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Board » Technical Support » Phantom DC added to list

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Posted by
A2


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2009-10-26 00:39:42
2012-02-20 10:20:08 - Phantom DC added to list
The last two sessions when I made DC's to cover a period of sleep when I returned there was an Additional DC set for TWA 1.01 added to the bottom of my list.

I wasn't sure after the first occurrence but last night after setting my intended course and signing out I deliberately restarted my computer and checked the list afresh. Everything was I had left it. But this morning, after approx. 4 hours absence, when I came back there was indeed the extra DC as before.

I would reccommend that when you come back to the game that the DC list be confirmed as the 1st order of business.

--- Last Edited by A2R at 2012-02-20 10:21:23 ---
None so blind
Posted by
A2


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2012-02-20 23:27:09 - Re: Phantom DC added to list
Ran another test for this report. Entered a DC for 48 hrs hence, since it goes after the last entry as a safeguard.

Closed my browser, rebooted computer, went to Brainaid's editor 1st to see the state of the list prior to using the beta. One DC on the list, good. Went to the SWR, checked the list, 2 DC's & here is where it gets interesting, just as I was about to copy the miscreant instruction I widened the divider bar to get a good look and Poof it vanished, Nada.

Is it really gone or just not showing ?

Went back to Brainaid's editor and applied a blank page just for good measure.
None so blind
Posted by
Bobbert


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2009-07-08 12:13:08
2012-02-22 19:45:36 - Re: Phantom DC added to list
I can confirm this bug.

When loading the beta client it first sends a HTTP post with the following post params:

command=twa
value=0.017629570774394723
delay=6

and then shortly after a delete dc command to delete that command.

I guess something can go wrong with the delete command which will make it stuck. Maybe t deletes the wrong command?

Anyway, the client should not send that post in the first place which is a serious bug

Best Regards
Bobbert


--- Last Edited by Robert Engström at 2012-02-22 19:47:40 ---
Posted by
CaptainMoo


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2011-12-29 08:20:08
2012-02-23 10:20:19 - Re: Phantom DC added to list
I also confirm this bug. I'm using the beta, just set a course (no DCs) and went to bed. Next morning I was stalled with a twa of near zero.

Cheers
Murray

Posted by
76Trombones


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2009-08-03 18:04:56
2012-02-23 11:16:14 - Re: Phantom DC added to list
A2R said @ 2012-02-20 23:27:09:
I was about to copy the miscreant instruction I widened the divider bar to get a good look and Poof it vanished, Nada.

Is it really gone or just not showing ?
=====================
=====================
Yes - it is really gone...
If you hit Refresh in the client DC tab, ALL DCs held on the server will be listed. And the list auto-refreshes every 20 minutes (or 30, can't quite remember)

See following post for more details on this issue....
Posted by
AGage


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2008-12-27 10:31:57
2012-02-23 12:07:07 - Re: Phantom DC added to list
First - sorry that previous post was me - I was still logged as 76 cos he asked me to do a quick check near the start of L4 - OOPS! (Darn browser remembering last login! Catches me so many times)

It is not a bug as such, as I deliberately wrote the beta client to submit this delayed command you are mentioning (twa 1.01 in 6hours) every time the client starts...

It also deletes the command (at least it should).

Those not interested in the technicalities of how things work can skip the following ;-)
The reason for this, is to help compensate for differences in time of the local PC and the server, for the purposes of the 'Edit DC' feature.... comparing what +6hrs is according to local PC with the +6h time returned in the DC - ie server time, gives an offset to make DC edit more accurate without requiring user to use NTP server every time the SOL (even if time is not what you change when editing, the whole set of command data needs to be resent - and the server expects a delay in decimal hours - so the Edit needs to convert the time UTC to '+H.ddd' hrs - with only user local clock to determine this offset.
It also repeats this process every 3 hours, as computer clocks can run both fast and slow on the same machine.

If you immediately switch to the DC tab you may see this DC very briefly flash up...

So, the bug is not that it is sent in the first place, but rather there are some rare circumstances that lead to it not being properly deleted.

This I will look into, as nothing was reported by the test group, and I did place 1 'layer' of redundancy to delete it - obviously VERY undesirable to have this DC left on the sever...

For testing, (other than using it for racing and practice sessions) I wrote a special 'Unit Test' mini-app (so as not to overload server by dl'ing wx, map etc) to do this send/delete every 10 seconds, and ran that continuously for 14 days, so 120,000+ send/delete cycles. Not once did it not delete as intended. Much data was logged and the unit test app specifically looked for any DCs not properly deleted.
(I also tested like this with many DCs on the server to emulate race conditions)
Given how many times the beta client has been started by SOLers, and there are only 3 reports of this DC not being properly deleted - it is indeed a rare occurrence. Which is not meant to be-little the issue at all - and I will apply another layer or 3 of redundancy on the deleting of the DC immediately.

Do not be concerned that the wrong DC will be deleted. Even though the client only displays it as TWA=1.01, it is actually 1.010101 - which was chosen precisely because it is an extremely unlikely DC to be set by the user. But TBH, from what I remember of the code, I can't explain why it should ever not be deleted properly (unless you drop net connection at precisely the wrong time!) ;-)

However, thank you for bringing this to my attention...

I only write the above not to excuse its presence, but rather to (hopefully) convince/reassure SOLers that I was a certain as I could be that this would work flawlessly before including it in the final beta.

Sincere Apologies to anyone who is caught by this - although occurrences should be extermely rare.
I help develop the client interface for the best online ocean racing sim there is... __/)/)_/)__
Posted by
ybw_mjm


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2009-11-12 21:48:35
2012-02-25 06:02:49 - Re: Phantom DC added to list
I just woke up and checked my course (at 05:50) local time and found myself sailing at TWA1.01 (or thereabouts) - and with 3.45 miles covered looks like I travelled backwards for an hour or more.. It was about 2245 Friday when I refreshed the screen for weather.

Seems like a small back step but at TWA1.0. BS is .33 knots.. Now I'm back to 14.37 knots in correct direction.

--- Last Edited by ybw_mjm at 2012-02-25 06:05:10 ---
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Posted by
ybw_mjm


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2009-11-12 21:48:35
2012-02-25 06:51:08 - Re: Phantom DC added to list
Similar happened to me about 6hrs after the start but I saw that one happen... Some catching up to do now rather than leading the northern group...
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Posted by
ybw_mjm


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2012-02-26 22:54:44 - Re: Phantom DC added to list
Appeared at the weather refresh just now...
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Posted by
AGage


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2008-12-27 10:31:57
2012-02-27 02:21:40 - Re: Phantom DC added to list
I have uploaded a new beta version with added checking that this DC is deleted properly...

I cannot make any guarantees as this is not an easy situation to reproduce in all its varieties, but it worked in testing...

A cache clear will be neccessary to reload new beta client
I help develop the client interface for the best online ocean racing sim there is... __/)/)_/)__

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