Project Underway as we Speak RPI Hosting

Server Discussion
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Hey guys, I have been away recently due to busy exams in school, so I haven’t been on the Sponge Forums for well over 2 months now. I have missed you all very much, but I am back and here to stay. If you have read some of my previous posts here, you will know I have a team of very helpful builders, managers, testers and everything you need to make and run a Minecraft Server, although we lack the programmers. XD

I have only been able to host a server which I opened when I could as I ran it form my laptop, it is a very powerful laptop so don’t underestimate it. I like all of this techy stuff, so I get the very best I can. Besides the point, I have recently acquired 2 Raspberry Pi 2 machines, and all the parts needed to run, cool and manage the system.

The server will now be permanently running and working on the Raspberry Pis, if you are wondering what I did, read below:

To start with I had to get the things to actually make this happen, listed below:

  • 2 Raspberry Pi Machines
  • 2 Fast Ethernet Cables
  • 1 2 Gigabit Switch
  • 2 32GB SanDisk Class 10 SD Cards
  • 2 Micro USB to USB Cables
  • 1 Powered USB Hub
  • 2 Mini RPi Fans
  • 2 Sets of Aluminium Heat Sinks (containing 2 large heatsinks, and 4 medium sized heat sinks, 2 for the cpu and the other 4 for the ram and bridges)
  • Other computer programs such as putty

This currently Bukkit server is running with almost no faults, if not any, of course once the Sponge API server is available, it will be much less weight on the PIs meaning more performance. Yay!

This server is fully capable of running up to 75 players without considerable frame rate drop or tick drops, everyone who is able to run Minecraft at an average of 60-100fps on their own or others servers, should expect roughly 50-80 frames on this server once its opened to the public. We have based this information off the stress testing we have been preforming on the server at maximum load, so these estimates are pretty accurate.

If you have any questions about how I did this, comment below, I will be happy to answer!

By the way, the only server file I had before CraftBukkit was shutdown was the 1.7.5 version, so its a little updated, but it works like a dream. I will update when a stable version of Sponge is released.

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Raspberry pi’s ? Aren’t these poor machines going to get fried :cry: ?

Nope, Start up time will be (mutch) worser. And performance will almost be the same.

You misunderstood the concept of FPS. FPS is all client side. Servers are supposed to run on 20 tps (ticks per seconds) in order to work properly.

So far I know a Raspberry PI 2 has a quad core 900mhz CPU. Minecraft needs 50ms for every tick. What means that your raspberry pi has 45000000 ARM cycles available every tick (idealy). But you still need to cut that down for the operation system and CPU interrupts. I don’t know how many instruction minecraft needs for every tick. But considering that it even lags on a 1.8Ghz machine with 23 players and 2gb of ram. I don’t see how you can pull this off. Please explain :smile:.

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i’m curious too.
If i had to build a cheap server i’d chosen a Celeron G1840, Bequiet 300W PSU, 4gb of Ram and a small S.1150 H81 or B85 Mainboard. This system should outperform both PIs while the cost should be similar to a little more.

If i buy this stuff in germany it costs me 145€ including an ATX case or 130€ without case.
The two Pi 2 should cost around 80bucks plus the fans/coolers.

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Hi, @thomas15v! This is still being worked on and when I said about the lighter weight, I was on about the actual server side run time, not so much the start time or client side fps.

I am running this successfully on both PIs the cooling is more than sufficient, and the run like a dream. I have overclocked both CPUs to high in the Raspi-Config settings, and they both share and handle the information separately, meaning the weight of the server is actually being levelled between both PIs.

Because I am directly imputing the command into a Putty Screen Command line, (basically meaning I can execute a command, exit Putty and it will continue to run), it loads up like it would on a laptop or computer. Without no problems.

I know people underestimate the Raspberry PIs, although if you set it up correctly it will run a small server like a dream!

I know the Raspberry PIs weren’t the best option for performance, but my knowledge of the PIs and some of its parameters needed to run larger files such as this makes the PIs an ideal choice for me!

Once the server is open for the first time to the public, you are welcome to come and join! We can even set up a VIP tour of the server a few days before the actual opening date (not yet confirmed). Just leave me your username so I can add you to the whitelist and I can contact you when we can do that.

I hope this covers everything,
danielfrogs

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As I said in a previous reply @Tzk, I picked the Raspberry PIs because of my previous knowledge with running smaller projects on the system and hardware. But your idea is actually very good, I think I will try that out some day but maybe add a little more ram, and make it a dedicated server.

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Hmmm. The thing is, that won’t increase the clock speed. It will help for the connection threads. But not for the minecraft world itself. I would say do the test:

  1. Get 10 or more players online.
  2. Spread the players around. At least 1K distance from each other.
  3. let them make(or load) a complicated redstone machine.
  4. Watch the TPS go down (or stay steady).

