Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Specialty Hosting and Markets : Game Servers : O/S Licensing for Game Server (Windows)

[AndyJH]

Hi All,

I'm interested in Webhosting, but I wish to build a Private Game server to use between myself and some friends hosting games such as L4D, L4D2, CS, etc

I'm not sure about O/S licensing, can I just put on a version of Windows Server 2003/2008, or do I have to use SPLA licenses?

I may need some help with CPU choice aswell as I read a post that someone made stating Hyperthreading messes up game servers when used. No idea if it's true or not.

Thanks,
Andrew

[drspliff]

All the ones you mentioned have native Linux servers available - there's no point in buying a Windows license (or bothering with pirating/activation crap) when CentOS/Debian et al. are free and widely installed as standard.

I wouldn't worry about hyperthreading unless you're looking at running a heavily used 20+ slot server per core...

[AndyJH]

Originally Posted by drspliff

All the ones you mentioned have native Linux servers available - there's no point in buying a Windows license (or bothering with pirating/activation crap) when CentOS/Debian et al. are free and widely installed as standard.

I wouldn't worry about hyperthreading unless you're looking at running a heavily used 20+ slot server per core...

I will be using Windows, because I have no experience of using Linux. I wouldn't know where to start. I know people say it's easy enough to learn due to the vast information, but I'd prefer sticking with an O/S I'm familar with.

I'll be buying a Windows Legit copy, my query is if I would need an SPLA license, or if I could buy a retail version of Standard etc.

Re: Hyperthreading - I know it's only used when the server is heavily utilised or when only 1 cpu core is needed, however is it known for causing problems for games if a CPU has HT enabled?

[Mike Johnson]

It makes no difference whether you purchase a license yourself, or use an SPLA license provided by your hosting provider.

There are no special Windows licensing requirements to run SRCDS/HLDS.

[Coolraul]

If you are renting the server then get the license from the datacenter. If you are buying a server and colocating it just get the license with the server when you buy it. As you are not running any commercial activity just hosting a server for friends you don't need spla for a purchased server.

[AndyJH]

Originally Posted by Coolraul

If you are renting the server then get the license from the datacenter. If you are buying a server and colocating it just get the license with the server when you buy it. As you are not running any commercial activity just hosting a server for friends you don't need spla for a purchased server.

TY Raul,

you seem to have understood the point I was getting at

It's only going to be a personal server (for the moment anyway) when (or IF) I eventually move into commercial GSP I'll rebuild it with SPLA licenses.

It's only going to be a server for some fun anyway so I'm thinking of installing all the different types of dedicated games and just launching them as and when we want to play them

[Arber]

I think datacenter edition works on several servers

[Fizzadar]

Windows 2008 Web seems to be the cheapest, and worked fine for game hosting for me.