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Version: 5.x

Local Provider

local is the default game server provider, since it's the easiest way to run game servers locally without any other dependencies. It's what you use with the Dev Initiator.

When the backend needs a new game server, the local provider starts a sidecar inside the Dev Initiator process and launches your project in dedicated server mode, using uncooked content through the editor executable:

<game-servers.local.unreal.path>/<game-servers.local.unreal.executable> <game-servers.local.project> -server -port=<game port> -SidecarPort=<sidecar port> -pieviaconsole <game-servers.local.arguments>

With the default values, that's something like:

../Engine/Binaries/Win64/UnrealEditor.exe C:\Path\To\MyGame\MyGame.uproject -server -port=7001 -SidecarPort=7000 -pieviaconsole

The server starts on your project's Server Default Map, connects to its sidecar, and then loads the map and game mode the backend asks for. While using uncooked content isn't ideal in every case, it works for most development purposes, and it means you don't need to package anything.

We recommend using the local provider for quick iteration and testing; you'll likely use it most during development and switch to others when you start testing more production-like environments.

warning

The local provider is only supported alongside the Dev Initiator; it's a development tool and should not be used in any production/staging/demo environment.

note

Since the servers use your project's uncooked content, you can't save changes to assets they've loaded while they're running. Stop the servers (e.g. with yarn cli stop-proxy, see the CLI) before editing those assets.

Configuration​

You can find the default configuration in RedwoodBackend/config/node/default/realm/instances/redwoodBase.yaml under the game-servers.local variables. Here's an overview of what's available in the Realm Instance Config:

  • game-servers.local.unreal.path is the folder containing the executable to run. Relative paths are relative to the RedwoodBackend folder.
  • game-servers.local.unreal.executable is the name of the executable. We separated this from the path so you can keep the path the same but change the executable (e.g. to run a different build configuration).
  • game-servers.local.project is the path to the .uproject file; you must customize this to point to your project. Relative paths are relative to the RedwoodBackend folder.
  • game-servers.local.arguments is a string of extra arguments, added in addition to -server -port=XXXX -SidecarPort=YYYY -pieviaconsole (which are always passed). The string is split on spaces, so arguments can't contain spaces, even in quotes. -log is a handy one: it opens a log window for each server.
  • game-servers.local.log-to-terminal prints the game server's output in the Dev Initiator's terminal when true (default false).

The backend checks that the executable and project exist when it starts a server. If either is wrong, starting the server fails with Executable not found at path ... or Project not found at path ....

Every variable is described in the realm config reference.

Ports​

The ports aren't configurable for the local provider. Each game server gets two free ports (one for its sidecar and one for the game) from the range 7000 to 7099, picked in order as servers start. Make sure nothing else on your machine needs those ports, and allow them through your firewall if you want other machines on your network to connect.

info

You can also use the local provider with a packaged/cooked version of your game by changing the game-servers.local.unreal.path and executable variables to the packaged server and setting project to an empty string. For example:

game-servers:
  local:
    unreal:
      path: "C:\\Path\\To\\MyGame\\builds\\WindowsServer\\MyGame\\Binaries\\Win64"
      executable: "MyGameServer.exe"
    project: ""

Dev Debug Provider​

The dev-debug provider is a variation for debugging your server code in the editor. Instead of launching a server process, the backend's sidecar waits for you to start the server yourself in Play-In-Editor, so you can set breakpoints in the server's Blueprints and C++ just like any other PIE session.

To use it:

  1. In your config environment's realm/instances/default.yaml, set:

    game-servers:
      provider: "dev-debug"

    environment.development must also be true (the default for non-Kubernetes environments); the realm refuses the provider's development logins otherwise.

  2. Make sure your realm already has characters to play as (e.g. create them from your main menu with the local provider first, and set environment.clean-db-on-dev-initiator-start to false so they're kept).

  3. Start the Dev Initiator, and create and start a proxy for the profile you want to debug (e.g. with yarn cli create-proxy, see the CLI). Because there's no process to start, the sidecar listens on the fixed sidecar port in sidecar.connection.ports (3020 by default), which is also the port a PIE server connects to by default.

  4. In the editor, open the map the profile uses, turn on Use Backend in PIE, set the PIE Net Mode to Play As Client (which runs a dedicated server in the editor), and press Play.

PIE clients are matched to the realm's existing characters by their PIE index (the first client gets the first character, sorted by name, and so on), and the server reports itself as a development zone and shard.

note

Only one server can be debugged this way at a time, since the ports are fixed, and this workflow is less battle-tested than the local provider. Use the local provider for everything else.