why so long?

pipelighter · October 2016

I am NOT complaining but I just simply do not understand.
Let us say a file is 139GB. On my home computer I could copy this across to my hard disk in less than an hour -in fact less than 1/2 an hour. As I understand things all ZOS is doing is copying a load of files on to their servers to provide updates - simple - copy/overwite/new game ready.

Will someone please explain to me why it take sso long to do a very simple ( apparently) file transfer?? ---- I am genuinely curious 'cos try as I might I can't think why?

Thank you to anyone who replies in the language of a 12 year old so I can understand it.

Actually - thank you for replying whatever!!

AmberLaTerra · October 2016

because the bandwidth that file transfer is flowing over is being shared by thousands of people coping the same files at the same time making that speed be divided among all of them.

smacx250 · October 2016

Assuming you are talking about the server down time - the file transfer isn't what takes a long time (in fact, the files have probably already been transferred ahead of time). More likely they need to restart the software and then do enough testing to be reasonably sure everything is up and running properly before they open it to the players.

Danikat · October 2016

At my old job they used to do a whole bunch of processes when they took the servers offline - updates, creating backups, any maintenance, basically anything that required them to be offline or was easy to do while no one could get on there. The updates might only take a few minutes, but the full process could take a few hours, especially if it had to be tested before they could be brought back online.

(I don't know how my new job does it, not my department any more.)

nine9six · October 2016

(That's what she said.)

pipelighter · October 2016

Thank you both - bandwidth I can understand - just.

Files already downloaded ahead of time I can appreciate and would have thought that was likely but Testing takes this long - why when they have spent the last few weeks testing on the PTS.

PLease do not think I am complaining ( currently playing No Mans Sky) but I simply find it hard to understand that it takes so long. I really thought there must be something terribly technical about the process but I guess even ZOS have to play sometimes.

Chew_Magna · October 2016

nine9six wrote: »

(That's what she said.)

I was born this way (hey, I'm tall).

pipelighter · October 2016

Danikat wrote: »

At my old job they used to do a whole bunch of processes when they took the servers offline - updates, creating backups, any maintenance, basically anything that required them to be offline or was easy to do while no one could get on there. The updates might only take a few minutes, but the full process could take a few hours, especially if it had to be tested before they could be brought back online.

(I don't know how my new job does it, not my department any more.)

But they did a whole load of 'maintenance' only two days ago - there is likely to be more? Again this is understandable but still one wonders??????????????????????????

GarnetFire17 · October 2016

Zos probably just trying to get the First Emergency Maintenance out of the way right out of the gate.

DarkStrifeYT · October 2016

They are currently trying to get it started. They just unleashed the hamster.

Pendrillion · October 2016

I guess you mix up testing the server infrastructure with testing the game content... They don't need to test the game content in that regard. But as they'll have to restart the servers, they need to test if all elements of the Game do work properly with their allocated server technology. Thats nothing that happens on PTS. Or only to a small part.

Imagine the Life Server as huge array of interconnected PC components that are run as system. To bring Tamriel to all of us.

The PTS server is maybe half or a third of that size. And works on a smaller scale. Also most of the server space is probably scattered across thw world and has to be synchronised ...

pipelighter · October 2016

Pendrillion wrote: »

I guess you mix up testing the server infrastructure with testing the game content... They don't need to test the game content in that regard. But as they'll have to restart the servers, they need to test if all elements of the Game do work properly with their allocated server technology. Thats nothing that happens on PTS. Or only to a small part.

Imagine the Life Server as huge array of interconnected PC components that are run as system. To bring Tamriel to all of us.

The PTS server is maybe half or a third of that size. And works on a smaller scale. Also most of the server space is probably scattered across thw world and has to be synchronised ...

Thank you - I am beginning to get there - very slowly. So what you are saying is that each of those 'mythical' pc's have to be tested to make sure that they are all working as intended and that perhaps one of them is not playing skyrim by accident?

wayfarerx · October 2016

pipelighter wrote: »

Pendrillion wrote: »

I guess you mix up testing the server infrastructure with testing the game content... They don't need to test the game content in that regard. But as they'll have to restart the servers, they need to test if all elements of the Game do work properly with their allocated server technology. Thats nothing that happens on PTS. Or only to a small part.

Imagine the Life Server as huge array of interconnected PC components that are run as system. To bring Tamriel to all of us.

The PTS server is maybe half or a third of that size. And works on a smaller scale. Also most of the server space is probably scattered across thw world and has to be synchronised ...

Thank you - I am beginning to get there - very slowly. So what you are saying is that each of those 'mythical' pc's have to be tested to make sure that they are all working as intended and that perhaps one of them is not playing skyrim by accident?

There are a lot of moving pieces in a system like this, think databases, messaging systems, caches, logging, monitoring and alerting, etc. All in addition to the actual servers that run the zones and instances. Many of those things will be getting updated, restarted and then need to be checked over to make sure everything is plugged together correctly and working.

pipelighter · October 2016

wayfarerx wrote: »

pipelighter wrote: »

Pendrillion wrote: »

I guess you mix up testing the server infrastructure with testing the game content... They don't need to test the game content in that regard. But as they'll have to restart the servers, they need to test if all elements of the Game do work properly with their allocated server technology. Thats nothing that happens on PTS. Or only to a small part.

Imagine the Life Server as huge array of interconnected PC components that are run as system. To bring Tamriel to all of us.

The PTS server is maybe half or a third of that size. And works on a smaller scale. Also most of the server space is probably scattered across thw world and has to be synchronised ...

Thank you - I am beginning to get there - very slowly. So what you are saying is that each of those 'mythical' pc's have to be tested to make sure that they are all working as intended and that perhaps one of them is not playing skyrim by accident?

There are a lot of moving pieces in a system like this, think databases, messaging systems, caches, logging, monitoring and alerting, etc. All in addition to the actual servers that run the zones and instances. Many of those things will be getting updated, restarted and then need to be checked over to make sure everything is plugged together correctly and working.

Thank you - getting there still - I am beginning to understand. I wonder if there is a quicker way to do al this - I meran I can understand the necessity but.............................