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mikeb
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Joined: 27 Sep 2005
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 Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 9:01 pm Post subject: Logging and Setting Max Number Of Connections |
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Hi,
I've just started using Abyss X1 (V2.06) and I must say that it is a superb piece of work. Very impressed, esp with low resource requirements :) I am running on a low spec Win98 machine and although direct local access is sort of possible if absolutely necessary, I tend to rely almost entirely on remote console access. The machine is on 24/7 as it does other things which necessitate this so once the server is set running the intention is that it stays that way. Although the machine is a bit over-worked, I have no problems with server response, access times and d/l speed etc. However, I have noted a couple of things which I would appreciate comments on:
Access Logging:
I have extended logging enabled and entries have been placed in the logfile etc. at various times so config seems to be OK. However, the logfile only appears to get updated when I Stop/Start the server and not at all while the server is running. i.e. If I Stop/Start the server and/or reset the stats via a remote console login I can see that accesses have been made some period of time later but the logfile has not changed. It only appears to get updated if I Stop/Start the server again. Is this normal ? (or are log entries buffered so they are only written after a set period of time or when a particular number of entries have been recorded or something suchlike and if so what is the update period or write block size ?)
Stopping and restarting the server to update the logfile is a bit of a PITA although I can live with it if that's the way it works although it does potentially mean dumping any existing connections because I can't see any way of telling (via a remote console login) if the server is in use. Also, as logfile data doesn't appear to be being updated (automatically) on a regular basis there is obviously the potential for loss of log data due to the system going down for one reason or another.
Number Of Connections and Console Login:
Not sure if this is finger trouble, a bug or a suggested improvement :)
I have set a fairly low maximum number of simultaneous connections due to having very limited BW. It would appear that this parameter also includes any remote console logins. In the event that all normal server connections are in use, it is therefore not possible to access the console. Not generally a particular problem but if the server is being abused, there is no way to stop the server other than by killing it off and no way to find out who is playing silly b*****s either other than maybe trawling back through the router logs etc. Coupled with the apparent lack of real-time(ish) server logfile updates this is not good. Is it not possible to guarantee the availability of a remote console connection whilst still being able to limit the maximum number of normal connections ?
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Mike |
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AbyssUnderground
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Joined: 31 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 9:25 pm Post subject: |
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Regarding your last question, set the parameters quite high then use the bandwidth limit in abyss. This will stop the server hanging in the way you described but also preserving your bandwidth.
My bandwidth is set to MAX 20KB/s and 10KB/s per IP. My upload is a maximum of 25KB/s so these values do quite well.
Not sure about any suggestions for the other questions.
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Andy (AbyssUnderground) (previously The Inquisitor)
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mikeb
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Joined: 27 Sep 2005
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| Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 10:22 pm Post subject: |
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| The Inquisitor wrote: | Regarding your last question, set the parameters quite high then use the bandwidth limit in abyss. This will stop the server hanging in the way you described but also preserving your bandwidth.
My bandwidth is set to MAX 20KB/s and 10KB/s per IP. My upload is a maximum of 25KB/s so these values do quite well. |
Thanx for the reply. I started off kinda like that but what I am trying to do is configure for maximum BW with a minimum number of simultaneous connections so-to-speak. The reasoning being potentially v.large d/l file sizes so even at 25KB/s it's v-e-r-y - - - s-l-o-o-o-o-w !! so it seemed better to refuse connections in order to allow a (fairly) sensible d/l on fewer connections. I therefore set 25KB/s max total BW with unlimited BW per IP (to provide max data transfer on low load) and then set the max number of connections to 5 (to give min data transfer of 5KB/s on full load). ..... it all seemed like a good idea at the time, honest :)
As I see it, with the way the maximum number of connections setting currently appears to work, there is no way to prevent abuse by someone simply making the maximum number of connections to the server - whatever value that setting may be. Sure, you can limit the BW consumed but that doesn't exactly help apart from maybe preventing the whiny e-mails from the ISP re: excess BW. I'm sure there are many other ways but it's v.easy to configure a d/l manager (for instance) to simply gobble up as many connections as the server will permit therefore effectively disabling it.
