[Opensim-dev] Still on Sim and Phys Frames per Second (FPS)

Terry Ford terry at digiworldz.com
Mon Nov 9 16:22:34 UTC 2015


+1 On seth's idea..
I too would prefer to see only allow the option of either correct or 
false values.

~Terry

On 11/9/2015 10:05 AM, Seth Nygard wrote:
> Let the FPS wars begin so there can be confusion everywhere...
> Now those that want to can set a ridiculous fudge factor and show 
> 11000000FPS - WOW, look, waaaaaaay faster than "that other grid"!
>
> I firmly disagree in adding anything that allows artificially inflated 
> metrics for any value.  At this stage the configurable fudge factor is 
> an even worse "fix" IMHO.
>
> The correct fix is really to communicate the correct value(s) and put 
> pressure on the viewer developers to fix their lag calculation(s).  
> People can be expected to update their viewer(s) which is not an 
> unrealistic expectation.  People running old and/or unsupported 
> viewers already have a plethora of issues they need to be aware of and 
> things that don't work right, so why is the lag indicator any different?
>
> If we must have this user configurable then, instead of a fudge factor 
> value it should be a simple boolean setting such as;
> ShowArtificiallyInflatedAndIncorrectFPS = false;
> ShowArtificiallyInflatedAndIncorrectFPS = true;
>
> On my grid I have made it a point to inform everyone that the 
> calculated lag indicator is broken and the 11FPS is in the correct and 
> normal value.  I also point out that what used to be shown was in fact 
> a falsified and artificially inflated value to make things look like 
> "that other grid".  Most people simple say "Oh yeah, I never paid 
> attention to that anyhow.  It doesn't work right any of the time 
> anyhow".  Many then say they looked at the wiki but couldn't find any 
> information on what to expect.
>
> If whenever people ask for documentation the standard reply from the 
> dev community is "read the code" then why is it so hard to ask for, 
> and expect the viewers to be fixed and updated?
>
> -Seth
>
> On 09/11/2015 8:56 AM, opensim-dev-request at opensimulator.org wrote:
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>>     1. Re: Still on Sim and Phys Frames per Second (FPS) (Melanie IMAP)
>>
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 1
>> Date: Mon, 9 Nov 2015 14:56:22 +0100
>> From: Melanie IMAP <melanie at t-data.com>
>> To: "opensim-dev at opensimulator.org" <opensim-dev at opensimulator.org>
>> Subject: Re: [Opensim-dev] Still on Sim and Phys Frames per Second
>>     (FPS)
>> Message-ID: <925ECFD1-AF4F-42EE-A1F7-806717665871 at t-data.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> what has changed is that I had never used the "Lag meter", because 
>> such a simplistic tool with "idiot lights" can't be accurate.
>> Therefore I didn't know it based it's findings on this stat.
>>
>> It takes a while for information to filter back from users to grid 
>> operators, so I didn't haer about the problems in userland until a 
>> month or so ago.
>>
>> Fact is that, previously unknown to me, the viewer uses this stat in 
>> an arithmetic fashion as opposed to just displaying it.
>>
>> While the past has shown that script and module writers are happy to 
>> adapt to such changes, we know thet viewers are much slower to 
>> update. Also, some widely used viewers are no longer maintained at all.
>>
>> Because if this, the _option_ of restoring the "fudge factor" was 
>> brought back. The default, which will be discussed further, is 1.0, 
>> which means accurate stats remain n effect, but grids with angry 
>> users will be able to restore fudged values to keep peace in their 
>> communities.
>>
>> I still believe the accurate measurements should be reported, but we 
>> needs must bow to realities like the Lag Meter.
>>
>> I have suggested to extend the reported data by a new field that 
>> represents accurate values so viewers can choose to diplay the 
>> accurate value and still have the normalized value available to drive 
>> the lag meter.
>>
>> - Melanie
>>
>> On 9 Nov 2015, at 04:04, dz <dz at bitzend.net> wrote:
>>
>> Call me  confused......  But  don't  tell me  I can't read history!