Also 900mhz or 1100mhz really doesn’t make such a difference, I wouldn’t overclock them.

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Forgot to mention, I am editing some plugin code which will allow the server to automatically compact the chunks package of every player, and send them with lowered network stress, meaning the chunks and world will load quicker in game. And as you said @thomas15v, the tps is what is measured on the server side, well the code also allows for monitoring of tps, and it will make live adjuestments to the world to stop overloading, and tps behinds, (if you know what I mean).

In other words this edited code I am working on will in turn, make the PIs run more smoothly, and at a consistent rate, therefore increasing their performance. Hope this clears some things up XD

So what I am doing @thomas15v, is using all of these different components to run with each other, all in a loop which will greatly enhance the performance I can get out of these little PIs. I know they wont be the best, but they will surely do the job.

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No wonder you get frame drops

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@AgentTrolldude I don’t get frame drops, :smile:. This small plugin is just going act as a precaution, and will only activate and work according to the stress being put on the hardware.

Looking at the data from a previous stress test with 25 people, the tps was stable and the frames were the same. So this is hardware can easily run what I’m looking for, even if it doesn’t need the plugin, as it’s only for a precaution!

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The OP appears to state otherwise

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What do you exactly mean by that?

Don’t quite understand, sorry!

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I understand that. But that won’t increase the clock speed. Have more CPU’s is helpfully for multithreaded applications. But a minecraft server is sadly enough single threaded. Having 2 CPU’s that run at 1Ghz won’t make the total outcome run at 2Ghz. But at 500mhz. Because
(f = frequentie, t = time and n = amount of cpu’s).

Seems a degree in electronics brings me somewere :stuck_out_tongue:. Now lets hope I didn’t made a horrible mistake somewhere :worried:.

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Hi @thomas15v. Your point above is exactly right! The CPUs wont stack on a Minecraft Server as its not multi threaded. I understand this, but for what I want to run, and RPG/Mini-games Server, the PIs will do the job just fine, I am setting the limit of players to 50, even though it is capable of running a logical estimate of 75 players.

I have already tested it with over 20 players, without any tps drops.

The Cluster PI setup I have at the moment, is just for me to input manual commands to the server! If you understand what I mean :smiley:

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rpis are quite resistent to heat, i’ve seen some running in an area of ~80C, it had only some passive heatsink

No, its not. Are you trying to tell us, that arm processor, sd card and 1gb LPDDR2 SDRAM equals to xx gb ddr4/3, 3+ghz processor and ssd’s in raid? Nice joke.

  • “…frame rate drop…” lol
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It’s not a joke, and it runs around 25 people without any tps loss, I am opening the server for 50 players and it should only lose a couple of tps on the server side.

I posted this post to tell all of you guys about the project I am undergoing, but all I seem to be getting back is harsh comments about how it wont work and will not run as many people as I have estimated, based on the stress tests I have preformed.

I picked the PIs for my knowledge with the system, that’s all! I have done the tests and it is working perfectly fine, so guys please don’t shout at me, saying they wont work, i was hoping this post would get people more interested the the Raspberry PI hardware, and show people what they can actually do, but all it seems to be doing is turning it into a place where people argue and disagree. Sorry if I’m over exaggerating, but people just don’t know until they have tried.

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I’d like to get on this server, it sounds really cool. I’ve always loved pis.

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Cool, comment and give me your Minecraft Username below. I will jot it down and you can come on close to the public opening date. Anyone from this post who wants to come and see the early testing and have a go and look around can, i just need your usernames.

You never know, @The_Doctors_Life if you like the server, I am looking for Staff, Builders, Helpers, VIPs and even Moderators, so lets see how you go and I will see, that’s all according to whether you enjoy and like the server.

Is this ok with you?

PS. *I have also always loved the little PIs too! :stuck_out_tongue:

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If you ever heard of solar roadways, when something new is introduced that apparently hasn’t worked or been tried, there is bound to be skepticism. All you have to do is show some evidence.

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Thanks @AgentTrolldude! But unfortunately I can’t show any at present, as I ran the server couple of days ago and did the stress tests then, I have ordered sufficient cooling, heat sinks have arrived, but the fans not yet here. I will post some screen-shots of the running server, although I don’t really know what they can show you.

It’s just the way some comments above reacted to my post, it actually could offend some people if they aren’t careful!

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Well let’s say a PI is not considered a real server but more of a little machine to fiddle around :wink:

I like your different approach and how you try out new things. Keep us updated!
Oh, and no offense made, i just can’t believe this works like you want it to :slight_smile:

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