach a giant size, even compared to the greater one-host servers, which would allow a high enought number of players to create villages, towns or even kingdoms.

But yeah, reading back what i have writed, i think this might be just a dream... Seems pretty complicated. Still, i don't really know much about it, so it might also be as simple as breathing.

*by this i mean, that more than one computer has the server files and is running the server.

[GismoT 50]

bump

[Just_Another_Guy_:) 1,066]

err, thanks? ._.

[Arthur_Dent 36]

I've heard of it happening before, just not specifically with minecraft... You'd need to get in contact with a server designer or someone like that. I'm sure it's possible

[Anzoon 1]

It would be simplest to instead have server owners band together in financial contribution in purchasing a large server with considerable specs. Having a server that would be able to support the act members of this forum could be done so long as people are willing to consolidate.

Raisercraft alone has the room for a 100 members, though I wouldn't know if it was capable of hosting all of them without lag.

A macro server would be a brilliant idea which would work beautifully for kingdoms and economies. It would just require community contribution and support. Not to mention the willingness to part with maps when new updates come out. So long as people could settle their differences and work together such things would prosper.

[GCountach 39]

While I'm hardly an expert on this, the simple answer is no. The answer is hard to explain and I don't know enough to explain it, but I'll try.

Can a program run on multiple machines? Yes. They are quite common for tasks that require enormous CPU power. They are regularly seen at universities for reserach and large companies like google for handling all the traffic they get. They're called Server Farms.

Can minecraft be ran on a server farm? Eh.... probably not. Why is that? Because minecraft was programmed with one computer running it at the start. Programs that run on server farms are designed for that environment. It comes down to how it handles any given instruction the program sends down the pipe. How does it determine which computer to send it to? CPU on that computer? Core on that CPU on that computer? If you send out an instruction (instruction B we'll say) that depends on another one (Instruction A we'll say), instruction B has to wait for the A to complete so it can run. These two instructions would ideally run on one CPU or perhaps even one thread (since instruction B can't do anything til A is done), but what happens if it's sent to two different computers? Performance will suffer.

Can a program run on multiple computers spread far apart? Yes. It's called Distributed Computing. While that link will probably not help you understand it any better, if you ever heard of SETi@Home or Folding@Home, those are examples of distributed computing. Basically every computer is connected and working on the same problem.

Can minecraft benefit from this? No. There's extreme amount of overheard required for DC, as there's many possible points of failure (bad hardware, bad packets, etc.). Everything has to be checked and rechecked to insure it's correct, else problems occur. This is why DC is used for solving hard problems instead of gaming. Time (latency) isn't an issue for them, but in minecraft latency matters.

[Anzoon 1]

While I'm hardly an expert on this, the simple answer is no. The answer is hard to explain and I don't know enough to explain it, but I'll try.

Can a program run on multiple machines? Yes. They are quite common for tasks that require enormous CPU power. They are regularly seen at universities for reserach and large companies like google for handling all the traffic they get. They're called Server Farms.

Can minecraft be ran on a server farm? Eh.... probably not. Why is that? Because minecraft was programmed with one computer running it at the start. Programs that run on server farms are designed for that environment. It comes down to how it handles any given instruction the program sends down the pipe. How does it determine which computer to send it to? CPU on that computer? Core on that CPU on that computer? If you send out an instruction (instruction B we'll say) that depends on another one (Instruction A we'll say), instruction B has to wait for the A to complete so it can run. These two instructions would ideally run on one CPU or perhaps even one thread (since instruction B can't do anything til A is done), but what happens if it's sent to two different computers? Performance will suffer.

Can a program run on multiple computers spread far apart? Yes. It's called Distributed Computing. While that link will probably not help you understand it any better, if you ever heard of SETi@Home or Folding@Home, those are examples of distributed computing. Basically every computer is connected and working on the same problem.

Can minecraft benefit from this? No. There's extreme amount of overheard required for DC, as there's many possible points of failure (bad hardware, bad packets, etc.). Everything has to be checked and rechecked to insure it's correct, else problems occur. This is why DC is used for solving hard problems instead of gaming. Time (latency) isn't an issue for them, but in minecraft latency matters.

Which is why a large and singular server purchased and funded by multiple individuals with the specifications required to support the number of people that would want to play would be the best answer.

[Jed1314 420]

Which is why a large and singular server purchased and funded by multiple individuals with the specifications required to support the number of people that would want to play would be the best answer.

I would be so up for this, but just imagine the cluster fuck of opinions and the drama that would doubtless unfold ...

Look at how heated some of the discussion can get on the suggestions forum :S

It would take a group of individuals with an awesomely singular purpose and strongly defined goals, objectives and bounds for the server for this to work well.

If it could though ......

[Anzoon 1]

If it could, it would be the perfect grounds for the testing of how Kingdoms should work in Beta 3.

It would also be so very beautiful.

[Scooterdanny 285]

I would love it, but just seeing the kingdoms thread.... wait... i have an idea, we do it, but segregate the servers (like raisercraft as one, and others as different kingdoms) as different kingdoms, on the same server, the rules could be kingdom based similar to skyrim.

[GismoT 50]

Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, the shape-shifting Master of Dark...... wait wroong forums ^^

about 2 years ago, there was this awesome mod called, I THINK DONT NAIL ME, Stargate. It allowed to transport people around the server via adressing the gates networks and addresses. The biggest thing was their VERY buggy ability to transport people from 1 server to another. It worked best if the servers where in the same network.

I couldnt find the mods page, so please if you find it post the link. It was made by a german team if it is any help

maybe this is a semi solution to this problem

[GismoT 50]

i found a old bookmark on my old pc, their page is down

gatemod.de

so i think the idea "is free" if anyone wants to take it up