ThordekkCore/SERVER_STARTUP_CHECKLIST.md

TrinityCore PlayerBot - Server Startup Checklist

✅ WHAT TO WATCH FOR DURING STARTUP

1. Spatial Grid Initialization (CRITICAL)

Look for these log messages:

[PLAYERBOT] SpatialGridManager initialized
[PLAYERBOT] DoubleBufferedSpatialGrid created for map [mapId]
[PLAYERBOT] Spatial grid initial population completed

Expected: No errors, grid initializes for each active map

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2. ThreadPool Startup (CRITICAL)

Look for:

[PLAYERBOT] ThreadPool initialized with [N] worker threads
[PLAYERBOT] Work-stealing queue created

Expected: Worker thread count matches your CPU cores (typically 4-8)

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3. Automated Population System

Look for:

[PLAYERBOT] BotLevelDistribution initialized
[PLAYERBOT] BotGearFactory cache built: [N] items
[PLAYERBOT] BotTalentManager loaded [N] talent loadouts
[PLAYERBOT] BotWorldPositioner zone cache ready

Expected: All caches build successfully without errors

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4. DynamicObject & AreaTrigger Support (NEW)

Look for:

Spatial grid updated: [N] creatures, [N] players, [N] gameobjects, [N] dynamicObjects, [N] areaTriggers

Expected: Non-zero counts for dynamicObjects and areaTriggers when spell effects are active

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5. Database Connectivity

Look for:

Connected to MySQL database
DatabasePool [auth] opened with [N] connections
DatabasePool [characters] opened with [N] connections
DatabasePool [world] opened with [N] connections

Expected: All 3 databases connected successfully

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6. Map Loading

Look for:

Loading map [mapId]
Grid (X,Y) loaded for map [mapId]

Expected: Maps load without "failed to load" errors

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⚠️ ERRORS TO WATCH FOR

Critical Errors (Server Won't Start)

❌ "Failed to initialize SpatialGridManager"

• Cause: Spatial grid system failed
• Action: Check for missing dependencies, review error details

❌ "ThreadPool initialization failed"

• Cause: Thread creation failed
• Action: Check system resources, reduce worker thread count

❌ "Database connection failed"

• Cause: MySQL not running or wrong credentials
• Action: Verify MySQL service, check worldserver.conf

❌ "SIGABRT" or "Segmentation fault"

• Cause: Code crash during startup
• Action: Check for nullptr dereferences, review recent changes

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Warning Errors (Non-Critical)

⚠️ "SpellInfo not found for spell [ID]"

• Cause: Missing spell data in database
• Impact: Minor - that specific spell won't have proper detection
• Action: Update world database

⚠️ "AreaTrigger has no spell"

• Cause: Environmental AreaTrigger without spell (normal for some)
• Impact: None - these are marked as dangerous by default
• Action: None needed

⚠️ "Gear cache: No items found for level [N]"

• Cause: Missing item data for that level range
• Impact: Bots at that level won't get optimal gear
• Action: Check item_template table population

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🎯 STARTUP SUCCESS CRITERIA

✅ Server reaches "Ready to accept connections" ✅ No FATAL or ERROR messages ✅ Spatial grid initialized for all maps ✅ ThreadPool shows [N] worker threads ✅ DynamicObject/AreaTrigger counts > 0 (when effects active) ✅ Database pools all connected

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📊 FIRST TESTS AFTER STARTUP

Test 1: Spawn a Single Bot

.bot add [name] [class] [race]

Watch for:

• Bot spawns successfully
• Spatial grid logs show bot in grid
• No deadlock warnings
• Bot has gear (if level 5+)

Test 2: Check Spatial Grid

.debug spatialindex

Expected output:

• Grid shows populated cells
• Entity counts displayed
• No "grid not initialized" errors

Test 3: Check ThreadPool

.debug threadpool

Expected output:

• Active threads: [N]
• Queued tasks: 0 (initially)
• Completed tasks: 0 (initially)

Test 4: Check Futures (CRITICAL FOR DEADLOCK TEST)

.debug futures

Expected output:

• All futures show "completed" or "running"
• No futures stuck for >5 seconds
• Futures 3-14 specifically should complete quickly

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🚦 NEXT STEPS AFTER SUCCESSFUL STARTUP

Phase 1: Spawn 100 Bots

Method 1: Using .bot add command

.bot add [name] [class] [race]

Repeat 100 times with different names

Method 2: Using automated population (if configured)

.bot populate alliance 100

Monitor:

• Memory usage in Task Manager
• CPU usage
• Log for errors
• All 100 bots spawn successfully

Success Criteria:

• ✅ 100 bots spawned
• ✅ No crashes
• ✅ No deadlocks
• ✅ Memory < 2GB
• ✅ CPU < 5%

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Phase 2: Basic Functionality Tests

Quest Test:

1. Find a quest NPC
2. Watch bots pick up quests
3. Check logs for ObjectAccessor deadlocks (should be ZERO)

Gathering Test:

1. Spawn bots near gathering nodes
2. Watch bots gather
3. Check spatial grid queries in logs

Combat Test:

1. Spawn bots near hostile NPCs
2. Watch bots engage combat
3. Check danger detection (bots should avoid AoE)

Loot Test:

1. Watch bots kill mobs
2. Check if bots loot corpses
3. Verify no loot deadlocks

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🔍 LOG FILES TO MONITOR

Server.log - Main server log

tail -f Server.log | grep -i "playerbot\|spatial\|threadpool"

Error.log - Error messages only

tail -f Error.log

DBErrors.log - Database errors

tail -f DBErrors.log

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⏱️ TIMING BENCHMARKS

Expected Startup Times:

• Database connection: <2 seconds
• Map loading: 5-15 seconds per map
• Spatial grid init: <1 second per map
• ThreadPool init: <0.5 seconds
• Total startup: 30-60 seconds (depending on maps)

If Startup Takes >2 Minutes:

• Check database connectivity
• Check map file loading
• Check for hung initialization

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🆘 TROUBLESHOOTING

Server Hangs During Startup

Symptom: Server stops logging, appears frozen

Common Causes:

1. Database connection timeout
2. Map file loading stuck
3. Mutex deadlock in initialization
4. Infinite loop in startup code

Actions:

1. Check last log message before hang
2. Attach debugger and check stack trace
3. Kill and restart with more verbose logging
4. Check database connectivity

Server Crashes Immediately

Symptom: Server starts then crashes with SIGABRT/SIGSEGV

Common Causes:

1. Nullptr dereference in initialization
2. Missing database tables
3. Corrupted configuration file
4. Memory corruption

Actions:

1. Review Error.log for crash location
2. Run with debugger to get stack trace
3. Verify all database tables exist
4. Check worldserver.conf syntax

High Memory Usage at Startup

Symptom: >5GB memory used before bots spawn

Common Causes:

1. Memory leak in spatial grid initialization
2. Large gear cache
3. Map data loading issue
4. ThreadPool queue pre-allocation

Actions:

1. Profile memory usage
2. Check spatial grid cache size
3. Reduce gear cache size if needed
4. Check for memory leaks

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✅ READY TO TEST!

Once server starts successfully:

1. ✅ No errors in logs
2. ✅ Spatial grid initialized
3. ✅ ThreadPool running
4. ✅ Databases connected

You're ready to proceed with Phase 1 testing (100 bots)!

Refer to TESTING_PLAN_5000_BOTS.md for detailed test procedures.

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Good luck! 🚀