Server slots are logical segments of resources on a machine dedicated to a single instance of a game server binary. The game server binary can change, but the server slot that a game server binary runs within remains the same. When a matchmaker allocates a game server to a game session, it allocates a specific server slot on a machine within a fleet.

Server slot resources

Each server slot has access to resources from the host machine, including:

• RAM: A portion of the machine's memory allocated to the server instance

• CPU time: A share of the machine's processing capacity

• Network ports: Dedicated ports for game traffic

• Storage: Access to the build files and server file storage

Server density

The number of server slots per machine is determined by the server density configuration. Multiplay Hosting calculates the optimal number of server slots based on:

• The resource requirements defined in the fleet configuration

• The total resources available on the machine type

• The CPU and RAM usage settings specified in the build configuration

This calculation aims to maximize cost-efficiency while maintaining performance by ensuring each server slot has sufficient resources.

Resource allocation

Multiplay Hosting allows build executable processes to exceed the allocated resources of their server slot by a small margin of tolerance. This provides flexibility for temporary spikes in resource usage during gameplay.

However, if a process consistently exceeds this margin of tolerance, Multiplay Hosting considers the server as misbehaving and may take action to protect other server instances on the same machine.

Best available server

During allocation processing, Multiplay Hosting finds the best available server from the pool of ready servers. The platform prioritizes allocating servers on machines that optimize cost-efficiency while meeting the allocation requirements for the requested region.