Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Massively Multiplayer Online Games are large virtual worlds co-inhabited by players
over the Internet. As up to thousands of players can be simultaneously connected to
the game, the server and network architectures are required to scale e ciently. The
traditional client/server model results in a heavy nancial burden for operation of
the server. Various alternative architectures have been proposed as a replacement
for the traditional model, but the adoption of these alternatives are slow as they
present their own set of challenges.
The proposed hybrid system is based on many di erent architectures and peer-topeer
concepts that were reviewed in the literature. It aims to provide a compromise
for existing, commercially successful MMOGs to introduce peer-to-peer components
into their systems with no requirement of modi cation to their server or client
software.
With the system's design presented, the middleware software is implemented
and deployed in a real, controlled environment alongside an Ultima Online game
server and its clients. The movement game mechanic was distributed amongst the
peers while the others remained the responsiblity of the server. A number of performance
experiments are performed to measure the e ects of the modi ed system
over the original client/server system on bandwidth, latency, and hardware impact.
The results revealed an increase in the server bandwidth usage by 35%, slave bandwidth
usage by 17% and supernode bandwiwdth usage by 3111%. The latencies of
distributed server mechanics were reduced by up to 94%, while the non-distributed
latencies were increased by up to 6000%. These results suggested that a system with
absolutely no modi cation to the server is unlikely to provide the desired bene ts.
However, with 2 minor modi cations to the server, the middleware is able to reduce
both server load and player latencies. The server bandwidth can be reduced by
39%, while the supernode's bandwidth is increased only by 1296%. The distributed
latencies maintain their reduction while non-distributed latencies remain unchanged
from the C/S system. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Massiewe Multispeler Aanlyn Speletjies (MMAS) is groot virtuele w^erelde op die
Internet wat bewoon word deur spelers. Aangesien duisende spelers gelyktydig kan
inskakel op die speletjie word daar verwag van die bediener en netwerk argitektuur
om e ektief te skaleer om die groot hoeveelhede spelers te kan hanteer. Die traditionele
kli ent/bediener model lei tot 'n groot nansi ele las vir die operateur van
die bediener. Verskeie alternatiewe argitekture is al voorgestel om die tradisionele
model te vervang, maar die aanvaarding en in gebruik neem van hierdie alternatiewe
(soos eweknie-netwerke) is 'n stadige proses met sy eie stel uitdagings.
Die voorgestelde hibriede stelsel is gebaseer op baie verskillende argitektuur- en
eweknie konsepte wat in die literatuur oorweeg is. Die doel is om 'n kompromie
vir bestaande komersieel suksesvolle MMASs te verskaf om eweknie komponente te
implementeer sonder om die die bediener- of kli ent sagteware aan te pas.
Met hierdie stelsel se ontwerp word die middelware sagteware ge mplementeer
en gebruik in 'n regte, dog gekontroleerde omgewing, tesame met 'n Ultima Online
bediener en sy kli ente. Die beweging speletjie meganisme word versprei onder die
eweknie netwerk en die ander meganismes bly die verantwoordelikheid van die bediener.
'n Aantal eksperimente is ingespan om die e ek van die hibriede stelsel te meet
op die oorspronklike kli ent/bediener stelsel, in terme van bandwydte, vertraging en
impak op hardeware. Die resultate toon 'n toename van 35% in bediener-, 17% in
slaaf-, en 3111% in supernodus bandwydte gebruik. Die vertraging van verspreide
bediener meganismes neem af met tot 94%, terwyl onverspreide vertragings toeneem
met tot 6000%. Hierdie resultate wys dat 'n stelsel wat geen aanpassing maak aan
die bediener sagteware onwaarskynlik die gewenste voordele sal lewer. Deur egter 2 klein aanpassings toe te laat tot die bediener, is dit moontlik vir die
hibriede stelsel om data las van die bediener en die speler se vertraging te verminder.
Die bediener bandwydte kan met 39% verminder word, terwyl die supernodus
bandwydte slegs met 1296% toeneem. Die verpreide vertragings handhaaf hul vermindering,
terwyl die onverspreide vertragings onveranderd bly van die C/S stelsel.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/86254 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | Croucher, Darren Armstrong |
| Contributors | Engelbrecht, H. A., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xv, 137 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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