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DataServer.ini

Database connection, port, logging, and license for DataServer

Primary configuration file for DataServer. All keys live under a single [DataServerInfo] section.

File Location

DataServer/DataServer.ini

Loaded once at startup. Changes require a DataServer restart.

Configuration

All keys belong to section [DataServerInfo].

Key
Type
Default
Effect

DataServerODBC

string

(empty)

ODBC DSN name for SQL Server. Must exist in Windows ODBC Data Sources on the DataServer host. Required.

DataServerUSER

string

(empty)

SQL login user. Leave empty to use Windows Authentication if the DSN is configured for it.

DataServerPASS

string

(empty)

SQL login password. Leave empty when using Windows Authentication.

DataServerPort

int

55960

TCP port GameServers connect to. Must match each GameServer's DataServer port setting.

AdvancedLog

0 or 1

0

Enables verbose per-packet logging on both inter-server dispatchers (GS-DS and the extended guild/castle/gens channel). Noisy; use only when diagnosing a specific issue.

LicenseKey

string

(empty)

64-char hex license token tied to this DataServer instance. Required; empty or invalid prevents startup.

Connection Pool

DataServer opens the primary connection plus 4 pool connections, all using the same DSN and credentials. The pool size is fixed at compile time and not configurable via the INI.

Implications for SQL Server sizing:

  • Each DataServer consumes 5 concurrent SQL logins

  • The SQL login must permit at least 5 simultaneous sessions

  • Under load, all 5 can be busy at once; plan max worker threads and max connections accordingly

AdvancedLog

Value
Output

0

Standard log only (connections, errors, summary lines)

1

Adds per-packet header logging for the main GS-DS dispatcher and for the extended guild/castle/gens channel

Leave off in production. Enable temporarily when tracing a specific save or load path, then disable; the extra I/O slows the server under load.

Important Behavior

  • Keys are read with the Windows INI parser. A missing file or missing key yields the documented default (empty string for text keys, the listed integer for numeric keys), so a missing or unreadable DataServer.ini results in an empty DSN and an empty license key, which then fail license activation and the SQL connect

  • License activation runs before anything else. An empty or invalid LicenseKey stops the process before the SQL connect is attempted

  • Primary database connection is attempted first; pool connections open next. Either failure keeps the TCP port closed, so GameServers cannot connect

  • License activation requires the license service to be reachable at startup. Offline grace only applies to heartbeats after a successful activation, not to the activation itself

  • Quotes, trailing spaces, and BOM can cause silent value truncation

  • Related files loaded from the DataServer root alongside this INI: AllowableIpList.txt and BadSyntax.txt

Examples

Common Issues

  • Startup freezes at "Loading files..." - LicenseKey is empty, invalid, or the license service is unreachable

  • "Could not connect to database" - DSN name typo, wrong credentials, or the DSN targets the wrong SQL Server instance

  • "Could not connect pool connection N" - primary login works but the SQL login's session limit is below 5

  • GameServer cannot reach DataServer - DataServerPort changed but GameServer config was not updated, or a firewall blocks the port

  • Excessive log noise, slow responses - AdvancedLog left at 1 under production load

Related Pages

PreviousOverviewNextAllowableIpList.txt

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