>>
>> This discussion is about a patch that was submitted in March and  
>> that patch was based on  questions that were raised in February.
>> According to my reading of the  discussions that Google has so kindly 
>> archived in my Opensim-dev folder the ONLY technical objection to the 
>> proposed patch dealt with an issue on the accuracy of time dilation 
>> factors.
>>
>> There were  numerous calls  for  people  who might be affected to 
>> speak up...   There were repeated calls  for  opinions  and I see  
>> +1's  from  Diva, BlueWall, Nebadon, and others  who saw fit to 
>> participate and  voice opinions.   The  ONLY objection raised to 
>> changing  to an accurate  reporting  was the assertion that 
>> "significant numbers of monitoring tools and  bots"  might need to 
>> be  reworked.   Divas call  for additional discussion delayed the 
>> implementation of the patch for  over  2 months and  NO ONE objected 
>> to  modifying their  "numerous monitoring scripts"  or  even 
>> commented on a potential negative impact.
>>
>> Its  been  months since the patch was applied  and the world hasn't 
>> stopped  turning.   Until just a few days  ago   there was  nary a 
>> PEEP  about  any adverse impact on the mailing lists...  WHERE is 
>> this  horde of angry users???   They  don't seem  to be  
>> participating  in any of the OpenSim communities  I track...    then  
>> after  almost a WHOLE DAY  a patch is introduced  into the next  
>> GIANT ( read  Impossible  to  parse through)  Update to reverse the  
>> agreement that was achieved.    Pardon me  if I  wonder   WTF ????  
>> This sure makes me  confident!
>>
>> Of  course there are always  delicious tidbits  of perspective  that 
>> a look in the history books provides.... these  2   both made me  
>> laugh....
>>
>> Melanie <melanie at t-data.com>
>> Apr 25
>>
>> to opensim-dev
>> I had been under the impression that the "fudge factor" on these 
>> stats was common knowledge.
>> Good arguments have been brought for changing them to provide 
>> accurate metrics and I find I can't sustain an objection to progress, 
>> especially since SL appears to have a limited shelf life these days.
>> Announcing this well enough should be sufficient, because I somehow 
>> can't see how anyone using advanced monitoring tools could not be 
>> subscribed to one of the mailing lists.
>>
>> Whats  changed ???
>> When  did the  consensus  achieved in the discussion group become  so 
>> unimportant?
>>
>> Now  we hear that "new  reporting  statistics"  will be implemented  
>> to provide  "Accurate reporting" ...
>> ....and  that  brings me  to the  last bit of  history  that sums  
>> this whole thing up nicely....   a letter to the core devs  from 
>> teravus  dated  from  11/27 2009
>>
>> ( if you don't feel like  tearing through the whole thing...  It is a 
>> call to start designing  accurate performance  measurement metrics 
>> into the fabric of OpenSim  rather than  relying on fudged stats that 
>> might make  users "feel good " about  what is reported by the 
>> viewer.  It also discusses  the  absolute  NEED for accuracy so  
>> performance progress  can be measured, and closes  with the fact  
>> that the load tests  were  ultimately FUTILE  without efforts  to 
>> move  forward and  CORRECT the  made up numbers)
>>
>> Teravus Ovares <teravus at gmail.com>
>> 11/27/09
>>
>> to opensim-dev
>> Hey there,
>>
>> A while back, we had somewhat reasonable statistics being generated 
>> and presented to the client.    They were not always accurate, but 
>> based on what I saw, I could, pretty much pin certain parts of the 
>> simulator as the limiting  factor during load tests.
>>
>> I'd say, the number 1 reason that they were semi-accurate and not 
>> accurate..  in the past..   is because nobody ever thought about 
>> instrumentation during the functionality design.     It was always 
>> 'tacked on later'.   One example of this..    is the current 
>> AssetCache implementation.   There's no way, currently, to know, at a 
>> glance..   how many external requests it has open.   Additionally, it 
>> will be extremely difficult to put one in because of the way the 
>> objects are designed and accessed.  To put one in, an event needs to 
>> be added to the IAssetService interface and each AssetCache 
>> implementation will need an interlocked int to count how many gets 
>> and puts it currently has open to the external data source as well as 
>> it's own event calling schedule.   Then, the IAssetService property 
>> in Scene, (AssetService) will need an event handler..   which updates 
>> the values in SimStatsReporter in Scene (StatsReporter).   This idea 
>> of external access resource instrumentation should 
> re
>>   ally have been built in to the design of the AssetService.
