Interested in starting a new dedicated server

[VH-Rock]

Hello All,

 

I'm afraid I'm rather new to the whole idea of running dedicated servers, especially in DCS, and I need a little help before proceeding with my idea. A friend and myself are considering a dedicated formation flying, aerobatics and free flight dedicated server. We normally host, manually, most weekends and get 12-15 people in the server at any one time.

 

• If we were to purchase the use of a server, how much bandwidth would we need?
  
• Are admin log in features available for clients that join the game?
  
• Is anybody aware of any hosts offering dedicated servers for DCS World?
  

Thanks,

 

Rob.

[Rhinox]

There is no such a thing as "dedicated server" for DCS.

[VH-Rock]

There is no such a thing as "dedicated server" for DCS.

 

We're aware of that, but also that is in development and will be released when online stability is assured. For now, we could just run a server using DCS World permanently running

[Double_D]

There is no such a thing as "dedicated server" for DCS.

 

 

DCS still has the ability to run through a Virtual Server..same as MS-FSX and IL-2 does...:thumbup:

 

Cheers

[Sierra99]

Hello All,

 

I'm afraid I'm rather new to the whole idea of running dedicated servers, especially in DCS, and I need a little help before proceeding with my idea. A friend and myself are considering a dedicated formation flying, aerobatics and free flight dedicated server. We normally host, manually, most weekends and get 12-15 people in the server at any one time.

 

• If we were to purchase the use of a server, how much bandwidth would we need?
  
• Are admin log in features available for clients that join the game?
  
• Is anybody aware of any hosts offering dedicated servers for DCS World?
  

Thanks,

 

Rob.

 

You can build a computer more than capable of running as a server fairly inexpensivly considering you don't have to have an expensive video card for the server. The -=TAC=- server is running on a Core 2 E8400 with 4 gigs of ram left over from the last time somebody upgraded. It seems to hold up just fine. The server admin has cable Internet, not sure how fast but I'm sure it's not overkill.

 

You do need is a DCS module for the server...And there are some limitations as far as server admin. Team view makes a program that allows you to remote into the server box from anyplace...the biggest draw back is you can't remotely unpause the game.

[Double_D]

You can build a computer more than capable of running as a server fairly inexpensivly considering you don't have to have an expensive video card for the server. The -=TAC=- server is running on a Core 2 E8400 with 4 gigs of ram left over from the last time somebody upgraded. It seems to hold up just fine. The server admin has cable Internet, not sure how fast but I'm sure it's not overkill.

 

You do need is a DCS module for the server...And there are some limitations as far as server admin. Team view makes a program that allows you to remote into the server box from anyplace...the biggest draw back is you can't remotely unpause the game.

 

True we could build one..but we would still have the problem of location with the different members...and it would sort of still be like running off our own home computer ... bandwidth is not quite the same as bandwith from a provider..hence the virtual server's..eveyone will have equal connection to it..to the server side and you get what you internet server provides you with..I did run a IL_2 Virtual Server for Air to Air competitions awhile back and had no problems..with it..

 

Thanks for your input though...just curious though what bandwith would be adequate for it...more likely running this out of London UK...I get a pretty good ping rate from central North America...:thumbup:

[ajax]

...the biggest draw back is you can't remotely unpause the game.

Sure you can... you simply remap the pause key to "P" or any other TeamViewer-transmittable key in the DCS options page on the server.

[ENO]

One meg of upload bandwidth for every 4 people I believe was the going standard. Download is less of an issue for the server and is seldom in short supply anyway. Heavy on ram and upload bandwidth. Turn the 3d renderer off as well- minimizes the abuse on the graphics card running 24/7. I run ours through teamviewer- don't even have a monitor plugged into it.

 

Right now speed on the cores is more important than more cores since currently dcs runs on only 2 anyway. Not sure about the incoming EDGE.

[VH-Rock]

One meg of upload bandwidth for every 4 people I believe was the going standard. Download is less of an issue for the server and is seldom in short supply anyway. Heavy on ram and upload bandwidth. Turn the 3d renderer off as well- minimizes the abuse on the graphics card running 24/7. I run ours through teamviewer- don't even have a monitor plugged into it.

