TestClient no longer works, our app no longer works...

White Rabbit

We had to restart the Photon server today. We've made no changes in the config files. The server starts up normally according to the logs, but the TestClient application fails to connect with the message:

unexpected return code -2 of operation 255.
Settings: game server at 127.0.0.1:4530 (Mode: 0)

We're down and were in the process of trying to justify the purchase of a Photon server license to our client.

Attached is the log file:

4224: 12:25:01.458 - ---
4224: 12:25:01.458 - Service: "Photon Socket Server" starting
4224: 12:25:01.458 - Config File: E:\Photon\ExitGames-Photon-Server-SDK_v3-0-6-2188-RC3\deploy\bin_Win64_xp\PhotonServer.config
4224: 12:25:01.458 - Will NOT produce crash dumps
4224: 12:25:01.863 - Service: "Photon Socket Server: InstanceLoadBalancing" installed
1812: 12:25:17.811 - ---
1812: 12:25:17.811 - Service: "Photon Socket Server" starting
1812: 12:25:17.811 - Config File: E:\Photon\ExitGames-Photon-Server-SDK_v3-0-6-2188-RC3\deploy\bin_Win64_xp\PhotonServer.config
1812: 12:25:17.811 - Will NOT produce crash dumps
5108: 12:25:17.827 -
5108: 12:25:17.827 - WARNING: ***************************************************************
5108: 12:25:17.827 - WARNING: Photon has been built to operate on an operating system earlier than Windows Vista.
5108: 12:25:17.827 - WARNING: Performance will not be as good as when built for Windows Vista or later.
5108: 12:25:17.827 - WARNING: ***************************************************************
5108: 12:25:17.827 -
5108: 12:25:17.827 - Server Starting...
5108: 12:25:17.827 - Photon Version: 3.0.3.734
5108: 12:25:17.827 - Current directory is: C:\Windows\system32
5108: 12:25:17.827 - Changing current directory to: E:\Photon\ExitGames-Photon-Server-SDK_v3-0-6-2188-RC3\deploy\bin_Win64_xp
5108: 12:25:17.827 - Config File: E:\Photon\ExitGames-Photon-Server-SDK_v3-0-6-2188-RC3\deploy\bin_Win64_xp\PhotonServer.config
5108: 12:25:17.858 - About to load runtime: PhotonHostRuntime.PhotonDomainManager from PhotonHostRuntime, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=02C301B61B060C4D
5108: 12:25:17.874 - About to load CLR - versions available:
5108: 12:25:17.874 - v2.0.50727
5108: 12:25:17.874 - v4.0.30319
5108: 12:25:17.874 - No preference in configuration file, will load latest.
5108: 12:25:17.874 - About to load version: "v4.0.30319"
5108: 12:25:17.874 - Loaded version: "v4.0.30319"
5108: 12:25:30.295 - Photon host runtime loaded
5108: 12:25:34.056 - License is valid.
5108: 12:25:34.056 - Licensed for 100 concurrent connections.
5108: 12:25:34.056 - Max Reliable Data In Transit (awaiting ACKs) per peer : 16384 bytes
5108: 12:25:34.056 - Per peer bandwidth limit
5108: 12:25:34.056 - Transmit Rate Limit: 128 KB/Sec
5108: 12:25:34.056 - Limit period: 250ms
5108: 12:25:34.056 - Limit per period: 32768 bytes
5108: 12:25:34.056 - Max queued data for transmission per peer: 65536 bytes
5108: 12:25:34.056 - Minimum retransmit timeout: 200
5108: 12:25:34.056 - Minimum ENet timeout: 5000ms
5108: 12:25:34.056 - Maximum ENet timeout: 10000ms
5108: 12:25:34.056 - ENetHost: Using Timer Wheel
5108: 12:25:34.056 - About to load application: Master from Photon.LoadBalancing
5108: 12:25:43.232 - Application: "Master" started in app domain: 2
5108: 12:25:43.232 - About to load application: Game1 from Photon.LoadBalancing
5108: 12:25:43.232 - Auto restart is enabled for application
5108: 12:25:43.232 - Application will restart 10000ms after the last change detected
5108: 12:25:43.232 - Application will restart if files matching the following are changed: "dll;config"
5108: 12:25:43.232 - Application will NOT restart if files matching the following are changed: "log4net.config"
5108: 12:25:53.546 - Application: "Game1" started in app domain: 3
5108: 12:25:53.546 - About to load application: Game2 from Photon.LoadBalancing
5108: 12:25:53.546 - Auto restart is enabled for application
5108: 12:25:53.546 - Application will restart 10000ms after the last change detected
5108: 12:25:53.546 - Application will restart if files matching the following are changed: "dll;config"
5108: 12:25:53.546 - Application will NOT restart if files matching the following are changed: "log4net.config"
5108: 12:26:03.736 - Application: "Game2" started in app domain: 4
5108: 12:26:03.736 - About to load application: Policy from Policy.Application
5108: 12:26:03.736 - Auto restart is enabled for application
5108: 12:26:03.736 - Application will restart 10000ms after the last change detected
5108: 12:26:03.736 - Application will restart if files matching the following are changed: "dll;config;xml"
5108: 12:26:03.736 - Application will NOT restart if files matching the following are changed: "log4net.config"
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Application: "Policy" started in app domain: 5
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Adding TCP listener on :0.0.0.0: 4530 with a listen backlog of: 150
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Nagle disabled
5108: 12:26:13.208 - No TCP inactivity timeout
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Forcing all applications ids to: "Master"
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Adding TCP listener on :0.0.0.0: 4531 with a listen backlog of: 150
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Nagle disabled
5108: 12:26:13.208 - No TCP inactivity timeout
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Forcing all applications ids to: "Game1"
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Adding TCP listener on :0.0.0.0: 4532 with a listen backlog of: 150
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Nagle disabled
5108: 12:26:13.208 - No TCP inactivity timeout
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Forcing all applications ids to: "Game2"
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Adding TCP listener on :0.0.0.0: 4520 with a listen backlog of: 150
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Nagle disabled
5108: 12:26:13.208 - No TCP inactivity timeout
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Forcing all applications ids to: "Master"
5108: 12:26:13.208 - UDP address specified as:0.0.0.0 adding listener to each available IPv4 address
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Adding UDP listener on :192.168.147.104: 5055 with a listen backlog of: 500
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Adding UDP listener on :192.168.136.1: 5055 with a listen backlog of: 500
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Adding UDP listener on :192.168.131.1: 5055 with a listen backlog of: 500
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Adding UDP listener on :127.0.0.1: 5055 with a listen backlog of: 500
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Forcing all applications ids to: "Game1"
5108: 12:26:13.208 - UDP address specified as:0.0.0.0 adding listener to each available IPv4 address
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Adding UDP listener on :192.168.147.104: 5056 with a listen backlog of: 500
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Adding UDP listener on :192.168.136.1: 5056 with a listen backlog of: 500
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Adding UDP listener on :192.168.131.1: 5056 with a listen backlog of: 500
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Adding UDP listener on :127.0.0.1: 5056 with a listen backlog of: 500
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Forcing all applications ids to: "Game2"
5108: 12:26:13.208 - UDP address specified as:0.0.0.0 adding listener to each available IPv4 address
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Adding UDP listener on :192.168.147.104: 5057 with a listen backlog of: 500
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Adding UDP listener on :192.168.136.1: 5057 with a listen backlog of: 500
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Adding UDP listener on :192.168.131.1: 5057 with a listen backlog of: 500
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Adding UDP listener on :127.0.0.1: 5057 with a listen backlog of: 500
5108: 12:26:13.208 - Adding TCP Policy listener on :0.0.0.0: 843 with a listen backlog of: 150 and routing to application: "Policy"
5108: 12:26:13.208 - TCP inactivity timeout: 5000ms
5108: 12:26:16.205 - Service is running...

