Internal Error, Lags Immediately After Log-In

[AAr]

I read that when the next version comes out that log-in errors (Esp. the "Internal Error 3001") shouldn't happen anymore. If that happens, then I can't wait for the next version to come out. I might even try to download it myself just so I don't get that error. Thanks for fixing that!

 

What I really want to address, and this could just be my computer and server, so I need to know if others are also experiencing (even if just to lesser extents than I am) (If I'm the only one, then this can be ignored, as it's my problem), the long waits at log-in and long lags immediately after log-in.

 

For me, it usually takes about a whole minute to minute a a half (during peak, and about 30-45 seconds even during offpeak) for the BBO log-in process to complete, which seems a bit too long for me. I would like to see that reduced to about 15-20 seconds (I'll accept a half minute wait during peak hours) if possible and realistic. So, I would like the next version to cut down on the log-in waits by at least 50% (At least 70% is what I am really wanting, but I'll settle for 50%). But, this is not my biggest issue.

 

This is what really gets me more than anything. Provided I've been logged into BBO for at least five minutes, the lag waits for windows to appear (Tournaments, MBC, Vulgraph, News Windows, etc.) takes one second or less (Even during peak, this is almost never more than three seconds). But, the same lag waits for the same things immediately after log-in is usually a WHOLE MINUTE OR MORE (And, probably about 45 seconds even during off-peak)! I do not see any reason why or how the lags right after log-in take more than ten seconds, let alone more than a whole minute while the same waits are less than a second if I've been logged into BBO for at least ten minutes or more. How could how long I've been logged onto BBO have that much impact as to multiply the waits by about SIXTY is beyond me. Again, this might be just my server, so I need to know whether others are also experiencing this problem (60+ times longer waits immediately after log-in than having being logged in for 5+ minutes), or if its just my server.

 

Now, it could be my computer and server. I have AOL and using an old version and dial-up, have a 6-year old computer, and my expeiences for loading other windows and Internet websites also take much longer right after I turn on the computer and log on to AOL than after I've been logged onto my ISP for a good 10+ minutes. And, I do log onto my ISP right after I turn on my computer and log onto BBO right after I log onto my ISP, so that might be part of my problem. It's just that the differences of the waits to log on to BBO and the waits to load BBO screens immediately after log-on compared to after I've been logged onto BBO for a good while seem excessive enough for me to think that its not just my server.

 

That's why I want to know if others are having the similar above problems I have. If I am the only one with the above problems, than this message can be cancelled (I'll have to upgrade, and have no grounds to complain if I don't.). But, if others are having the above problems, even if to lesser extents than I am experiencing, than these are issues that need to be adressed.

 

Other than that, I'm happy. Good job! Thanks!

[fred]

Here is an anology that attempts to explain why "waiting for response from server" involves a longer wait upon login than it does when you join a table:

 

Suppose you want a glass of water. You turn on your tap and you will have to wait a few seconds for the glass to fill up.

 

Now suppose you wanted to fill up a swimming pool with water by using the same tap. After turning on the tap the wait would be much longer.

 

When you log in to BBO you are turning on a tap, but what comes out of this tap is obviously not water. Instead it is information that flows from this tap.

 

At login time our server needs to send you a lot of information - a list of all the other players who are logged in, a list of all the tables and tourneys in play... The more people logged in to BBO when you try to log in, the more of this information must be sent from our server to your PC.

 

When you join a table you are sent some information from our server as well, but not very much of it. For example, at a duplicate table, you are sent all of the "movies" from deals that were played previously at the table in question.

 

The wires that connect your PC to the BBO server can be thought of as a series of pipes that carry water from the source (a lake for example) to your house. Some of these pipes are thicker than others. The maximum rate at which water can flow through this system of pipes is limited to that of the narrowest pipe in the system.

 

The maximum capacity of a water pipe might be defined in terms of litres per second (or whatever). Wires also have a maximum capacity of how much information they can transmit per unit of time.

 

Most of the wires that make up the Internet are very thick. This means they can transmit a lot of information in a short time.

 

However, the dialup connection between your home and your phone company is a thin wire. If you try to send a lot of information through this wire, it takes a long time for the information to arrive at your PC.

 

The best thing you could do to improve the situation would be to get a high speed Internet connection (instead of dialup). This would be analogous to installing a thicker pipe between the water main and your house - you could then fill up your pool more quickly.

 

The only way that BBO could solve this problem would be to do a massive rewrite of the BBO software. Not only would this be extremely complicated, our members would likely have to give up some functionality (and/or wait longer at other times) as a result.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

[uday]

The "3001" simply reports that your connection was lost. Latest version will not have an impact on the actual disconnections, but it will reconnect more gracefully after one has been detected.

 

You sound like you have an old PC.

 

Try erasing c:\bridge base online\db (before you launch BBO).

 

This might help for a while.

 

Try shutting down other applications on your pc before starting BBO. this may recover some memory and help improve performance.

 

If your hard drive is just about full, try cleaning it up. Consider "defragging" the hard drive and other routine "performance tweaks".

[Aberlour10]

 

You sound like you have an old PC.

 

Try erasing c:\bridge base online\db    (before you launch BBO).

 

This might help for a while.

 

the "trick" with delating of the db file works very good for the

owners of older PC's (such a me & 2 BBO friends of me)

The log-in time has been reduceed to about 10-20 seconds

if we keep this file under 5MB...

 

Robert