Saving bandwidth

[JonnyDog]

Hi everybody,
We have a very popular/busy GunGame server with all custom maps downloaded using the fastdownload alternate location. The propblem is our http traffic is through the roof (avg just over 1gig a day) and we need to reduce bandwidth by 20% or else it will cost a fortune.
Anyone know any way around this, if we have the maps dling from the server it will lag the server big time as there is a normal public server running off of it too.
Options as far as I can see are to cut the custom maps on there and have them on a weekly rotation perhaps, find an alternate dl location. Can you specify an IP address in sv_fastdownload instead of DNS address? Unfortunately our secondry game servwer is ow a FEAR and COD2 server so no go there
Is there a way to compress the maps but so they are still downloaded automatically? Is there a way of making the downloader use ftp instead of http?

Any suggestion welcome, thanks in advance

[troyton]

sv_downloadurl    -   A good host  forums.de1host.com

bzip2  -   (to make the map files smaller) When you use this Delete the Blank file in the compres folder!
  bzip.zip (Size: 30.5 KB / Downloads: 100)

[Drocona]

Indeed bzip2 will compress the files, source engine has built in bzip function so it's downloadable and usable.
Unfortunatly http is the only way, FTP doesn't work.
Also to save some bandwidth set a maximum download speed on the HTTP server if you have access, this way you can pretty much control the bandwidth.

[Hollanda]

Drocona Wrote:if you have access, this way you can pretty much control the bandwidth.

Hmmm, I don't get this point. The point is: use bzip2, and if you don't have the bandwith: don't use that much custom maps and/or sv_downloadurl. The lesser custom stuff you have, the lesser bandwith it will cost.

[Drocona]

I mean set a maximum download speed from the http server, that way you won't use as much bandwidth as before for example when you have a transfer limit of 20 gigs per month. Limit the speed and you will stay under it.

[Hollanda]

I dont get your point :?

People downloading a certain map via your server, do you think it makes any difference it you cap the speed. Also, if you set a maximum after a certain amount of days you wont have a sv_downloadurl, cause your account is suspended.

So what's your point?

[Drocona]

I mean if you limit the speed of the downloads to say 120kb/s then there will be less bandwidth and transfer used than when you have clients downloading maps at 400kb/s.
So at the end of the month, having constant 120kb/s downloads you will have approx 50 gigs transfer and you will never go above it because 120kb/s is the max.
When you dont limit it the transfer could be alot more per month and will cost more.

[bloodwraith]

I always have found that mod_bw works fairly well for b/w choking at least to limit the rates at which they are downloading. This is only a slowing method and not a method to mitigate large usage over time.

It can be found at http://bwmod.sourceforge.net

Otherwise gzip'ing the files is really the only other alternative. Another (less popular) method is to consider pruning some of you least used maps or have a vote on your site/server as to which ones are to be removed or kept in the cycle to reduce constant downloads. This will not be noticeable right away but after a while it will become apparent that it is helping. If you have any other questions feel free to hit me up on here or at my site.

BloodWraith
Jiggly's Fun House DOD:S/DOD Senior Administrator
http://www.jigglysfunhouse.net