Different types of Gaming servers

Clan Servers: A clan is defined as a group of gamers who form a team to compete against others over the internet in multiplayer games. Clans will normally have their team name and will usually set up an initiation process for interested gamers to join their clan via the internet. Using the internet communications such as e-mail, instant messaging, IRC or Internet telephony clans will communicate and arrange their practices and matches. While a clan server is usually focused on one specific multiplayer game, some clan servers do have divisions to support more than one game.

Dedicated Server: Dedicated means reserved for a specific use. In gaming world, a dedicated channel is a line reserved exclusively for games. This is the same as a leased line or private line. A dedicated server is a single computer in a network reserved for serving the needs of the network. For example, some games require that one computer be set aside to host games between all the other computers in that network and no other work. The most popular games (but not all) have a dedicated server program; a stripped-down and optimized version of the game that is used only for hosting.

Non-Dedicated Servers: Non-dedicated server is also sometimes known as Listen mode servers. With this type of setup, you can host a game and also play the game on that same computer. This may sound good but there is a catch that it will be running only a single player game. Keeping track of six or seven other players and send out constant messages and update your screen 30 times a second with heavy 3D graphics is enough to overload any machine. When computer games become overloaded, they tend to deliver bad ping time that is processing delay to the remote clients. A fast computer may handle seven or eight computer as non-dedicated server but using a dedicated one is always better.

Centralized Servers: Centralized servers usually host games that allow thousands of users to participate at the same time, as is needed in massive role-playing games such as EverQuest. For these games, much of the information about the environment of the game is contained on the central server. To play these games, users launch the client software, which then logs on to the game's master server. These games exist 24 hours, so the game continues whether you take part or not.

Distributed Server: In this type of scheme, server software is installed on several dedicated game servers or on individual player’s computers. Real time strategy games such as Myth and 3D shooters such as Quake Arena uses this type of servers. Distributed servers spread the lots of messages out; a single server would have a difficult time keeping track of thousands of players. The game servers send messages every few minutes to another machine called a master server. The master server exists only to maintain the addresses of all active game servers. Anyone who wants to join the play must first get that list from the master server.