OSGrid Update Week 4

OSGrid has been upgrading the backside of the grid. My regions have been offline most of 2011’s weeks 3 & 4 as the database converts to a new format. The latest release of the simulator software has some changes. These are the ones I found interesting.

Terrain Files

The sim software can now handle terrain files made using Terragen. Once the grid is back up I’ll be checking out the new file type as it imports and exports Terragen (.ter) format. Also, this list of supported files types for terrain files was updated. Hopefully it will be easier to work with terrain in Photoshop and L3DT. Thanks Kevin Cozens.

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Second Life Parcel Encroachment

This feature is being rolled out to the main grid Tuesday. It has been in testing for the last couple of weeks. The feature failed its first round of testing in the release channel. This week it passed, so now it gets promoted to the main grid.

This is the feature that allows you to return prims located in another parcel that encroach on your parcel. It is the center of the prim that determines which parcel it is on. So, a prim can be located on parcel 1 and extend into parcel 2. As things have been previously the owner of parcel 2 was just screwed. Now the owner of parcel 2 will be able to return an encroaching prim.

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Second Life Server Updates Week 2

Here is an update on the changes happening with the grid servers.

The Encroachment Project, the feature to allow one to remove prims encroaching on their property, failed to pass its test in the Blue Steel Release Channel. That means it is stuck in Blue Steel for another week with new fixes applied. With any luck it will roll to the main grid next week.

The Le Tigre channel was testing the new Simulator Shutdown code. It passed its tests and was rolled to the main grid. This code improves several things on the server side of the Second Life Grid. Faster simulator restarts and fewer inventory problems are two expected improvements.

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New Things Coming to Second Life

There are several projects now making their way into the Release Channels and soon to the main grid. None are as fun or exciting as mesh, but they are things that should make SL faster and nicer to play in.

Faster Non-Texture Assets

Monty Linden attended Oskar’s office hours meeting. There is a small project (small code-wise) coming to the grid soon that will speed up non-texture assets moving through the system. Now is that cryptic or what?

Seems Monty means sounds and wearables. The change won’t be as dramatic as ‘Compression’ is for region crossing, but it is expected to be significant and have noticeable effects. The change has to do with making the process smarter, whatever that can mean in this case. Monty describes it as removing artificial slowdowns… which may have mostly to do with making the path things take through the system more efficient.

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Coming Server Updates

Lil Linden posted an update about changes and upgrades coming to the grid. See: Deploys for the Week of 2011-01-10.

It appears the Compression upgrade is moving to the main grid. All regions will get it. This will greatly reduce region crossing time (see previous post for graphs) and cut the number of failed teleports. Along with it comes the Encroachment feature that allows one to return prim that are only partially on your land.

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Second Life Beta Server Update

Region Crossing Compression

The Region Crossing news is hot. The new code is in use across the Magnum Release Channel. The stats on the improvement are impressive. The new improvement is referred to as Region Crossing Compression or just Compression.

SL Region Crossing Time
Region Crossing Time

There are some nifty graphs showing what is happening. Notice a little after ten compression is activated. The graphs take a significant step down.

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