What I could obviously do is permanently access the remote console stats page somewhere to effectively *reserve* a connection but that seems like a bit of waste of resources. I know it's all a hypothetical problem but surely, the console port should be excluded from the maximum number of connections count so that by setting appropriate BW limits it is always possible to gain control of the server should someone try acting stupid ? |
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AbyssUnderground
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Joined: 31 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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I see your point. Maybe suggest this on the suggestions forum so aprelium can add it to the server?
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Andy (AbyssUnderground) (previously The Inquisitor)
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aprelium
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Joined: 22 Mar 2002
Posts: 6800
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2005 1:36 pm Post subject: Re: Logging and Setting Max Number Of Connections |
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| mikeb wrote: |
Access Logging:
I have extended logging enabled and entries have been placed in the logfile etc. at various times so config seems to be OK. However, the logfile only appears to get updated when I Stop/Start the server and not at all while the server is running. i.e. If I Stop/Start the server and/or reset the stats via a remote console login I can see that accesses have been made some period of time later but the logfile has not changed. It only appears to get updated if I Stop/Start the server again. Is this normal ? (or are log entries buffered so they are only written after a set period of time or when a particular number of entries have been recorded or something suchlike and if so what is the update period or write block size ?)
Stopping and restarting the server to update the logfile is a bit of a PITA although I can live with it if that's the way it works although it does potentially mean dumping any existing connections because I can't see any way of telling (via a remote console login) if the server is in use. Also, as logfile data doesn't appear to be being updated (automatically) on a regular basis there is obviously the potential for loss of log data due to the system going down for one reason or another.
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That's not Abyss' fault here but it's rather Windows 98'. On Windows NT/2000/XP/2003, the log file updates are visible in other applications in real time and you can even use something like BareTail to monitor it without stopping/restarting the server.
On Windows 95/98/ME, a file opened in append mode (which is the case of the log file) is updated correctly but the updates are only visible to the application that has opened it. Other applications will continue to see its old size and Windows will update the latter only when the application closes the file. That's why you see the changes when you restart the server (i.e. when Abyss closes the log file).
| Quote: |
Number Of Connections and Console Login:
Not sure if this is finger trouble, a bug or a suggested improvement :)
I have set a fairly low maximum number of simultaneous connections due to having very limited BW. It would appear that this parameter also includes any remote console logins. In the event that all normal server connections are in use, it is therefore not possible to access the console. Not generally a particular problem but if the server is being abused, there is no way to stop the server other than by killing it off and no way to find out who is playing silly b*****s either other than maybe trawling back through the router logs etc. Coupled with the apparent lack of real-time(ish) server logfile updates this is not good. Is it not possible to guarantee the availability of a remote console connection whilst still being able to limit the maximum number of normal connections ?
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Nice suggestion. We will add it to our to do list. Thanks.
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Support Team
Aprelium - http://www.aprelium.com |
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mikeb
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Joined: 27 Sep 2005
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2005 9:01 pm Post subject: Re: Logging and Setting Max Number Of Connections |
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| aprelium wrote: | That's not Abyss' fault here but it's rather Windows 98'. On Windows NT/2000/XP/2003, the log file updates are visible in other applications in real time and you can even use something like BareTail to monitor it without stopping/restarting the server.
On Windows 95/98/ME, a file opened in append mode (which is the case of the log file) is updated correctly but the updates are only visible to the application that has opened it. Other applications will continue to see its old size and Windows will update the latter only when the application closes the file. That's why you see the changes when you restart the server (i.e. when Abyss closes the log file).
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Thanks for that. Now why did I have this horrible niggling suspicion when I made the first post that that would turn out to be the problem :lol: Dontcha just love ye olde windoze ! Mind you, it's not quite as predicatable as you suggest. After much messing around it would appear that the file is actually updated *sometimes* although I have yet to discover under what circumstances. But I have most definitely seen the content and file size (but not file date) updated (and visible to other applications) although not necessarily with all info that should be there or at the time it should have been written. I guess windoze flushes the buffer or something .... anyway, I feel a scheduled remote start/stop coming on real soon to sort it :)
| aprelium wrote: |
Nice suggestion. We will add it to our to do list. Thanks. |
No prob, just struck me as a bit strange for it to be possible to effectively disable console access. Hope your todo list is shorter than mine btw :lol:
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Mike |
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