Question on Server setup

Slithers

Hey guys, I am looking in to ordering a server box to run multiple dedicated servers for individual games. Right now I have been monitoring the future of NS2 it's starting to look very promising.

Before I go ahead with the task on setting up a dedicated server, I am curious as to where I get the files to set one up, what are the recommended hardware/software requirements to run the server? and is there a place I go can to review some of the server commands to tweak the server for maximizing performance?

Any help/suggestions is greatly appreciated, thanks - Slithers

invTempest

My little word of advice would be to save your money and wait for the game to become more optimized. On normal server hardware you will only be able to run between 10-12 players before it becomes too laggy. Also, there is not a real big need for more servers at this time as there are usually only 1-3 servers full at any given time. However, if you do really want to put a decent server up right now, I would suggest you look into building your own and getting it colo'd.

My recommended hardware specs:
Core i5 2500k OC'd to 4.5-4.7 Ghz
8 GB of DDR3 1600 Ram

I own and run (2) server boxes for NS2 currently (total of 6 NS2 servers running) - both are Core i5/Core i7 builds running between 4.55 - 4.6 Ghz and they are only able to hold 16 players (still get bogged down at the end of long games).

I used to host a Dual Quad core Xeon E5640 with 32 GB of ram and was only able to run a single NS2 server with 12 slots on each core.

Hope this gives you some insight into the hardware requirements.

Slithers

<!--quoteo(post=1875276:date=Sep 18 2011, 12:30 AM:name=Morbus)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Morbus @ Sep 18 2011, 12:30 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1875276"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->My little word of advice would be to save your money and wait for the game to become more optimized. On normal server hardware you will only be able to run between 10-12 players before it becomes too laggy. Also, there is not a real big need for more servers at this time as there are usually only 1-3 servers full at any given time. However, if you do really want to put a decent server up right now, I would suggest you look into building your own and getting it colo'd.

My recommended hardware specs:
Core i5 2500k OC'd to 4.5-4.7 Ghz
8 GB of DDR3 1600 Ram

I own and run (2) server boxes for NS2 currently (total of 6 NS2 servers running) - both are Core i5/Core i7 builds running between 4.55 - 4.6 Ghz and they are only able to hold 16 players (still get bogged down at the end of long games).

I used to host a Dual Quad core Xeon E5640 with 32 GB of ram and was only able to run a single NS2 server with 12 slots on each core.

Hope this gives you some insight into the hardware requirements.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


THe server requirements for NS2 are really that high? I know a buddy that runs multiple servers on 2 boxes for CS:Source, TF2 and BC2. I am sure your right, more optimizations are required until it's fully functional, but if the requirements are that high just for one single dedicated server, I am skeptical about opening one for the game now.

Floodinator

<!--quoteo(post=1875386:date=Sep 18 2011, 05:45 PM:name=Slithers)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Slithers @ Sep 18 2011, 05:45 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1875386"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->THe server requirements for NS2 are really that high? I know a buddy that runs multiple servers on 2 boxes for CS:Source, TF2 and BC2. I am sure your right, more optimizations are required until it's fully functional, but if the requirements are that high just for one single dedicated server, I am skeptical about opening one for the game now.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

CSS,TF2 and BC2 are finished games.
NS2 is beta (IMO still Alpha) and the Dedicatedserver ain't optimised at all! It uses to much resources.

Best Servers are Desktop CPUs from the 2.nd i5/i7 gen.

player

Additionally, even if NS2 would somehow magically be as optimized as the Source-engine is, it would still have considerably higher server sys-reqs than popular games. You mention CS:Source, there's basically nothing going on for the server to compute there besides the players and a couple of entities\physics. The same applies to (the slightly heavier) TF2. NS has always been a demanding game for servers.

Slithers

hmmmm

So because of the amount of growth expansion that occurs in NS2 such as building extractors and so fourth, that's what puts such a load on the server is what your saying?

interesting.

I am not ruling out creating a server for the game, I am just going to wait until the final release and tweaks are implemented. I just hope they manage to lower the amount of resources the server hogs over time.

I was really looking forward to putting up 1 NS2 server mixed with 1 or 2 Half-Life Engine related games. We will see what the future beholds in time I suppose.

Thanks for the help guys.

endar

What were you expecting to spend $ wise? I couldn't imagine that a 2500K (+ a fan to OC) would really be that expensive, the rest of the components really are not that important.

I went the same path as Morbus, Xeons to overclock-able i7 (or 2ng gen i5)