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Post: Cod Ghosts: Dedicated Servers & Listening Servers Explained
10-09-2013, 09:31 PM #1
C R A V E's Avatar
C R A V E
Computer Science and Finance
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); This video explains how Dedicated servers & listening servers work, for Cod Ghosts.



What is a Listen Server?



What is a Listen Server?
Basically its a Dedicated Server that runs off the client's hardware instead of a fully supported server. This system is far cheaper requires little software to support. Its important to note that a Listen Server communicates the knowledge found on the game's disc as its only form of understanding as opposed to a Dedicated Server having an entire HDD loaded with information. Unlike a peer-to-peer (P2P) system, a host is still in charge of handling all the information. P2P set-ups are more like a spider-web of information where each client sends info to every other client.


Pros of Listen Servers
As mentioned above there is very little software needed for this type of server. Only the limited data used on a game's disc is used and aside from specific requests from the game's server (ie. Activision or Treyarch for stats and match making) there's really no other contact with anyone else. This means all bandwidth comes from the players as well as all other performance related functions
Cons of Listen Servers
The list is long so I'll try to be brief but concise. Listen Servers fully rely on the host for being able to perform all the necessary functions to host a match. Residential bandwidth often doesn't have the capacity to handle such needs. The upload limitations for your typical household are far less than what's required. However, if a lobby is made up then the person with the best upload will be picked regardless of their qualifications. This leads to lag, and any Google search will show that Listen Servers are notorious for lag no matter the game and that games internet requirements
Another downside is that the host ends the game anytime they leave a match. Because the host is only catalyst between players, if the host leaves there no way for players to communicate with each other. Also, theoretically, if all is working as efficiently as possible the host will have a massive advantage over all other players. However, if the game is not performing efficiently, the host will receive the worst amount of lag as their bandwidth cannot facilitate the demands Listen Servers require
Hosting via Listen Servers
Herein lies 99% of all the lag issues. Because the host is trying to facilitate all the packets of information we have problems between what match making is forcing the host to do and what the host can actually accomplish. Anything over 16.87 milliseconds (60hz) starts to become noticeable to average human. Its at that point that we can sense a disturbance in the force and lag becomes perceived. The host basically has to transfer information to 11 people in less than 17ms in order for people to play fluently without even noticing that lag exists. It's at around 50ms that lag starts making a negative impact on a game. Once you start hitting ping above 100ms that's where anger will begin to set in.
Match making however does not always allow this to happen. Depending on who you can get pair up with, the minimum latency between one person could be anywhere from 5ms (if that player lives with the same state as you) to 150ms (cross country or international). Now take the above paragraph and try to wrap your head around that. If the average person is experiencing negatives results from lag at 50ms and the host is unable to talk with just one person within 150ms you can easily see how the game can turn South in a hurry
Lag Compensation and Listen Servers
Here's where a lot of myths are going to be nixed. The host often doesn't have enough time to communicate with everyone effectively as you so clearly saw above. Any latency over the 17ms can easily become unnoticeable with the help of lag comp. By quickly processing the difference and correcting the discrepancies between the time an act was performed and the time act was communicated to all players, lag comp helps soften the blow 150ms can make
However, like everything in life, there's a equally opposite disadvantage of lag compensation. If the lag is over the plausible limits of lag comp either lag comp will stop making accurate compensations or lag comp will fail to work altogether. What happens so often in matches is that the lag compensation between players 1-10 will be nearly perfect but player 11 will have such a high latency that it drags the whole lobby down with them
Lag Switching and Listen Servers
Because the host is prime source of information they can easily manipulate this to their advantage. If the lobby has a decent connection that doesn't push the match into high pings forcing the game to pick a new host, the host can momentarily cease all transferring of information and move about freely while everyone else is stuck in limbo grasping for a lifeline to the host. Note that Lag Switching is only possible on Listen Servers and cannot be done via P2P or Dedicate Servers
How Listen Servers Can Work
This form of hosting matches is not 100% broken. As long as the host is able to make rounds to every player in a reasonable amount of time this can work quite well. Matching players based on the following factors can lead to premium playability:

Factor Purpose
Reliability/Stability Grade given to a player's connection based on the history of their connection. Positive grades are given for consistency
Physical Location Player's physical geographical location to the host
Maximum Ping The amount of time it takes for a player to communicate with all other players in a lobby (in milliseconds)
Maximum Bandwidth The maximum capacity in for both upload and download (in kb/s)


If all 12 players in a lobby can fit this criteria then we will certainly see a improvement in the quality of matches. Listen Servers can work, I'm sure all of us have had a match that played just fine and it was probably one of our most memorable matches. The first step towards progress is fixing match making and tightening the requirements for who gets to play with who

Note:

Listen Servers also force the issue of how "involved" the game can be before it is self defeating. The more intense a game is with heavy gun fire and lots of action taking place over a shorter period of time the worse lag will be because lag comp is constantly having to work to compensate all players to more pieces of action.

Imagine you're a photographer and you're taking pictures of two events. A graduation speech and a rave. Considering you understand lag comp and how it works, how much harder would lag comp have to work if it were helping you capture all the moments of a rave vs a grad speech?

What is a dedicated server?
a dedicated server is one that runs at all times, has no down time, and has least lag.
dedicated servers don't host all of the consoles on one.

exact definition from wikipedia-

A dedicated hosting service, dedicated server, or managed hosting service is a type of Internet hosting in which the client leases an entire server not shared with anyone. This is more flexible than shared hosting, as organizations have full control over the server(s), including choice of operating system, hardware, etc. Server administration can usually be provided by the hosting company as an add-on service. In some cases a dedicated server can offer less overhead and a larger return on investment. Dedicated servers are most often housed in data centers, similar to colocation facilities, providing redundant power sources and HVAC systems. In contrast to colocation, the server hardware is owned by the provider and in some cases they will provide support for your operating system or applications.
Source:
wikipedia.org.
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The following 3 users say thank you to C R A V E for this useful post:

Haj, ResistTheSun
10-11-2013, 12:12 AM #2
ResistTheSun's Avatar
ResistTheSun
In Flames Much?
Thank you for posting this should remove a couple myths.
10-21-2013, 07:26 PM #3
Nick's Avatar
Nick
Who’s Jim Erased?
so what is COD GHOSTS using then?
Dedicated or Listening?

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