Boris

You started the load balancing projects, and it looks like you call Join on the master server - which is a game server operation. With which client application are you working?

White Rabbit

The TestClient (Stardust) application provided in the Photon Control panel is what is failing (used to work). Our application is experiencing the same problem. We replaced the temporary license file that we had been using with a permanent 100 user license file today.. We were unable to get the TestClient to work after this point.

Boris

Startdust won't work with loadbalancing, just with standard lite.
Please make sure that you run the correct instance.. if you used standard Lite before you want to start "Instance1".

White Rabbit

You might want to remove the TestClient option from the Loadbalancing menu then.. Our application now also works using Instance1. Can you please explain the differences between LoadBalancing and Instance1, why it will work with one and not the other, etc.? I haven't found any detailed explanations of these two options. Also, is it possible to make the Stardust source code available so we can more quickly build some test routines for our use?

I must have forgotten which of the two apps we were running -- server has been up for quite a while - so we must have been using Instance1 before. The confusion has resulted from not understanding the differences between the two apps (Instance1 and LoadBalancing), which is why I would appreciate more info on this. Sorry about that, and thx for the quick response to the problem.

Boris

Sorry for the confusing options.

If you look into the photonserver.config you will find two config sections: Instance1 and InstanceLoadBalancing. The photon control starts photon with the selected config section.

Instance1 is pretty much what you know from Photon 2: It loads the standard apps Lite, LiteLobby, MmoDemo and so on.

InstanceLoadBalancing includes different applications: "Master", "Game1" and "Game2".
Master is a lobby server that distributes games on game servers. Game1 and Game2 are instances of the same application, a Lite extension that collaborates with the master server. You would usually start such instances on separate machines. If your game requires more game servers you just start more instances.

Regarding the stardust source code I don't think there are any plans to release it.

White Rabbit

Ok, that sheds some light. It would be nice to have a fully documented explanation of the configuration files and options. As best as I can tell all we have are the comments within the files - which are too terse to be very helpful. Please encourage the powers that be to fully document this product - I think it would greatly enhance its appeal. Thank you for the help.

Boris

There is a pdf about the config in the doc folder -included with the SDK that you download.