 

Right now speed on the cores is more important than more cores since currently dcs runs on only 2 anyway. Not sure about the incoming EDGE.

 

Thanks for the info ENO, Very useful :)

[Double_D]

One meg of upload bandwidth for every 4 people I believe was the going standard. Download is less of an issue for the server and is seldom in short supply anyway. Heavy on ram and upload bandwidth. Turn the 3d renderer off as well- minimizes the abuse on the graphics card running 24/7. I run ours through teamviewer- don't even have a monitor plugged into it.

 

Right now speed on the cores is more important than more cores since currently dcs runs on only 2 anyway. Not sure about the incoming EDGE.

 

Thank you ENO, very insightful information..cheers...now we know how much of a platform to work with...:thumbup::thumbup:

[ENO]

Glad to help... certainly not the only information I'd want to give to guys interested in getting their own server up and running full time.

 

I wanted to double check my numbers- had an opportunity tonight as I had about a dozen guys in the server tonight and was only drawing 5 megs of upload in Rampant Bear... which is a pretty big mission requiring the server to deliver its fair share of data out to the clients.

 

So this adds some clout to 2 users per meg being ideal and 4 being max- I'd read that somewhere before but wasn't sure where... Testing it out seems to have confirmed that it's a very solid ballpark.

 

Some other points-

 

1) Make sure any mission you use, if it's downloaded from elsewhere, is first opened on your server computer and then resaved. We've had some bad network separations between clients when this wasn't done- this seems to have been the single cause.

2) Ensure that scene detail and civ traffic are not locked.

3) Others have touted some value in making sure the server computer GUI is turned up to its maximum settings. I'm not 100% about it- but I do this for our server just in case.

4) Be aware of embedded miz files- a product of triggering reloads I believe. Miz files need to be converted into zip, opened, miz files deleted from therein, then the file needs to be saved and reconverted to miz. If you don't, the load times become prohibitively long and can cause game / load timeouts.

5) You can ALSO disable the load timeouts in the network config lua in the config folder in saved games / dcs I believe it is.

game_timeout = 60

idle_timeout = 60

 

Both of those can be set to 0 to disable... but clients can actually get "stuck" in the game unless they hard out or get kicked. Alternatively, you could extend it to LONGER periods (like, 90)... which has also been suggested by those who know best.

 

Also- SLMOD by SPEED saved my life and my sanity by providing logs and remote functions... I wouldn't run a server without it. Whether it's to proactively go enter the UCIDs of smacktards, reactively ban / kick individuals... or the wide variety of mission control options that exist through its interface. (also has that pause when empty feature- though we don't use it)

 

I also make sure I restart the computer every couple days... CCleaner between runs just in case...

Edited January 31, 2013 by ENO

[Double_D]

Thanks ENO...great info to take into account..:thumbup:

[VH-Rock]

Again, great advice ENO. Thanks very much, we'll keep it in mind! :thumbup:

[Sierra99]

3) Others have touted some value in making sure the server computer GUI is turned up to its maximum settings. I'm not 100% about it- but I do this for our server just in case.

 

ENO,

 

Do you do this even if you disable the server 3d rendering?

 

Gadgets

[Druid_]

Point 4) for MP should become redundant in 1.2.3 patch I believe. Just make sure the load xxxx.miz is in the same folder as the parent mission.

[ENO]

ENO,

 

Do you do this even if you disable the server 3d rendering?

 

Gadgets

 

 

Yes... I do it though I'm not 100% sure whether it does anything or not to be honest. This was one of many efforts to try and resolve the many disconnect issues we were having at the time. I did it, and never really thoguht to change it back. This one was put on awhile ago and we had a LOT of discussion about it in the 7570 thread over in dcsw / bug reporting / multiplayer thread. Had something to do with the server being primed for the players coming in with the higher detail settings selected-

 

I don't remember why we did it exactly- but if I stumble into it I'll post it back here.