Who knows how what software the GT5:P servers run?

[Venari]

You can see what I'm getting at here. If one player machine is a host, and the other 15 just join in, then what's at the server end? Is it just a fancy router? What chat goes on between that software and the PS3s to 'authenticate' the GT5 software on each users' discs? Anything at all?

What I want to know is would it be possible to duplicate the server side on a LAN to run LAN games like GT4 LAN events? What would someone hypothetically (or really) need to do this?

 

[zabeu]

The match-making software at Sony's end is probably not overly complicated. Without a specification, it'd be quite a challenge to replicate though. You'd need to listen in on the network packets exchanged between the PS3 and the Sony server and figure out the protocol. Which is very hard work in itself and next to impossible if Sony chose to encrypt the communication. (They're paranoid enough to encrypt the video signal from your PS3 even if you're just playing a game, and not even watching their precious bluray content.)

Given a proper protocol specification, a talented hacker would need no more than a week or two to write the match-making server software, I guess. Depends on the protocol though, if it's a stupid design or requires machine authentication it could take longer.

 

[Vagabond]

I think its a plump woman approaching retirement age with a massive switchboard and about a million plugs.

Edit - I think she's called Agnes.

 

[P3nT4gR4m]

I think its a plump woman approaching retirement age with a massive switchboard and about a million plugs.

Thanks for making me spit coffe all over my monitor

 

[zabeu]

I have to admit there are times when Vagabond's description sounds very likely.

 

[Mad Matt]

Ahh yes Agnes, I thought as much. That explains why it can be a bit slow sometimes if she's watching Coronation Street or Eastenders.

 

[NapoleonMikey]

The match-making software at Sony's end is probably not overly complicated. Without a specification, it'd be quite a challenge to replicate though. You'd need to listen in on the network packets exchanged between the PS3 and the Sony server and figure out the protocol. Which is very hard work in itself and next to impossible if Sony chose to encrypt the communication. (They're paranoid enough to encrypt the video signal from your PS3 even if you're just playing a game, and not even watching their precious bluray content.)

Given a proper protocol specification, a talented hacker would need no more than a week or two to write the match-making server software, I guess. Depends on the protocol though, if it's a stupid design or requires machine authentication it could take longer.

what he said is pretty much right on the money but i dont see this happening anytime soon seeing as the best console hackers cant even get unsigned code to run on the PS3 to make a simple hello world. so actually reading the packets sent between the server and PS3 would be a task in itself and then manipulating the PS3 to duplicate the server for LAN partys would be impossible until a break through on the PS3 is made in the hack side of the console. like zabeu said sony has gone Section 8 with security for the PS3 and they go over EVERY line of code personally to make sure there are no holes found in the software that could lead to the PS3 being hacked. gotta say they are doing one hell of a job seeing as no one can find any exploits on the PS3 while both the wii and 360 have been hacked.

though not that im keeping up on hacking on the PS3 or anything

DONT BAN MY PSN SONY

 

[RoboKrikit]

... console hackers cant even get unsigned code to run on the PS3 to make a simple hello world. so actually reading the packets sent between the server and PS3 would be a task in itself and then manipulating the PS3 to duplicate the server for LAN partys would be impossible until a break through on the PS3 is made in the hack side of the console.

Reading the packets between the PS3 and the server is not difficult; you don't need to hack the PS3 to do it. Just sniff your own network.

I don't know about matchmaking, but I wanted a way to view Time Trial rankings online without a PS3 (e.g. for a rankings website), so I did some snooping. For a rankings request, it opens an SSL session to gt5prologue.ps3.online.gran-turismo.com on port 443. Unfortunately the server uses SSL client authentication, so only a client with an authorized SSL keypair can make a request to the server. This is non-trivial to defeat. Unless PD or Sony make ranking data available themselves, it is unlikely we'll have an online site to view rankings for Prologue.

I would imagine if they do this for rankings requests, it's similar for matchmaking, but someone'd have to try it to be certain.

 

[NapoleonMikey]

Reading the packets between the PS3 and the server is not difficult; you don't need to hack the PS3 to do it. Just sniff your own network.

I don't know about matchmaking, but I wanted a way to view Time Trial rankings online without a PS3 (e.g. for a rankings website), so I did some snooping. For a rankings request, it opens an SSL session to gt5prologue.ps3.online.gran-turismo.com on port 443. Unfortunately the server uses SSL client authentication, so only a client with an authorized SSL keypair can make a request to the server. This is non-trivial to defeat. Unless PD or Sony make ranking data available themselves, it is unlikely we'll have an online site to view rankings for Prologue.

I would imagine if they do this for rankings requests, it's similar for matchmaking, but someone'd have to try it to be certain.

oh i didnt mean that the PS3 would need to be hacked to sniff the packets what i meant was that im sure that anything being sent between the PS3 and the server would be encrypted with the way sony has been about security lately. and as you have mentioned it does seem to be encrypted.

the second part of what i mentioned with the LAN games is where the PS3 would need some sort of exploit to get to work

 

[Venari]

Interesting replies.

I see two avenues...

One : some very enterprising and cunning programmers doing a bit of reverse engineering/network packet magic and developing their own server software.

Two: Hypothetically, Polyphony or Sony could make a version of the server software available though, for people wanting to do large commerical parties, right?

For two, who/which department might I approach at Sony to ask that question?