Hybrid Server Architecture for Online Multi-Player Game Latency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current online multi-player game server architectures face issues with high network latency and scalability, as centralized systems lead to uneven gameplay due to geographic distance and distributed systems are costly and inefficient to scale.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid server architecture that includes regional servers designated for specific geographic regions, with a central data server managing matchmaking by selecting regional servers based on region, latency, and workload, ensuring players are matched within their region for reduced latency and efficient scalability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a centralized server architecture is used, then all regions can be served by a single server cluster, but devices in certain regions experience high network latency and uneven gameplay
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the centralized server cluster into multiple regional servers, each serving a specific geographic region. This segmentation allows players in different regions to connect to nearby servers, reducing network latency while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements regional servers with designated regions, where each server is optimized for its local geographic area. This ensures that players in each region experience low latency by connecting to the nearest server, while the overall system remains coordinated through the central matchmaking server
2Speed
If a distributed server architecture is used, then network latency is reduced for different regions, but deployment time and cost increase significantly when launching in new regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal server architecture where the central matchmaking server can route players to any regional server. This multi-functional design allows new regional servers to be added without redesigning the entire system, reducing deployment time for new regions while maintaining low latency benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The central matchmaking server acts as an intermediary that coordinates between players and regional servers. This mediator allows new regional servers to be integrated into the existing system without requiring direct configuration changes across the entire distributed architecture, speeding up deployment
3Speed
If a distributed server architecture is used, then network latency is reduced, but deployment cost increases significantly for each new region
Solution Approach 1:
The universal matchmaking server infrastructure can serve multiple regional servers across different regions. This allows the system to reduce latency for new regions by adding regional servers without incurring the full cost of building entirely new distributed systems, as the central coordination layer is shared across all regions
Data Source
AI summary
A server architecture and method for implementing online multi-player games are disclosed, the server architecture comprising regional servers, each of the regional servers having a designated region and configured to perform matchmaking for client devices based on the designated region. The server architecture further comprises a central data server configured to receive an identifier from a client device; select a regional server based on the identifier and the designated regions, and send a regional server ID of the selected regional server to the client device. Wherein the selected regional server is configured to receive from the central data server, player profile data associated with the identifier; and perform matchmaking by grouping the client device in an online play session with other client devices based on the designated region of the selected regional server.