Advantages to BotNet Databases?

[Mephisto]

Can someone (probably Spht/Skywing) explain to me what the advantages were to implementing a serverside database (BotNet databases) for bots such as RivalBot/ZeroBot rather than using local databases?

I do want to implement a serverside database system but I don't see the benefits to be honest.

[Eric]

The ability to share a single database between multiple bots and in some cases, even different types of bots.  That is all.

[Spht]

Since much of it is already documented, I will give an example...

In [vL]'s situation, we have a moderator bot that connects to the database and at the same time other bots that members are logged on to can also connect to the database.  We all have access to the same dynamically updated database--when entries are modified, a broadcast is sent to all clients connected to that database to update their local copies.  If our moderator bot goes down, we can connect another client to the same database to take over.  Everyone will always have the same database.

Note that is just an example of the user database storage usage, which still doesn't encompass the entire purpose.  There are many other uses for Botnet databases.  See latest Botnet documentation.

[Skywing]

Just to clarify, the system was originally designed back when there were no clan/op channels and you would need to control ops by being the first to join the channel.  The idea was to provide a way to intelligently coordinate activities between clients when you would be wanting to run multiple clients (say one on each server) to share access control lists and to provide a mechanism for all but one client to leave a channel to regenerate ops in a timely (and automated) fashion.

There is also a provision for directing clients to perform arbitrary commands, which was at one time useful if you wanted to take an action but the client you wanted to do the action was on the other side of a server split.

Many of these concerns are simply obsolete with the advent of clan/op channels, but there are still some situations where it is valuable to have access control list synchronization between clients.

Additionally, some services (such as BNLS and WebChannel) use BotNet to provide a common management interface.

[Mephisto]

Thanks guys.  With all said and done would it be advantageous to me to take the time to create a server side database system similar to BotNet excluding its chatting features (only using server broadcasts & databases to all connected clients)?

Better yet though would be to have the option to use normal locally stored databases in a binary text file or to use BotNet; but are BotNet databases even given out freely?

The only information I could find for BotNet documentation is http://www.valhallalegends.com/files/BotNetProtocol.txt & it hasn't been updated in nearly 4 years.

http://www.valhallalegends.com/kp/kpbnproto030311.txt also seems to be no longer avaliable.

I'd appreciate a little bit of general information about how BotNet works specifically with the Databases (just a quick overview) & protocol documentation.

[Spht]

The latest publically available documentation for Botnet is at:
http://www.valhallalegends.com/kp/bnsp-latest.txt

Databases with write access aren't usually given out unless you have a good reason for needing one.

[Mephisto]

I'd like to implement BotNet support in my bot as it seems straight forward and easy for those users who have BotNet databases with write access.  I am assuming the bot can connect, download the database, and operate on it locally.  When the database is modified through the bot via commands from Battle.net it can update the database on the BotNet server & locally and if the database is modified through BotNet a server message to the bot will have the bot re-download the database.

Also for my personal write-access database, I'd like to use it for my pro-gaming clan so I can coordinate my bot and my clan with BotNet & BotNet supported chat bots.

[Kp]

& locally and if the database is modified through BotNet a server message to the bot will have the bot re-download the database.

No.  The server sends you incremental updates as entries are changed by peers on the database.  There's no need to start a new download.

[Mephisto]

& locally and if the database is modified through BotNet a server message to the bot will have the bot re-download the database.

No.  The server sends you incremental updates as entries are changed by peers on the database.  There's no need to start a new download.

Ah, k, I didn't think of that logic, but it certainly makes sense.