>>
>> This last recent load test, there were no real statistics that I 
>> could use to determine what the limiting factor was. Time Dilation 
>> was pegged at 1.0..    even when the simulator was obviously 
>> struggling.    Total Frame time (MS) was -50ms even when the 
>> simulation MS was 850ms and the Physics ms was 250ms, so the 
>> inconsistencies made it impossible to know what part of the simulator 
>> was struggling.  Agent Updates were erratic.. sometimes high..
>> sometimes low when the simulator was fine and when it was struggling. 
>> Pending Uploads and Downloads were always 0, so there was no way to 
>> know how well the simulator was downloading and uploading assets to 
>> and from the grid.   Packet stats were non-existant, so there was no 
>> way to know how well the UDP handlers were faring under the load. 
>> When it crashed, it crashed with a mono based stack trace which 
>> pointed to out of memory errors, so the only way that you could, 
>> scientifically, find out what the issue is..   is to run a load test 
>> under a memory profiler.     We know, that running a public load test 
>> under a memory profiler is quite impractical.
>>
>> To make something better, I need to know two things, where it is, and 
>> where I want it to be.    How can we make OpenSimulator better if we 
>> don't have statistics that point to where we are currently?
>>
>> On that note, I propose that, when designing objects for 
>> functionality in OpenSimulator, that we also consider if the objects 
>> should be instrumented and, what would be the best way to go about 
>> instrumenting the objects.  We should incorporate instrumentation 
>> into the design of the objects.   Some of that instrumentation is 
>> appropriate for a client to see, some of it might not be.   Consider 
>> that, many of them should be client facing and be included in the 
>> SimStats that get sent to the client..    so that we can have a 
>> reasonable idea of what's going on with a simulator at a glance.   
>> Also, in the design of the instrumentation, we make sure that the 
>> instrumentation is accurate and
>> lightweight.
>>
>> The load test went reasonably...      but, we didn't get half of the 
>> information on the simulator that we needed to be able to improve it.
>>
>>
>> Please comment :)     I look forward to hearing your responses.
>>
>> Regards
>>
>> Teravus
>>
>>
>> I guess  it  should be  no surprise  that the  current call to 
>> improve and  provide  ACCURATE  performance statistics reporting  
>> should be derided and dismissed.  ( apologies  to those members of  
>> core   who  voted  +1 ad helped us  push this forward)  Not only are  
>> members of the  communities calls ( AND contributions)  to improve 
>> this area of OpenSim ignored,   so are the  calls  from fellow  core 
>> devs about  what is needed and  how it should be implemented...  
>> Forgive me  if  I seem JUST A BIT CYNICAL  that these  corrected 
>> stats  are forthcoming...
>>
>> If you are going to accede to user demands,  maybe  you should 
>> consider the effort  some of us users put into to getting this patch 
>> approved in the first place....  As  far as I can tell we are the 
>> ones  contributing to the project by participating in this forum...   
>> Please  feel free  to forward me  some names and  email addresses  of 
>> these clamoring hordes  of unhappy users   so I can search for their  
>> outrage in my other  OpenSim related  groups and invite them to 
>> participate in  future discussions  here...
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> On Sat, Nov 7, 2015 at 8:55 PM, AJLDuarte <ajlduarte at sapo.pt> wrote:
>>> The fudge factor is now a configuration option on the avinationmerge 
>>> branch.
>>> It can be found in OpenSimDefaults.ini under the name 
>>> StatisticsFPSfactor,
>>> and can be set in OpenSim.ini as usual.
>>> Its default in code is the legacy value of 5.0.
