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How to run a DCS dedicated server on a VPS (A guide)


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This simple guide is how to get a DCS server running on a VPS system. The main issue is that most dedicated servers are made so that there is no 3d interaction because its redundant. Sadly in DCS we have no form of true dedicated server. Most people actually use a physical computer for their “dedicated server”. This comes with its down downsides and upsides, main one being you are using your own parts and your own bandwidth.

 

Most game servers are ran on shared system server, but since we have no true dedicated server shared system servers are out of the question so we have the only option of buying a full server or a VPS. A virtual private server (VPS) is a virtual machine sold as a service by an Internet hosting service. A VPS runs its own copy of an operating system, and customers may have superuser-level access to that operating system instance, so they can install almost any software that runs on that OS. They are more cost effective than buying a full server and have the power to give you a entire windows machine for you to use.

 

Now comes the downside of a VPS. 99% of them have NO GPU, which causes problems for DCS. This step by step guide will try to help you with that process.

 

This guide is not all encompassing, it is how I got my server running after about a full 24 hours of digging around the forums and trying everything I could to get the server up.

 

1. Rent a server: It should meet majority of DCS requirements. I rent mine from nfoservers.com, here are its stats.

 

Six HT CPU cores (Intel Sandy Bridge or better)

6144 MB of RAM

600 GB of RAID-protected storage

Windows Server 2012 R2

 

2. Download DCS

 

3. Download Notepad++

 

4. Go to {Eagle Dynamics Folder}\DCS World\distr and install vcredist, and DirectX.

 

5. Make a registry command (this is used to increase the time it takes for the server to say a 3d program has crashed)

 

a1. Exit all Windows based programs.

 

a2. Go to Start and type regedit in the Search box. In the results, double-click regedit.exe.

 

a3. Browse to and then click "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control \GraphicsDrivers".

 

a4. Click New in the Edit menu list. From the drop-down menu, select DWORD (32-bit) value. Then type TdrDelay as the Name and click Enter. Double-click TdrDelay, add 10 for the Value data and click OK.

 

a5.After all these done, reboot your computer.

 

6. Go to this thread and install the file to help with loading of DCS (removes 3d graphics from the start up. It helps with loading DCS)

https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=2556425&postcount=29

 

7. Open Notepad++, create a new file with these lines: (this helps with CPU and also makes it possible to run the game without a GPU by turning off 3d in the game)

options.graphics.fullScreen = true

options.graphics.width = 1024

options.graphics.height = 768

options.graphics.render3D = false

and save it as %user%\Saved Games\DCS\Config\autoexec.cfg

 

8. (OPTIONAL) Upload and place your own copy of %user%\Saved Games\DCS\ to help with DCS loading for the first time (DCS doesn’t have to make folders and put files in so it helps with loading the first time the server runs DCS).

 

9. Run DCS

 

10. Close DCS and Open %user%\Saved Games\DCS\Config\network.cfg with Notepad++, and change

pause_on_load = true, to pause_on_load = false,

 

11. You should be able to run a server as normal now

 

12. Profit

 

 

Special thanks to sFalcon, HiJack, and WoAyumi for their forum posts that helped me get mine running. This guide is a majority just placing what these guys said already into one place to help people get a DCS server running on a VPS.

 

 

O7


Edited by Neon
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  • 2 weeks later...

It works! I can't believe it. For these guys, we should raise a monument.

 

Only thing no one mentioned. DWORD value 10 is hex or decimal? Mine worked as hex (decimal 16).

 

Great work! Thank you!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Something interesting happening..

 

When I run a server locally in the house (on an i7-4790k 32gb ssd) the CPU is almost always averages below 10% - like it's not even working that hard.

 

Yet when I run it in the Azure, the CPU on this 2x Xeon is pegged.. averaging 95% usage all the time.. doesn't matter if 0 players or 30 players..

 

I get 150.00 / mo free (legit msdn license) and based on the graphs I'm seeing, I'm gonna burn through that before the end of the month. Forecasting 160.00.

 

Any particular reason CPU usage would be so high?

 

Anyone else seeing similar?

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Something interesting happening..

 

When I run a server locally in the house (on an i7-4790k 32gb ssd) the CPU is almost always averages below 10% - like it's not even working that hard.

 

Yet when I run it in the Azure, the CPU on this 2x Xeon is pegged.. averaging 95% usage all the time.. doesn't matter if 0 players or 30 players..

 

I get 150.00 / mo free (legit msdn license) and based on the graphs I'm seeing, I'm gonna burn through that before the end of the month. Forecasting 160.00.

 

Any particular reason CPU usage would be so high?

 

Anyone else seeing similar?

