Dedicated server crashing?

[Mykaen]

I'm running a new dedicated server through a server host. I've only run 7d2d off my personal system so this is new to me, though I have setup other games like Ark on other hosts with no issues. 

I've reinstalled, and verified files with the same result. I'm getting a NullReferenceException and the game seems to be hanging before World Gen. I see a missing mono directory in the logs (not present on the server) and lots of shader entries. 

Here's the pastebin of the output log: https://pastebin.com/9iuyH13y
 

Ideas?
 

[Seele]

So looking at your pastebin, I saw the below line and I think RWG is for random world generator.  I would suggest picking a pre-generated world as I think the RWG can take some time to build depending on your serverconfig.xml settings.  If in the config you can select PREGEN10k vs RWG, that might be the way to go to get it up and running.

 

If I end up being way off base here, I apologize as I am relatively new to 7D2D and the dedicated linux server I just setup.  That said this might be something to look into.

 

1. 2022-08-23T04:15:27 0.174 INF Starting dedicated server level=RWG game name=TheAerie

[SylenThunder]

The point where that log ends, it's still generating the world.

However if you killed it previously before it finished, then you will need to wipe all the save data and generated world data before starting again.

 

If you interrupt it and start over again, you will get a lot of errors like the null ref in your current log. It's a result of the corrupted data from the previously started map.

 

Should also be noted that map generation on the dedi is a bit longer than on a client, especially if you're using older hardware. Either sit and wait for it, or generate it on the game client and then just load the map on the dedi.

[Mykaen]

 

12 hours ago, SylenThunder said:

The point where that log ends, it's still generating the world.

However if you killed it previously before it finished, then you will need to wipe all the save data and generated world data before starting again.

 

I am betting that is it right there. Will update after I wipe the world and restart. 

[Mykaen]

So I think world generation is fixed (Thanks Seele and SylenThunder). Log looks clear of everything but shader unsupported errors.

But the server can't be connected to via IP/Port. Connecting via steam says server not responding. Connecting via 7d2d gives "Connection to server failed: Could not retrieve server ID".

Other ports seem to be active. The port the server is on seems to be operational.

I changed the game from Friends to Public, thinking there might be some other issue. I can find the server online. It asks for the password (so I know that we are talking to the server), but still gives the "Could not retrieve server ID". 

Looking at other posts for "Could not retrieve server ID", there are a few options like disabling steam protocols, and/or just waiting. I guess I will just wait until tonight to see what gives. 

Any further ideas?

[meganoth]

New situation, new problem, new logfile needed. Before you do that you might check whether you actually opened the ports above the server port as well (as the documentation demands). If you kept the server port at default 26900 then you need to open ports 26901 to 26903 (or was it 26904?) as well. 

 

And do you already have the 2 new config lines in serverconfig.xml that were added in 20.4 ?

 

 

Edited August 24, 2022 by meganoth (see edit history)

[Mykaen]

Thanks for replying Meganoth!

I am fairly sure the world gen isn't the issue any more. I wound up making the world on my personal machine and copying it over. Since I did that, the log file was considerably clearer (and no null reference exception). 

The server is at a game hosting company. I assume since they assign the port, and since I bought a 7d2d package, that they would know to open the ports necessary. I know the main port xxx42 is active. If the rest are supposed to be in serial, as in xxx43, xxx44, xxx45, they don't seem to be when I use an open port checker.  I checked against a few other servers out there that I know are running/taking players and see usually one other port than the main one in the series open (but not all four). I'll file a ticket with the provider just in case. 

As far as the XML, Are we talking about the two lines regarding region and language? Yes, they are in there. I can find my game when I set it to public. I still cannot join it. 
    <property name="Region"                            value="NorthAmericaEast" />   
    <property name="Language"                        value="English" />

Here is the updated pastebin: https://pastebin.com/qN9UyTyr

Also: is all the shader noise in the log file supposed to be there?

Edited August 24, 2022 by Mykaen (see edit history)

[Star69]

Your latest log is clean, server set to public, game started. If it still isn’t showing up in the server browser, I would be suspicious of a proper port not being open.

[meganoth]

Yes, you can ignore shader noise.

 

Have you been trying to contact the server at the end of that logfile? Because I don't see any contact whatsoever (in the logfile).

 

You said in your previous post the server asked your for the password. In what exact circumstances?

 

Contacting the server by IP is the most direct way to contact a server. If it doesn't answer then, then I don't see how it could ask for the password when you contact it differently. Have you maybe forgotten to specify the port number as well when trying to contact by IP?

 

Edited August 25, 2022 by meganoth (see edit history)

[Mykaen]

Thanks Star69, and Meganoth!

@Star69
I thought it was clean too, so I am leaning towards the port issue. 

@Meganoth
I am in EST, and you can see by the timestamps it's been up all day. This morning it was in the same condition. I have tried about 10 times since this morning, both finding it in the public list and by entering the IP address and port. That log file was just downloaded and then copied up to pastebin (and redacted) just before I hit submit on that reply.  

I tried several times with the 7d2d client, both direct IP with port number, and by finding it on the public list. When I do either it will ask for the password, then time out with the error message:   "Connection to server failed: Could not retrieve server ID".

I am fairly sure that the port numbers just aren't open. That said, when I sampled about 8 servers to test their ports open using an online port testing tool, most of them had about two ports in the series open, some had one. It might be an issue with the online tool. It's hard to get feedback on a UDP port since they won't start a handshake. 

And after filing a ticket with the server people, and then updating Wireshark so I can properly diagnose a potential network problem, firing up wireshark, then starting the game it works...

So likely it was the port issue, and my server provider derped, then corrected it. 

I'll keep this open for a slight bit longer, but I think I am good now. 

 

Edited August 25, 2022 by Mykaen (see edit history)

[SylenThunder]

The port range for the server is TCP 26900 and UDP 26900-26903. If you change your base port, the rest follow of course. Just FYI.

[Mykaen]

Thanks. I was figuring that, but good to have solid experience backing that up. 

At this point it looks like this beast is running, with all the mods we were looking to put on it. 

 

Thanks all!

 

[Seele]

On 8/24/2022 at 8:21 PM, Mykaen said:

Thanks. I was figuring that, but good to have solid experience backing that up. 

At this point it looks like this beast is running, with all the mods we were looking to put on it. 

 

Thanks all!

 

Awesome, glad you got it all sorted out.  Careful, if you haven't become so already you will be addicted to 7D2D.