Help with new TF2 Server [Lag Issue]

[sloof]

I could use some advice on how to get my server more responsive.
I'm trying to get 16-slot server running comfortably. Unfortunately the CPU gets run up to 60-80% when many people are on the server.

Server Specs:
Intel Celeron 2.6GHz Processor // 512MB RAM
Ubuntu 6.10: kernel: 2.6.17-10-server
Default tickrate for the kernel
CONFIG_HZ=100

I have a 10Mbps full duplex connection so I don't think that's effecting me at all.

Here are my stats with just two people on the server:

CPU In Out Uptime Users FPS Players
0.00 9567.12 12963.45 165 4 99.33 2

Six people:

CPU In Out Uptime Users FPS Players
33.50 24541.52 28840.35 159 3 33.26 6

These are the current server cvars settings:
"sv_maxupdaterate" = "100"
"sv_minupdaterate" = "66"
"sv_minrate" = "20000"
"sv_maxrate" = "30000"
"fps_max" = "300"
"sv_maxcmdrate" = "100"
"sv_mincmdrate" = "66"

The tickrate is set to the default so I assume it's 100

Any help would be great.

-sloof

[Muppet]

Default tickrate is 33. But you find you won't get very far running a celeron - probably no matter what speed.

You could try recompiling the kernel to config_hz 1000 for increased server side FPS - but again, i doubt this would effect the CPU usage performance.

[Drocona]

Celerons simply won't cope with anything at all really..

I had a 2.6GHz and it wasn't even capable of running a 7!!! year old games dedicated server.

[valkyr]

Well, this may actually be an affect of the Linux kernel. There are several reported problems with CPU usage with the 2.6 kernel. I believe some of it has to do with swapping even when there is plenty of memory.

I've upgraded to Fedora Core 8 (Test-3) (BETA) OS for my SRCDS server which is running the new 'tickless' kernel and have set vm.swappiness=10 in the /etc/sysctl.conf file. Do a search for vm.swappiness on google and 2.6 kernel cpu usage.

[chaoslord]

valkyr -

I noticed your post in the other forum about lag. We have a couple pretty well-equipped servers that have the lag issue about 16 players. How are you finding performance with fedora core 8?

chaos

[valkyr]

chaoslord Wrote:valkyr -

I noticed your post in the other forum about lag. We have a couple pretty well-equipped servers that have the lag issue about 16 players. How are you finding performance with fedora core 8?

chaos

Well I its better then Centos 5 I've found (non-tickless kernel perhaps being the reason). CPU Usage was very high on CentOS. Now, before I changed the vm.swappiness I had one severe lag problem with 16 people that went away fairly quickly, but then most ppl had left

Now since changing the swappiness, I haven't had anyone on to test

[chaoslord]

We were running ubuntu 2.6-something and ever after setting swappiness to 10 and then zero, the problem persisted. I'm wondering if its a complilation issue, so I'm going to recompile for the 1000Mhz setting, hopefully that will fix it. Add me to your steam friends, and I'll try to get our clan guys to give it a test (we're on most nights, usually 6-8 of us, which will probably attract enough others).

steamid is csab.chaoslord

chaos