While it is a solution it's by no means the best one. Since your VPS has no actual graphics card your CPU and MEM have to make up for the short comings. What this guide does it tells windows to allow DCS to have more time than normal to launch so that it doesn't time out. Also while we tell DCS to turn off 3d it never really will completely turn off.

 

Sadly unless you have an extra PC for a host or get a full dedicated server (aka $$$$) this is the best that can be done.

 

Trust me I know your pain, I just got done with a mission that uses a lot of automation and scripts only to find out that my server will not run it. I even tried to upgrade to my budget max only to find out it's still no dice.

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Makes sense. Thx for the reply. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one seeing that.

 

Maybe if ED would make a "Server Module" that we had to pay for - they would be more interested in fulfilling their promise of a true server feature. It's been Y E A R S now since this was promised and we server ops are still struggling with this same issue. Costing us way more $$ then it should to host a server.

 

I would actually pay for it at this point. I would.

 

*sigh*

 

Thx again Neon.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have just installed DCS on VM with windows server 2016. It works like a charm. I didn't had to do any registry changes.

I have installed VC++ and DirectX SDK (not sure is it needed).

VM spec:

4 CPU (Xeon E5-2630 v4 @ 2.20GHz), 12GB RAM and 300GB SSD.

 

With easy mission CPU is at 50%, but still I have to do some testing with people connected to it.

Also, I have changed the resolution to 1280*800, so I can see the whole GUI.

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Are there any benefits for adding these changes to a dedicated server used on physical hardware?

I note you mention startup times, is it worth it if you only use the server as a server and do not need an graphics rendering?

___________________________________________________________________________

SIMPLE SCENERY SAVING * SIMPLE GROUP SAVING * SIMPLE STATIC SAVING *

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Def not the registry change, but disabling the 3D most likely would help with things.

 

Also, CGuy.. that's great to hear. HyperV in 2016 is allowing the VM to access GPU passthrough through the hypervisor now. Something VMware has done for quite some time. HyperV is maturing nicely.

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Are there any benefits for adding these changes to a dedicated server used on physical hardware?

I note you mention startup times, is it worth it if you only use the server as a server and do not need an graphics rendering?

 

 

 

Yes there is a need for it when you are running it on a VPS with shared resources. Most VPS servers will assume DCS has crashed before you can even get it loaded without it.

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Are there any benefits for adding these changes to a dedicated server used on physical hardware?

I note you mention startup times, is it worth it if you only use the server as a server and do not need an graphics rendering?

 

Not so much Pikey. I have a couple on HW and the only change I make is running it in window mode. It's more important to make sure there is no power saving or other resource saving options activated in Windows. Also correct setting of Swap file is essential. :thumbup:

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Should something be done with the pagefile? I heard always best practice to let windows manage it.

usually I'd leave it, but you can put it on another disk, or, to be precise, put DCS on another disk that's not paging. If you dont have that luxury IOPS isn't a huge thing for DCS, it's mostly in memory unless you are using it to render the 3D also.

I've not seen much disk writing other than at load. Clockspeed, memory speed, NIC speed and good to go.

___________________________________________________________________________

SIMPLE SCENERY SAVING * SIMPLE GROUP SAVING * SIMPLE STATIC SAVING *

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Cheers Jack. Power saving is off for sure, until the next windows update when it puts it back without asking again ;)

Not so much Pikey. I have a couple on HW and the only change I make is running it in window mode. It's more important to make sure there is no power saving or other resource saving options activated in Windows. Also correct setting of Swap file is essential. :thumbup:

___________________________________________________________________________

SIMPLE SCENERY SAVING * SIMPLE GROUP SAVING * SIMPLE STATIC SAVING *

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  • 4 months later...
I have just installed DCS on VM with windows server 2016. It works like a charm. I didn't had to do any registry changes.

I have installed VC++ and DirectX SDK (not sure is it needed).

VM spec:

4 CPU (Xeon E5-2630 v4 @ 2.20GHz), 12GB RAM and 300GB SSD.

 

With easy mission CPU is at 50%, but still I have to do some testing with people connected to it.

Also, I have changed the resolution to 1280*800, so I can see the whole GUI.

 

Sorry for digging up this, but are you running HyperV or VMWare on this?

Regards

Fjordmonkey

Clustermunitions is just another way of saying that you don't like someone.

 

I used to like people, then people ruined that for me.

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Anyone gotten this to work in 2.1 / 2.2 yet?

 

Thanks

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Sorry for digging up this, but are you running HyperV or VMWare on this?

 

The main reason being that the VPS is cheaper than running a dedicated.

 

Anyone gotten this to work in 2.1 / 2.2 yet?

 

Thanks

 

I wish I knew, my unit had to switch to a dedicated because of the units greater and greater need to simulate more objects. It got to the point were the battlefield became much for our VPS. But we still use the same process to decrease CPU usage on the dedicated server.

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