[MUD-Dev] Multi-threaded mud server.

[Chris Gray]

[Jon A. Lambert:]

> There exists a 400 mhz Pentium II single-processor with 64 Mb of memory 
> running Redhat Linux.  Running on the server is ftpd, httpd, telnetd,
> smptd, dns, a stock Diku mud server, a DGD LP mud server, and a ColdMUD 
> server.  The server is probably underloaded.

Sniff! Mine's only 300 Mhz. :-)

> Is there context switching going on here?  YES! Loads and loads of the 
> "expensive" process-level context switching.  
>
> <rant>
> Now suppose I wish to redesign and multi-thread that Diku mud server.  
> Why would I WORRY about the overhead of "cheaper" thread-level context 
> switching?
> Why should I CARE at the application-level how many processors are 
> present on the friggin box!?!@#!??
> </rant>

In my case, its because of two things:

    - I grew up with processors that were about 1000 times slower than
	the one you mention, and that has built some habits that are
	hard to get rid of. (I had to think about it for a minute, but
	1000 *is* the right number!)

    - I have *BIG* dreams. I have a friend who works for one of the
	largest ISP's in Canada. I want to try putting my MUD server
	on a box in one of their network centers. That'll be a big,
	fast box (likely SMP) with a ton of memory and a great big
	pipe to connect it to the internet. I figure that the system
	networking overhead will tie up a CPU or two, and that'll leave
	one or two for my server process, and it'll need to handle
	1000 or more active clients to keep the pipe going. Remember
	that I said this was a dream!

--
Don't design inefficiency in - it'll happen in the implementation.

Chris Gray     cg at ami-cg.GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA
               http://www.GraySage.Edmonton.AB.CA/cg/


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