>>> Current setting on file is temporary 1.0, until we decide on a "final"
>>> default.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Ubit
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: opensim-dev-bounces at opensimulator.org
>>> [mailto:opensim-dev-bounces at opensimulator.org] On Behalf Of Melanie
>>> Sent: Sunday, November 08, 2015 02:35
>>> To: opensim-dev at opensimulator.org
>>> Subject: Re: [Opensim-dev] Still on Sim and Phys Frames per Second 
>>> (FPS)
>>>
>>> There are too many viewers in the wild, having too many users that are
>>> unwilling to switch or update, yet complain about "lag" which they 
>>> do not
>>> perceive, but which is indicated by a "lag meter" that is geared to 
>>> measure
>>> against constants provided by "that grid".
>>>
>>> It is a given that the data sent to viewers WILL be changed to allow 
>>> viewer
>>> features to work properly again. It is also a given that control 
>>> over this
>>> will be given to users of OpenSim, allowing them to see true 
>>> performance
>>> data instead of expected data. However, that option can't be the 
>>> default in
>>> a world where the primary use of OpenSim is to provide a social virtual
>>> world.
>>>
>>> I had already suggested and here suggest it again to add more data 
>>> to the
>>> stats reporting that will track accurate and unfudged data, but 
>>> doesn't do
>>> so in fields currently interpreted in accordance to SL standards by ALL
>>> mainstream viewers.
>>>
>>> This will allow viewers which become aware of the new data to use it to
>>> provide accurate stats and, for instance, make an adaptive "lag 
>>> meter" in
>>> place of the current, constants driven one.
>>>
>>> The situation where viewer report an ERROR CONDITION because of the 
>>> desire
>>> of some to see "accurate" stats can not be sustained because it 
>>> undermines
>>> user confidence.
>>>
>>> The choices are to accede to user demands while creating a way for 
>>> viewers
>>> to get "smarter" or to live in a world where the change is 
>>> introduced at
>>> source code level by grid operators without an adequate correct 
>>> replacement
>>> stat, therefore locking in the current situation forever.
>>>
>>> Please understand that core exists to guide this project in a way that
>>> allows it's users to work, not in a way that upholds principles over 
>>> people.
>>>
>>> - Melanie
>>>
>>> On 08/11/2015 02:53, dz wrote:
>>>> The issue is promoting accurate reporting of basic performance
>>>> measurement statistics.  ( something that has  not achieved  nearly
>>>> enough serious attention )
>>>>
>>>> Significant money and manpower is currently being directed at efforts
>>>> to improve simulator performance.
>>>> It is a simple fact that the continued funding of these efforts
>>>> relies on documenting the ACTUAL improvement  against the ACTUAL
>>>> original performance characteristics.
>>>> It is impossible to justify these efforts  when the reported numbers
>>>> are  "made up"  and  THAT fact is not documented except in some
>>>> obscure comment  left behind in the source code.
>>>>
>>>> It is unfortunate that the original decision to include a "Fudge
>>>> factor multiplier" has created a pool of  mis-informed users ( 
>>>> including
>>> myself
>>>> and  the  viewer developers   ) .
>>>> This mistake was complicated  by the fact that until very recently
>>>> there was a philosophical divide that prevented  OpenSim and viewer
>>>> developers from cooperating on issues like these.
>>>> This decision to "play pretend" with performance stats effectively
>>>> damaged the reporting credibility of everyone  who published  these
>>>> inaccurate  results, It also created  a rift between the OpenSim and
>>>> viewer developers  over the decision to NOT discuss  the impact  of
>>> implementing the change.
>>>>    The fact is,  there are  numerous places in the OpenSim framework
>>>> where numbers  are  "made up"  just so that  a number appears in
>>>> performance reports.  That an effort is being made to correct those
>>>> sources of  mis-information should be welcomed.
>>>>
>>>> It seems to me that the decisions  made by core  should be made in
>>>> favor of  supporting the ongoing efforts  to accurately document and
>>>> improve simulator performance.
