is it possible to synchronize 2 Servers ?

Hello Everyone,

i'm thinking about Servers and Fault tolerance.
is it possible to create and synchronize a new server instance with an existing one to replace it ?

Thanks!

 

Sure. To be able to have two or more servers actually running a fully consistent game world, ready to fail over in case of issues, you need these elements:

* all servers must run the same code
* all servers must have a copy of the same state
* exactly one server must be the active "decider" responsible for any particular part of the game state
* all the other servers must be informed of the decisions made by the active deciding server, or prove they always make the same decisions every time
* in the case of a server failing, all the remaining servers must detect this and agree on new decider for the failed server's responsibilities
* in the case of adding a server back into service, it must be able to confirm it has an accurate copy of the same state

These are the same constraints in mission-critical control systems like jet engines.

 

is it possible to create a new server instance in the middle of a game and synchronize its game state with the current active/decider server?
Is there already a Netcode way or good practice to do it ?
Thanks

 

The answer is almost always yes. It's just software. However, it can be challenging in general, and I have not set up a server for a Unity game nevermind a cooperative server ring/cluster for a Unity game. There may be some assets or technologies which fill this gap.