SIM Crash & Prim UUID's

What is the story on prim UUID's for rezz'd prims?

I know when a prim is rezz'd it gets it own UUID. Theoretically as long as that prim stays there it has the same UUID. But, what happens when LL does a rolling restart?

What happens when SIM software is updated?

What happens when a SIM crashes?

When Hippo says they use a keyless server I assume they use a web server to avoid having to manually deal with keys. Or is there some way to learn a UUID across SIM's without using a web site?

While it is a very, very good idea to use some process that doesn't make you completely dependent on a static server key (even if you're manually uploading a new key to a file in a web server somewhere now and then), there are plenty of servers out there that do depend on their keys never changing, and many of them have been running for a very long time. So as far as I know sim restarts and server code updates and such do NOT change the keys of still-rezzed prims.

If you make copies or take the object into inventory, though, you're screwed. So be very, very careful of the parcel flags on the parcel where you put the server. If you allow others to build, or their objects to enter your parcel, there is the potential for your server to be returned to you. It isn't that difficult for a parcel to be filled to the limit and cause established objects to be returned. I don't think there's even any priority assigned to owners' objects. Or maybe there is, but you should be careful of group-owned land. I know a couple of estate owners who have nearly lost a large amount of irreplaceable work (fortunately LL WAS able and willing to step in and restore things).

Good question.
Good reply.
Thanks.

Crashes and restarts have no effect to existing rezzed object. LL backs up an image of the sim every X number of hours (they dont' say exactly how many), and on restart or crash, the sim is restored from the latest viable backup. So rezzed objects should never change keys at all.

Thanks Hewee Zetkin & Darien Caldwell


...use some process that doesn't make you completely dependent on a static server key... - I would love too...

I can email and IM if I know a key. But otherwise, AFAIK communication stops at the SIM boudary. Is there any process that reaches across SIM's that does not use a HTTP Request?

I can see how to find remote vendors or servers within a SIM/region. It is once one cross that boundary that it seems one is locked into using UUID's.

I'm afraid you named the only two available(Email and IM). In the near future, You will be able to use a combination of HTTP Requests and HTTP-IN (a new system coming) which will also allow cross sim communcation without an external server. However, the same key negotiation issues will remain. I'm afraid given the dynamic nature of SL, it's just not possible to have anything written in stone from a communication standpoint.

I DO suggest llHTTPRequest(). If you don't have some place to put a little data, I think http://w-hat.com/ offers a very simple free database for people to use. Probably just adequate for storing a server key or three. Note that you don't necessarily even need dynamic logic on the web server. Just have scripts access a URL to retrieve an object key.

I did some experimenting with and research on rez’d prims and UUID’s.

I wanted to know if it was possible to move a prim to another SIM and keep the UUID. It is.

One must right-click the prim, select MORE and then ATTACH. Travel to the new SIM and DROP, not Detach, then the prim will have the same UUID.

The ability to move prims and retain the same UUID and UUID’s surviving SIM crashes and restarts would seem to eliminate the need for using web services. Is there any reason the web route seems so popular?

Well, if your server object is accidentally returned, taken, or deleted, and you've sent 1000 products out there in the world that depend on contacting it for your updates to work, you're kinda screwed. It's not an extremely LIKELY event if you are very careful, but why risk it when a simple key stored on an external server somewhere can save you from total disaster?

Even static storage can save you if you have no other alternatives. Go get a free geocities account or something. Or look up the w-hat.com service. Really, it doesn't add a great deal of complexity to your system. It is truly worth it.

Also llEmail tends to be slow and unreliable. Emails can take anywhere from 2 seconds to 24 hours to arrive (very worst case) or sometimes never arrive at all. It's often the case that sims lose email functionality altogether. Systems which use HTTP seem much more reliable and scalable. As well it opens up a whole host of other possibilities which just can't be handled in LSL alone.

Someone suggested a really cool idea. assuming you have access to "real" email.

Set up some dedicated email addresses in your email settings. "updateserver@yourdomain.com" for example..

Then have that email address automatically forward the emails to the actual address for the email server.

While this won't do much for your "speed of delivery" it does provide you with a switch-track in case you ever do need to redirect those emails.

I think the problem with that is that e-mails that originate from out-of-world are notoriously even less reliable than inter-object e-mails. There have even been significant periods of time when they didn't work at all, I believe. It's a neat idea, but the scalability problem that causes this kind of thing to break is the major reason why they are introducing HTTP-In, from what I understand.