How To Create Pc Server Games For Internet-cafe.

[Bangkok2008]

Ok, the situation is like this:

1 main pc of the shop owner.

10 pc of the customers to play games.

Not enough space to install games on each pc so I have 2 options:

1) upgrade each pc to higher memory.

*problem I'll have to update the games on each pc every now and than.

2) Set PC to act as SERVER which I will install on this pc HARD DRIVE all the games and share this hard drive with all the other pcs.

* This way I will have to update only this pc (the games have updates from time to time).

* I will no have to upgrade all the other pc's and I'll have lots of space.

Q:

1) How to set this server (Windows please).

2) What are the pc requirments for this kind of setting?

3) somebody told me something about CPU requrments needed that the pc could handle with all the games in advance (or at least with 6 at a time).

*Apart from 250GB minimum for all the games to be installed.

Thank you !

[d0ndela]

Unless the games you are going to offer to your customers are 15 years old (which it doesn't sound like if they take up 250GB of space) then I think you are going to hit a dead end with trying to run them all from a single server.

Have you thought about the legality of this? I'm both thinking regarding license (250GB worth of games + Windows on 10 computers sounds quite expensive to me), but also security. The laws for internet cafes in Thailand are very very strict. You need to record all activity on each computer, you need cameras that monitor all computers to document who was using which computer, etc. etc.

[Bangkok2008]

To answer your questions:

All pc with legal windows licence.

All games are "Online games".

All games together comes to around 30GB.

[d0ndela]

  Bangkok2008 said:

All games together comes to around 30GB.

How on earth have you managed to get computers that do not have 30GB hard disk space?

I think you aim at installing on each computer.

But what I really think is that it sounds like you should hire a professional to help you setup everything properly. Internet cafe customers can completely screw over your computers in a matter of days if they are net setup properly, you should look at something like Windows Steady State or the likes, that ensures that they cannot change ANYTHING on your computers.

[Bangkok2008]

Dear,

I do know how to manage the system however asking advice on this matter of the games part. thank you.

Each pc have 40GB INCLUDE windows. that space is not too much as you can see (thats how I bought them 5 years ago).

The idea is NOT to use the space left in the pc for the games but use SERVER to upload the games and share hard drive with all pc allowed to access the hard drive and play the games.

The server can be machine which will be for this thing only.

[PoorSucker]

Sorry one license / PC.

Discussion about Illegal activities are are against forum rules.

[Crushdepth]

This kind of setup can be good for general office use but its lousy for games, especially 3D shooters. I'm not sure how you could be running out of space, even a small hard drive should be able to fit a good complement. If you have the client computers already it will be a lot cheaper and less painful to buy some bigger drives and more RAM if needed.

[PoorSucker]

To be legal you can set up your server as terminal server.

Still you are going to need the same amount of hard disk space for every user.

And a license for each user....

[Bangkok2008]

  PoorSucker said:

Sorry one license / PC.

Discussion about Illegal activities are are against forum rules.

nobody said something about illegal software.

THE OPPOSITE ! all softwares are legal.

also games online are FREE!

leave the legal part now. I assure you all legal.

Now, somebody knows how to do it? what is the best solution for this situation?

[Supernova]

  Bangkok2008 said:

The idea is NOT to use the space left in the pc for the games but use SERVER to upload the games and share hard drive with all pc allowed to access the hard drive and play the games.

Have you considered the bandwidth requirements for this?

Even if this setup was on a 1GB LAN network, I don't think the server will be able to handle it.

[Bangkok2008]

one thai guy with internet cafe told me he does it this way.

it save him all the headache to update pc by pc the games (update often).

and no memory space needed as all uses the same hard disk (the server hard disk he created with windows system).

The only problem is that need CPU to handle it when all people playing games (12 pc).

*Before you tell me to ask him.. he won't tell.

So.... how do you think it can be done? it can save me alot of headache and maybe some money as well.

[PoorSucker]

Buy a new hard drive for the server.

Make 10 partitions.

Make every PC connected to one partition.

Install the games on that partition.

Like "F:" is the network link to the partition on the server.

[Supernova]

  Quote

Now, somebody knows how to do it? what is the best solution for this situation?

1. Install a 320GB hard drive for each client PC.

2. Setup each client PC to run on its own (games installed to PCs hard drive).

3. Setup a server to manage updates; have the server download and distribute patches automatically to each client machine.

[Bangkok2008]

  Supernova said:

  Quote

Now, somebody knows how to do it? what is the best solution for this situation?

1. Install a 320GB hard drive for each client PC.

2. Setup each client PC to run on its own (games installed to PCs hard drive).

3. Setup a server to manage updates; have the server download and distribute patches automatically to each client machine.

BUT HOW?

[Jdietz]

4. Hire a consultant / expert to set stuff up for you.

Alternatively

4. Get someones nephew to set it up for you

5. Spend 5x as much removing all the crap and doing it right.

[Supernova]

  Bangkok2008 said:

  Supernova said:

  Quote

Now, somebody knows how to do it? what is the best solution for this situation?

1. Install a 320GB hard drive for each client PC.

2. Setup each client PC to run on its own (games installed to PCs hard drive).

3. Setup a server to manage updates; have the server download and distribute patches automatically to each client machine.

BUT HOW?

IPCop 1.4.x + Copfilter addon.

^ Seems to be common among Thai net-cafes running a dedicated linux server.

[Bangkok2008]

The games are like: "game audition", "Sudden Attack", "Ragnarok"... etc.

Online games.

Can you give me a proper solution for this issue? I like the idea of having 1 central hard drive for the shop that I will upload games on him and share/enable with others pc to play games as well in the internet cafe.

But important it will run propelry and not stuck because all play or at least 6 pc all at once.

Thank you.

[Supernova]

I know several Thais who are owners of net-cafes, NONE of which run games off a central server or shared hard drive. Those that do run a dedicated linux server, use IPCop -- not for its firewall features, instead utilize the Copfilter add-on to manage patches. Setting up a dedicated server isn't difficult, but configuring the server can be a mind-boggling experience if you haven't done it before. Depending on your level of knowledge as well as the shop owners needs, you may have to settle for a more simpler solution.

[Bangkok2008]

So you have no clue about this solution the thai guy told me..........

[spacemunk]

you can do all the updates from ur main PC thru the Network since they are all connected by LAN.

[Bangkok2008]

  spacemunk said:

you can do all the updates from ur main PC thru the Network since they are all connected by LAN.

It's not what I asked and wanted to do but its also a good idea.

Can you explain more about it? every game have different server. so how?

thank you.

[Crushdepth]

  Quote

Can you give me a proper solution for this issue? I like the idea of having 1 central hard drive for the shop that I will upload games on him and share/enable with others pc to play games as well in the internet cafe.[/qutoe]

You might want to look into virtual machines, I think this is what your friend will be doing. But I still don't think you are going to save money or hassle this way.