Hi devs and veteran ALiVE players,

as the title suggests I have encountered a problem that is definitely tied to my server provider.

When I host a dedi on my own PC, persistence works absolutely flawless when using the quickstart mission. I had sometimes the well-known problems with creating the server save when playing heavily modded missions on my "homemade dedi", but that is not here to discuss.

Instead, I'd like to track down the "switch" I have to flap on my rented server's config to make it work with ALiVE WarRoom in the first place. Link here gives server and client .rpt's from my attempts to load, play, and server save&exit the quickstart mission with nothing else loaded but ALiVE+CBA clientside and ALiVE+AliveServer+CBA serverside.

It worked with "homemade dedi" and I couldn't even get access to WarRoom with the rented dedi. Now I hope you find something to change in the rented server's config or any other info from the .rpt's to help me track my error:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dljvs99d7kz0gw5/tourist%20support%20request%20rpt%20files%2Bserverconfig%20quickstart%20mission.7z?dl=0

Thanks in advance for your help!

tourist

Hi tourist,

I have some experience with servers etc. and I can see in your log:

"18:26:59 ALIVE_SYS_DATA START PLUGIN: ["StartALiVE","ERROR","You are not authorized to access ALiVE War Room with this account. Check IP and Groupname."]".

I think you didn't "register" a new server in your Alive group settings.

Create a new server for the rented server. Make sure you also set up the computer's hostname and it's title in the lobby. And of course, the IP address for the rented server.

Then you can get the alive.cfg for that new server and it should work.

Hi sn34ky,

thank you for your tips!

I created a new server and set it up as usual, but soon encountered a problem:

Unfortunately I can with this rented server only find out the IP and also access the server.cfg and set the lobby title there by using the "hostname" parameter in the config.

I cannot however not find out the physical machine name though, as the support of this server hosting company told me, because it's not a rootserver.

Is the physical machine name really necessary to make it work?

I don't believe it is. I have my Alive WAR-room server stats connected to my Hosted virtual dedi server and it works fine. I don't remember having to provide a Machine name for the War-Room to connect.

Not sure if the hostname is required to work. An IP address should suffice. Ski2060 got it working without.
In windows you can open a command prompt and type: "ipconfig /all" (without quotes)

But you say you can only get it's IP and edit the server.cfg...
Do you rent a dedicated server/vps or are you only renting an Arma 3 server where you do everything through a browser?

If it's the last, I suppose you have no way to place your alive.cfg in the correct location.

The error you had said: "Check IP and Groupname".
Can you tell a bit more about where you placed your alive.cfg?

Hi sn34ky,

indeed I do everything through a browser. I can access the server's directories via FileZilla client and FTP. That means I can upload files like missions and mods into the server's ARMA 3 directory and I did so with the alive.cfg, too.

It is, if I understand correctly, therefor now placed in the game's root directory. BTW I have the alive.cfg for my older ALiVE registered servers (that are run from my home PC) placed in game root directory on my home PC as well.

I'll try to make screenshots of the FileZilla interface while accessing the FTP.

If I try to save a server in the WarRoom settings panel and don't have something written in the field "hostname" which according to ALiVE FAQ clickable in the settings panel is referring to the machine name, then it gives me an error message: "The hostname field is required."

Here come a few screenshots. They show how i transfer a newly downloaded alive.cfg. from the download location on my PC , mpmissions, (put it there to avoid conflict with my working alive.cfg in my PC's root directory). I did of course allow unblock the new alive.cfg before. The last screen shows the access rights of the alive.cfg that is on the rented server.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tvwxka933f5pr6y/Screenshot%202016-09-08%2008.33.33.png?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/x5c0l8qn82angtn/Screenshot%202016-09-08%2008.33.35.png?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/15xiwryzmvtmemk/Screenshot%202016-09-08%2008.35.14.png?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/d7v1y6jeq0r3g2b/Screenshot%202016-09-08%2008.35.32.png?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/z8btq5ioz5z5gtx/Screenshot%202016-09-08%2008.39.36.png?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lt7lwk9mytqtlpv/Screenshot%202016-09-08%2008.40.03.png?dl=0

The attributes of the alive.cfg visible on the last screenshot are written in German and mean that owner, groups and public can read, write and execute the alive.cfg file.

Last line says "Numeric Value:777

Use 'x' to keep initial access rights."

I believe I've read somewhere that alive.cfg can be in root indeed.

Can you post the latest .rpt?

Yes, it's definitely possible to have the alive.cfg in thr root directory; I do it like that when using my home PC for hosting and have full WarRoom acccess that way; could even successfully server save&exit a unit-heavy mod-stuffed mission yesterday. But, well, for performance in that kind of mission the rented dedi would be better of course...

Will create new .rpt's on the rented server now and post them here.

Here they come; client .rpt and server .rpt:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ttitwsuw5mj3oc3/tourist_rented_dedi_rpt_files_3.7z?dl=0

I noticed that the server time is two hours earlier than my system time on the client PC. Is that simply because it's located in another timezone or may this hint towards a possible problem linked to the failing connection with WarRoom?

Yep, that's the IP I have registered in War Room. So lez hope Tupolev can shed some more light on the issue.

Are you sure that the server uses that IP to connect to Warroom? Some have more IP addresses for incoming traffic but use another for outgoing. Your provider could have some answers. They can give you the hostname also.

And you have a VPN to your server? I saw you logged in with an internal IP address (192.168.x.x).

Well, the router firewall of my home PC works with port forwarding. I have set it up to forward ingoing and outgoing traffic for the ports that ARMA and steam are using. If I host a game using my home PC and give my external IP to my buddies, they can join my server e.g. via ARMA quick connect or steam invitation. I can myself also join other peoples servers. So I guess the data lane is open on the relevant ports. I have successfully played+saved+reloadec ALIVE missions with a buddy and myself as players. Only the performance was bad if using own PC for hosting dedi AND playing...

Now with the ALiVE update out of the way I'd be glad if one of the Devs could find the time to help me with my questions regarding the usage of ALiVE on a rented dedi server that has no machine name.

See you soon here in the thread; meanwhile I'm going to try if it still works on my home PC and, well, ORBAT around a bit...

@Tupolov: that 92.217.186.87 is the IP of my home PC - the client when using the rented dedi. Still, I'd like to know if I really need to have a machine name or not.

When hosting with my home PC as dedi, everything is ok BTW; had a succesful server-save-and-exited session again today - only, that I miss the performance leap that a rented dedi would give me ;-)