2024.12.18-17.43 - v1.2.7.0 - Launch game … downloads the same 40 MB again and again
Here I wanted to double check what I was suspecting and did already mention in a previous test:
- Does the game really cache all important files … or does it download some on every launch?
- I was already seeing too many writes to the
SceneryIndexesfolder. So lets check that specifically.
- I was already seeing too many writes to the
The term “cache” here is not restricted to the RollingCache.ccc. Any kind of local storage is in essence a form of local “cache”.
What triggered the interest of this goose was that in the Resource Monitor I was always seeing write operation to the same file names inside this folder:
C:\Users\Nene\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\SceneryIndexes\*.dat
For this test I performed the following steps:
- I took a snapshot of the
SceneryIndexesfolder. - Launched FS2024.
- Quit the sim.
- Compare the snapshot to the latest files in the
SceneryIndexesfolder.
At the end of this test the Process Monitor recording did show the following network and file access results:
The positive observations are … well … in this case I think there is nothing really positive, besides that FS2024 does launch reliably for me, no matter what is happening behind the colorful screen. And it “only” took 3 minutes to launch this time. I have seen (recorded) a lot slower launches too.
The “negative” (confusing?) observations are:
- All 301 files have been modified (re-downloaded and re-written to disk) during the launch.
- All 301 files are bit-to-bit (sha256) identical to the versions that already have been on the disk from the previous launch(es).
- Around 40 MB of useless data has been downloaded in 1 to 2 minutes
- … most likely causing a launch delay of 1 to 2 minutes (of a total of 3 minutes)
- … under the present network and server performance. On bad times of a day that might even require (a lot) more time.
- … most likely causing a launch delay of 1 to 2 minutes (of a total of 3 minutes)
Why?
To summerize this test:
- Around 40 MB of downloads related to 301 files stored inside the
SceneryIndexesfolder get downloaded on every sim launch- … even when they are bit-identical to the files which already have be stored on the local drive.
- This seems to prolong the launch process by 1 to 2 minutes under “normal” conditions.
- There seems to be a lack of “meta-index” files with checksums and versions … an “index-index”.
- With such a simple addition the sim launches might be a lot fast.
PS: The forum bot will now prevent me from posting additional test results … unless some other user also will leave some post below. So if you find the above useful … write a line.