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Game
server
A game server is a server used by game clients. Any video game played
over the internet generally requires a connection to a game server.
How it works
Data is sent from the game client to the game server, from there
the game server processes the data and sends it back out to the
client or clients.
Game servers often require large amounts of bandwidth due to the
amount of data that has to be sent between the server and all the
clients that are connected to it.
Types of game servers
Game servers can be classified as listen servers and dedicated servers.
Listen servers are run on the same machine as the game client. When
the client disconnects, the server is shut down, as the server and
host client are run together.
Listen servers usually cannot support many players, due to bandwidth
and CPU requirements. The software running the listen server typically
limits the number of players for this very reason.
Dedicated servers are set up on a separate machine, often hosted
in a data center; thus they have high bandwidth and do not have
to share CPU with the client's game. In general, dedicated servers
are more preferable for large game servers and/or 24/7 up time.
Dedicated servers are used by Game Server Providers to host individual
game servers or Massively multiplayer online games. In general Massively
multiplayer online games are all run on dedicated servers usually
hosted by the software company that developed and owns the game
title, as this allows them to control and update content. In many
cases they are run on clustered servers to allow for huge environments
and large player counts.
Listen servers are mostly used by individual players in a LAN party
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