CXG Troubles

[Mikemike 2.0]

The Inquirer is a tabloid magazine, isn't it? Or maybe I'm confusing it with as different magazine...

[/2etribution]

I think you forget that the DDoS attack was on the pipe Valve uses for hosting [which is why the Steam, DoD forums, and VALVe Soft. sites were down], and a power outage occured around the same time that coincedentally knocked the content servers offline as well.

[Splatula]

Edited by [user="194222"] @ [time="1073900018"]

Valve content servers are not all on the same "pipe" and all of them are not located in the US.



A DOS attack can take down any server or array of servers if the attack is coordinated and utilizes a large number of slave machines.



They can take down MS, Apple, the Government. Any IP can be flooded with a DOS to bring a computer to its knees. The only way to counter it is to make certain your machines can handle more connections than a DOS attack could subject your computer to. You can also flood network hardware like switches and routers.



Trojans and hacking are a large cause of this, in fact some of you may have even been attacking valves servers without even realizing it. Virus scanners do not always look for trojans. Use an online trojan scanner to be sure. When Steam is down some people check to see if it's up every five minutes - taxing the servers even more.



This should be a warning to event organizers in the future: MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR BASES COVERED - have some extra game CDs (hell you could even sell games at an event like that), make sure the LAN and PCs all work at least a day or two before the event, and if there are updates... try burning them to a cd burner and handing them out instead of saturating your network. I know I'm capable of burning my CSTRIKE directory... what's their excuse?

[FatboyTim]

Well said.

[BoNeLeSS]

Mikemike 2.0 wrote..

The Inquirer is a tabloid magazine, isn't it? Or maybe I'm confusing it with as different magazine...

You're right.

[RaptorRage]

The Inquirer isn't The National Enquirer...

[/2etribution]

Splatula,



Sorry for the confusion, I didn't mean the content servers outside of WA were not responding, but a major piece of the network resides there as well as the authent servers. Also, by "pipe," I meant the dedicated bandwidth that Valve uses for hosting, which is seperate from the content servers.



While we all realize the impact of trojans, I don't believe the DDoS attacks, or any other "issues" with Steam, were at all responsible for the fiasco at CXG, as I'm sure the community is realizing ATM. You touched upon how the officials there should have prepped more, and in my opinion, you are absolutly correct. For an event so large, with so many sponsors, teams, and expectations, they unequivocally did not prepare as well as they were expected to.



It is truly unfortunate, as CXG had, and still has, great potential, and I for one hope that all future eSports organizers learn a great deal from all of this, as that is by far the most crucial aspect of the entire ordeal.

[Serious Sam]

Setting up a competent lan isn't too difficult. He'll, me and 3 others planned an entire lan, and conference networking system, and everything ran fine, considering the 5000 people, 1 week of planning, and 1200 pc systems on a few networks. Of course no sponsors.



Just utter imcompetence, really gives geeks and lans around the world a bad name.