Dedicated Server?

[Kitharodos]

My team wants a dedicated server. How can we set it up?

 

and one more question: what happened to the Nellis Airbase?

[EtherealN]

Unfortunately there is no Dedi Server application in the traditional sense. People who run "dedicated" servers typically just have an extra license that they use on a machine that only runs the simulator as a server.

 

Regarding Nellis: FAQ: http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=67747

Q: Where is the Nevada terrain from the early betas?

A: This will be released as a separate upgrade map later this year.

[Kitharodos]

wasnt there any dedicated server program for Black Shark?

[Eddie]

wasnt there any dedicated server program for Black Shark?

 

No there wasn't. People/Squads just purchased a licence to use on a separate hosting machine.

[EtherealN]

No. The DCS:BS Dedi servers were completely regular copies of the simulator running on a dedicated server machine.

 

Basically, the server (as in, the hardware) was dedicated, but the version of the software it ran was not.

[Kitharodos]

ok thanks for the help!

[Moa]

Unfortunately there is no Dedi Server application in the traditional sense. People who run "dedicated" servers typically just have an extra license that they use on a machine that only runs the simulator as a server.

 

Please note, as of the release version of A-10C it appears possible to run a server using the same license as the license used on a separate client machine.

 

This is a change from the A-10C Beta releases where connecting as a client on a separate machine immediately disconnected a server that had the same license.

 

I was very glad to see that the final version allowed a client and (separate) server to use the same license - otherwise only a few people would purchase the second license for a server (I like having a great diversity of servers about). If this is correct then a big thank you to ED for making that change.

 

Note: I tested that a client and (separate) server can use the same license last night with release A-10C. I did get drop outs, which I presume to be due to network issues (big earthquake in country, so network overloaded a bit at moment), so can't fully confirm this is permitted. It is possible that my observation is incorrect and the drop-outs are due to the Master server revoking the logins after a short period of time.

[Lonecrow66]

What kinda hardware do you need to run the server? does it have to be souped up graphics? Or can you go with a decent CPU and crappy video card just to get it running?

[EtherealN]

Most people with a server use relatively cheap GPU's - they then set their server with customized very low graphics settings and point the view to the sky or some such place where nothing exists.

[Lonecrow66]

Most people with a server use relatively cheap GPU's - they then set their server with customized very low graphics settings and point the view to the sky or some such place where nothing exists.

 

Cool because since I just upgraded my vid card I was going to give my old one to my wife. Now I can use my old old one for this :)

 

4 Gigs of RAM enough to run the server? Will it run better on a a 64 bit OS? Or being a server it shouldn't make a difference?

[EtherealN]

Whatever manages to run the game will run the server - the server really is just another copy of the game running just as if you ran the server on the same machine that you are playing on.

 

But since no-one is using the server (the physical box) to play on, you can get away with cheaper hardware in that it doesn't need to display fancy graphics.

[Moa]

Another trick to running a server is to edit the graphics.cfg and set the maximum frame rate limit to around 15 fps.

 

This means the server spends less effort updating its display (just enough you can see what is going on) and more effort devoted to the players on the server.

[sobek]

Another trick to running a server is to edit the graphics.cfg and set the maximum frame rate limit to around 15 fps.

 

This means the server spends less effort updating its display (just enough you can see what is going on) and more effort devoted to the players on the server.

 

I don't know how the net code works exactly, but if you do that, you might seriously hammer your I/O performance of the server and consequently, the responsiveness of inter client data transfer.

[Grimes]

We also had a great lua script created by PanzerTard called "Servman" that allowed for more advanced server control options. It had votemissions, vote kicks, auto kick after x teamkills and a bunch of other useful features.

[Aylward]

Please note, as of the release version of A-10C it appears possible to run a server using the same license as the license used on a separate client machine.

 

This is a change from the A-10C Beta releases where connecting as a client on a separate machine immediately disconnected a server that had the same license.

 

I was very glad to see that the final version allowed a client and (separate) server to use the same license - otherwise only a few people would purchase the second license for a server (I like having a great diversity of servers about). If this is correct then a big thank you to ED for making that change.

 

Note: I tested that a client and (separate) server can use the same license last night with release A-10C. I did get drop outs, which I presume to be due to network issues (big earthquake in country, so network overloaded a bit at moment), so can't fully confirm this is permitted. It is possible that my observation is incorrect and the drop-outs are due to the Master server revoking the logins after a short period of time.

 

Hey Moa, where are you flying A-10 ?? Would join you sometime if I knew where you flew them... :pilotfly:

[Tez]

Please note, as of the release version of A-10C it appears possible to run a server using the same license as the license used on a separate client machine.

 

This is a change from the A-10C Beta releases where connecting as a client on a separate machine immediately disconnected a server that had the same license.

 

I was very glad to see that the final version allowed a client and (separate) server to use the same license - otherwise only a few people would purchase the second license for a server (I like having a great diversity of servers about). If this is correct then a big thank you to ED for making that change.

