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Mutahrs

Mutahrs stands for:
Multi-User Text and Html Roleplay Server

The goal of Mutahrs is to modernize the Mu* servers of the past by completely refreshing the code with modern technologies. A subgoal is to allow people to use it as a learning experience, allowing them to learn technologies that they aren't familiar with but want to learn. And to relearn technologies that they may have learned in the past but don't get to use day-to-day and their skills have become rusty.

Some of the changes to the standard Mu* servers that we want to investigate are:

• The database for most Mu* are kept in memory. This allows for high speed access, but it has a few problems. We would like to investigate using an SQL database back end and see if that will help with some of our other goals.

• Multithreaded/Multiprocessor support. Most Mu* are single threaded, with a few small tasks (like DNS look up sent out to sub tasks) this doesn't make a good use of modern multi-core chips. Also we want to explore ways of multi-threading to improve a set of skills that is generally lacking

• Filtered Input / Output: Have the Mu client select what type of connection they want to use. HTML/Text and SSL/compressed/raw. Most Mu these days support only Text-Raw though some have support for MCP and SSL, its not wide spread.

• Distributed Servers. With an SQL server and replication we have a way of helping with using multiple servers in different locations. This will help if one goes down. Also its another hard project that will be fun to explore

• 64 bit. Again most Mu* were designed in the late 80s-90s where they couldn't dream of using more then 32 bits. We'll have a chance to make the new server exclusively 64 bits.

• Multiple interfaces. While everything can be done through text on most Mu* only a few have started to explore WYSIWYG interfaces, or different way of inputing the text. With an SQL database we can look at building and creating things with more user friendly applications, to encourage people to build.