>>>> Justin realized this and lead many of the efforts  to add some 
>>>> measurement
>>>> metrics.    Even  with those efforts, we still cannot measure  basic
>>>>   statistics like Events per Second sent to the script engine, or tie
>>>> those events to whatever script is handling them.  This makes
>>>> identifying the scripts  ACTUALLY responsible for "lagging" a region
>>>> impossible using the traditional  TOP SCRIPTS report in region manager
>>> window.
>>>> I would  agree that a simple solution might be to allow grid managers
>>>> to add back the Fudge Factor to appease their  vocal users, but  would
>>>> disagree that the PROPER decision  should be to continue to report
>>>> inaccurate results.  It would be  just as easy  to implement a
>>>> multiplier in the  viewer code "Lag Meter",  This  would also allow
>>>> the accurate reporting of  statistics in the Advanced Statistics
>>>> window  and  administrative reporting.  I believe it was also one of
>>>> the suggested resolutions put forth by the viewer developers... It
>>>> should be clear to anyone who has spent time in world  that the "lag
>>> meter" is incorrect...
>>>> You can walk, build, chat  and TP with the same  level of sim
>>>> performance as you could  before the  numbers were changed. We've
>>>> overlooked the fact that viewers have behaved  differently in 
>>>> OpenSim and
>>> "that other grid"
>>>>   for years.   Why is it  "all of a sudden"  CRITICAL  that this one
>>> viewer
>>>> feature  HAS to be the same?   In these days  when  core 
>>>> developers  are
>>>> releasing  viewers, I cannot understand the urgency of accommodating a
>>>> minor feature of  one viewer whose developers have already
>>>> demonstrated a willingness to work with OpenSim to tailor a
>>>> configuration to meet our needs.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Sat, Nov 7, 2015 at 1:19 PM, Melanie <melanie at t-data.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> The issue here is the so-called "lag meter". Since removal of the
>>>>> multiplier, this reports all opensim regions as laggy, without
>>>>> exception. Users' trust in the "lag meter" is damaging OpenSim
>>>>> reputation. This is not a value that is merely for display; the
>>>>> viewer uses this value for computations that are then used to "judge"
>>>>> a sim to be "laggy" if it's below 35 or so fps. OpenSim now always
>>>>> reports a lesser value. This is damaging and needs to be made
>>>>> configurable and by default match the viewer's expectations.
>>>>>
>>>>> - Melanie
>>>>>
>>>>> On 07/11/2015 16:38, Seth Nygard wrote:
>>>>>> While I understand the arguments surrounding the original decision
>>>>>> to report values closely matching "the other grid", IMHO doing so
>>>>>> created an incorrect understanding in many users' minds of how
>>>>>> things work and/or behave.  We are not that other grid and should
>>>>>> never pretend to be.  Had figures been reported correctly in the
>>>>>> beginning then there would be no confusion now surrounding this
>>>>>> subject.  However avoiding confusion is a poor reason to roll 
>>>>>> back and
>>> once again report the
>>>>>> artificially inflated values.   It is better to simply educate 
>>>>>> and make
>>>>>> it clear that the value of 11fps is indeed the correct value to
>>>>>> expect, and is in fact the true value things always have ran at
>>>>>> despite what any inflated reported value said.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> It is true that many scripts and tools have already been written to
>>>>>> use the inflated values but they can all be changed with relative
>>>>>> ease.  The viewers already have many aspects that are different for
>>>>>> Open Simulator so they can be changed easily as well for new
>>>>>> versions also with relative ease.  All we need to do as a community
>>>>>> is establish what the correct and expected values are and then 
>>>>>> document
>>> and communicate them.
>>>>>> As a user, scripter, tool developer, and grid manager, I for one
>>>>>> want to see true and accurate values for any and all metrics
>>>>>> regardless of where they are shown or how they may be used.  I
>>>>>> therefore am firmly against rolling back to any older artificially
>>> inflated values.
>>>>>> Regards
>>>>>> -Seth
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>> Opensim-dev at opensimulator.org
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>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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-- 
---------------------
*Terry Ford*
DigiWorldz Grid
http://digiworldz.com
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