 

Note: I tested that a client and (separate) server can use the same license last night with release A-10C. I did get drop outs, which I presume to be due to network issues (big earthquake in country, so network overloaded a bit at moment), so can't fully confirm this is permitted. It is possible that my observation is incorrect and the drop-outs are due to the Master server revoking the logins after a short period of time.

One license per running copy at a time. So server needs it's own license.

 

It's written in EULA.

[Moa]

@Sobek: as far as I have monitored the resource usage goes down significantly.

 

@Aylward: sometimes I flip stallturn over to A-10C when server is quiet.

 

@Grimes: Servman is great, but it prevents the default LockOn logs from getting written :( sux if you rely on those log entries for stats.

 

@Tez: Thanks for point out that a server requires a separate license. I realise this. However, I think that may be a bad move since it will probably result in fewer 'dedicated' servers (servers without a player also on the same computer). My ideal is that there be many servers out there to cater to all sorts of tastes. This is less likely to happen if people must buy two licenses to do this.

[EtherealN]

If someone, or a group of players, are able to obtain a computer and/or hosting for a dedi, but cannot afford an extra license... I don't know what. Even co-host services where I am at cost twice a license per month, and dedi services go up to 6 times a license per month.

 

Hosting on one's own machine - that's still a machine you paid for. I fail to see how an extra license can be an issue. (It reminds me about how people who paid 2000 dollars for their computer and anothe 1000 dollars for TrackIR, HOTAS and pedals sometimes complaing about a 60 dollar game... :P )

[EtherealN]

Actually, it's even "worse" than that. I just did a calculation for what my old computer would cost, non-overclocked, in electricity per month. 57 dollars. That's just the electricity bill for it, and I haven't included PSU inefficiency.

 

So my conclusion is: license cost is immaterial when it comes to dedi servers.

[epoch]

One license per running copy at a time. So server needs it's own license.

 

It's written in EULA.

 

Perhaps ED would consider complimentary licenses for servers, rather than forcing people to buy an additional license.

 

The developers of Rise of Flight did that, which was a great help. Then again, they also released a dedicated server binary.

[Anastasiuss]

I would pay for a real dedicated server licence. If the server is optimized for remote administration, with useful server-tools, without resources they are needed to fly with the dedi-server-software. (why should he do that :) ) ...

 

AND if i can use the server to host games on LANs without Internetacces/ED-Masterserver ;)

 

For that i would gladly pay an additional licence.

Edited March 1, 2011 by Anastasiuss

[Schnarre Aggro]

I would pay for a real dedicated server licence. If the server is optimized for remote administration, with useful server-tools, without resources they are needed to fly with the dedi-server-software. (why should he do that :) ) ...

 

AND if i can use the server to host games on LANs without Internetacces/ED-Masterserver ;)

 

For that i would gladly pay an additional licence.

 

+1 for every word :thumbup:

[EtherealN]

Just let me understand this right...

 

684 dollars of electricity per year plus hardware -> *shrug*.

60 dollars one-time expense -> unbearably expensive.

 

That about right? I don't even begin to understand you.

[Anastasiuss]

Just let me understand this right...

 

684 dollars of electricity per year plus hardware -> *shrug*.

60 dollars one-time expense -> unbearably expensive.

 

That about right? I don't even begin to understand you.

 

Do you mean me?

 

I have only said what I would on a dedicated server. AND which I would pay for it. I have said nothing about the price of a dedi-licence.

 

ServMan is already a very(!) good beginning of the Community. But at last only one makeshift because the base software does not give the functionality.A real dedi-server could be more leaner.

 

For what I must have on a dedicated server a cockpit and 3D view? 2D map, trackfiles, tacview/Lua-outputs, briefing and debriefing-tools, chat logs e.g.. These tools we needs on a Server.

 

PS: DCS tears me always to and fro. Often(!) really high, then again something is disappointing.

[Heli Shed]

Another trick to running a server is to edit the graphics.cfg and set the maximum frame rate limit to around 15 fps.

 

This means the server spends less effort updating its display (just enough you can see what is going on) and more effort devoted to the players on the server.

 

Hi mate.

 

Another method of lowering potential waste of hugging the resources of components such as CPU, RAM and GPU on the server is to set everything to LOW.

 

Our server has been serving DCS: A-10C since release, open to the public. Within 20 minutes, all slots are taken (i have limited to 14 at the minute). This happens every day. Thats a lot! So........set the resolution to 1024x768, set all of your settings to low, set your server to windowed, and be on the map view only. Bung up the pool list and the chat box and there you have it. I connect to my server (in a secret underground location - protected from damp of course) via Tight VNC (for Direct X compatability) and the only thing i have to physically do, is unpause the bloody thing.

 

Thats right, unpause. Without someform of Servman or mon, i cannot set the sim to unpause automatically. This very small, but quite vital aspect of our server is really making things difficult, because we HAVE to log on and unpause it. The time frame between doing that is unset.

 

Bah...................

 

Server licence? Bah, get a grip peeps, its negligable! I have bought 2 extra licences for both of our servers (2 - one for the community and one for 74th closed Trg) and at 60 dollars a pop, i think it's completely worth it. Hell, id pay 3 x the amount!

 

Steel Beasts anyone? - exactly!

 

;-)

 

'T'