How to host multiple instances of SRCDS on Windows?

[3choE]

Hi all,

I am currently using Linux on my remote dedicated box for hosting TF2, and I am planning to switch to Windows Server 2003. I hope the fellow game server admins, who are using Windows, can kindly give me some pointers.

1)
First of all, I am hosting 3 instances of TF2 on my box. With Linux, I create 3 user accounts for those 3 instances of TF2.

With Windows, how should I do it? Should I create 3 user accounts? Or I should just install the TF2 server 3 times, under 3 different folders (such as "TF2_1", "TF2_2", "TF2_3")?

2)
With Linux, I manage the OS, and my TF2 servers, via SSH. With Windows Server 2003, how should I do it? Should I use Cygwin SSH, or should I use some remote desktop app?


Any help would be appreciated.

[Nisd]

1. You should create 3 folders, and then launch each of them once

2. Just use Remote Desktop, and only disconnect when closing the rdp connection.

[3choE]

Thank you for your kind reply.

1)
So that is, with the same user account, I just install TF2 three times, under a different paths? Got it.

2)
So just use the built in remote desktop app instead of those 3rd party ones?

---

Another thing I would like to ask, that with Linux, as I only use my remote box for TF2 hosting, so the OS only runs minimum services and doesn't run graphical user interface, which save lots of system resources. How about with Windows Server 2003 (Standard)? And compare to managing Linux via SSH, does managing Windows Server 2003 with remote desktop consume lots of system resources?

(That's why I am considering using Windows Server 2008 Standard, for its Server Core installation option)

[Beaverbeliever]

There is some 3rd Party software pieces that enable you to use command line through Windows, but it's easier to just use the GUI. There isn't an easy way to turn it off, as Windows IS a GUI based OS.

[3choE]

Nisd & Beaverbeliever,

Thanks again for your replies.

1)
I have confirmed that SRCDS Windows is actually portable. So after the first installation of SRCDS (TF2_1), under the same user account, I just duplicated the first installation, to {TF2_2, TF_3, TF2_4}, and they are working fine.

I then saved the installation on a DVD for later use.

2a)
First of all, I am not much of a system admin, thus I don't know much about those common practices.

2b)
As for remote accessing, after reading this article (http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000338.html), for managing the remote dedi box from my home XP, I gave the built-in Remote Desktop a try, and it was a fine experience.

2c)
While not for now, I still need to find myself a remote management app for connecting to my dedi box from my Linux.

I will check this wiki later (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_remote_desktop_software).
-----------------------------

3a)
I first did a test run on my home box with Windows Server 2003, but when I did the OS installation on my remote dedi, I chose Windows Server 2008. My initial reason for going with 2008, was for the "Server Core" option, but I ended up passing this option for later, until I have more experience with 2008. It is easier to manage things like the services, via GUI, than from the command line.

The second reason to go with 2008, is because it supports HPET, which I believe is important for the game server performance.

3b)
Currently I got 3 game servers running, and their performances are better than what I got with Linux.

With Linux, running around in the map, I always experienced occasional choke (an actual choke, but not the choke in net_graph), but with Windows 2008, so far I don't have such issue.

[jedininja]

(01-06-2010, 09:24 PM)Nisd Wrote:  1. You should create 3 folders, and then launch each of them once

I'm running multiple instances pointing to the same folder. Should I not be or does it matter?

-jedi