Anyone running a dedicated game-server/Homelab?

[Wess]

Right off the bat I understand the benefits of Linux. This is my second server, first one is running ProxMox with a Gnome overlay.
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A clean copy of Windows 2016 Datacenter has landed in my lap (unlimited VM's anyone?) So I dropped a R910 in the rack and started loading. I have been reading for hours and a single questions seems to me alluding me. Thought I would pop in and ask hoping one of you fine folks might be running A dedicated windows server gameserver/Homelab and knew.

CALS .... On the VM or Container (unlimited on Datacenter) do I need CALS for any and all (non-assigned) random users logging into the gameserver to play? I can't seem to find a clean answer on this.

[Wess]

One thing for sure, we are going to find out :)

[iceman1980]

SE will completely ignore The QPI bridged chips. Thats CPUs 1 - 3 will be ignored only using CPU 0 For your "VM Linux server access running Proxmox" use VNC.

RemoteDesktop protocol be careful with make sure it only allows specific device handshaking and the highest security possible, this means going into the group-policy manager and setting "highest client to Windows 10 or higher"

Tunnel your RDP via SSH as well. Windows Server 2016 you can install the new Linux functionality for the system. This includes an OpenSSH Server as soon as you open those "game servers" to the internet I bet you at least 95% hackers / skiddies will start checking the window locks.

This will probably look like a pretty deep and invasive port scan. Depending on how sneaky they actually want to be. A lot of skiddies CBF being sneaky.

There is a lot more homework to running a server than you think. I've dealt with chinese knocking on the server door, they never actually got in, I calculated the amount of entropy even if they kept hitting the server with FreeRDP bruteforce do the math it would have taken them a few million hours to break through, As the passwords were pretty automated and mindless. As after that IP knocked on the door 3 times it would block that IP for 30 minutes.

And if your defences fail, you will be in a whole world of hurt. They could install malware among other things. There is many ways they could traverse around your defences including bypassing your firewall. If your server is "low-hanging fruit" they will take control of it and assimilate into a botnet.

Sorry to scare you but this is the reality we live in. Open NO PORTS YOU shouldn't. Close everything but what you use ONLY.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

As long as the game support running the server from Linux, why use Windows to do it. And you never need any Windows made for Servers to run a game server. Most games in Steam for example will offer a Server launcher right in Library > Tools, even without that full game installed since many games do not require that, hence the seperate server tool in steam library tools section.

[Wess]

"As long as the game support running the server from Linux, why use Windows to do it."

Because I can, literally no better answer. I have been toying with Linux for sometime and a copy of Database fell in my lap so I thought "why not?" So I began educating myself in the windows environment.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

You can just use regular Win7 SP1 Pro or Win10 Pro for that... 64bit of course.

No need to use Windows Server or DataCenter for that.

[Wess]

Ya, I thought about that but I am running a legitimate server not an old gaming rig. Windows xx is not optimized for a real/redundant server. Server Windows xx however is. I might also add she is running beautifully at the moment. Installing Hyper-v now. Chose it for the nesting option.