[ aws . gamelift ]

create-game-server-group

Description

This action is part of Amazon GameLift FleetIQ with game server groups, which is in preview release and is subject to change.

Creates a GameLift FleetIQ game server group to manage a collection of EC2 instances for game hosting. In addition to creating the game server group, this action also creates an Auto Scaling group in your AWS account and establishes a link between the two groups. You have full control over configuration of the Auto Scaling group, but GameLift FleetIQ routinely certain Auto Scaling group properties in order to optimize the group’s instances for low-cost game hosting. You can view the status of your game server groups in the GameLift Console. Game server group metrics and events are emitted to Amazon CloudWatch.

Prior creating a new game server group, you must set up the following:

  • An EC2 launch template. The template provides configuration settings for a set of EC2 instances and includes the game server build that you want to deploy and run on each instance. For more information on creating a launch template, see Launching an Instance from a Launch Template in the Amazon EC2 User Guide .

  • An IAM role. The role sets up limited access to your AWS account, allowing GameLift FleetIQ to create and manage the EC2 Auto Scaling group, get instance data, and emit metrics and events to CloudWatch. For more information on setting up an IAM permissions policy with principal access for GameLift, see Specifying a Principal in a Policy in the Amazon S3 Developer Guide .

To create a new game server group, provide a name and specify the IAM role and EC2 launch template. You also need to provide a list of instance types to be used in the group and set initial maximum and minimum limits on the group’s instance count. You can optionally set an autoscaling policy with target tracking based on a GameLift FleetIQ metric.

Once the game server group and corresponding Auto Scaling group are created, you have full access to change the Auto Scaling group’s configuration as needed. Keep in mind, however, that some properties are periodically updated by GameLift FleetIQ as it balances the group’s instances based on availability and cost.

  • CreateGameServerGroup

  • ListGameServerGroups

  • DescribeGameServerGroup

  • UpdateGameServerGroup

  • DeleteGameServerGroup

  • ResumeGameServerGroup

  • SuspendGameServerGroup

See also: AWS API Documentation

See ‘aws help’ for descriptions of global parameters.

Synopsis

  create-game-server-group
--game-server-group-name <value>
--role-arn <value>
--min-size <value>
--max-size <value>
--launch-template <value>
--instance-definitions <value>
[--auto-scaling-policy <value>]
[--balancing-strategy <value>]
[--game-server-protection-policy <value>]
[--vpc-subnets <value>]
[--tags <value>]
[--cli-input-json | --cli-input-yaml]
[--generate-cli-skeleton <value>]
[--cli-auto-prompt <value>]

Options

--game-server-group-name (string)

An identifier for the new game server group. This value is used to generate unique ARN identifiers for the EC2 Auto Scaling group and the GameLift FleetIQ game server group. The name must be unique per Region per AWS account.

--role-arn (string)

The Amazon Resource Name (ARN ) for an IAM role that allows Amazon GameLift to access your EC2 Auto Scaling groups. The submitted role is validated to ensure that it contains the necessary permissions for game server groups.

--min-size (integer)

The minimum number of instances allowed in the EC2 Auto Scaling group. During autoscaling events, GameLift FleetIQ and EC2 do not scale down the group below this minimum. In production, this value should be set to at least 1.

--max-size (integer)

The maximum number of instances allowed in the EC2 Auto Scaling group. During autoscaling events, GameLift FleetIQ and EC2 do not scale up the group above this maximum.

--launch-template (structure)

The EC2 launch template that contains configuration settings and game server code to be deployed to all instances in the game server group. You can specify the template using either the template name or ID. For help with creating a launch template, see Creating a Launch Template for an Auto Scaling Group in the Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling User Guide .

LaunchTemplateId -> (string)

A unique identifier for an existing EC2 launch template.

LaunchTemplateName -> (string)

A readable identifier for an existing EC2 launch template.

Version -> (string)

The version of the EC2 launch template to use. If no version is specified, the default version will be used. EC2 allows you to specify a default version for a launch template, if none is set, the default is the first version created.

Shorthand Syntax:

LaunchTemplateId=string,LaunchTemplateName=string,Version=string

JSON Syntax:

{
  "LaunchTemplateId": "string",
  "LaunchTemplateName": "string",
  "Version": "string"
}

--instance-definitions (list)

A set of EC2 instance types to use when creating instances in the group. The instance definitions must specify at least two different instance types that are supported by GameLift FleetIQ. For more information on instance types, see EC2 Instance Types in the Amazon EC2 User Guide .

(structure)

This data type is part of Amazon GameLift FleetIQ with game server groups, which is in preview release and is subject to change.

An allowed instance type for your game server group. GameLift FleetIQ periodically evaluates each defined instance type for viability. It then updates the Auto Scaling group with the list of viable instance types.

InstanceType -> (string)

An EC2 instance type designation.

WeightedCapacity -> (string)

Instance weighting that indicates how much this instance type contributes to the total capacity of a game server group. Instance weights are used by GameLift FleetIQ to calculate the instance type’s cost per unit hour and better identify the most cost-effective options. For detailed information on weighting instance capacity, see Instance Weighting in the Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling User Guide . Default value is “1”.

Shorthand Syntax:

InstanceType=string,WeightedCapacity=string ...

JSON Syntax:

[
  {
    "InstanceType": "c4.large"|"c4.xlarge"|"c4.2xlarge"|"c4.4xlarge"|"c4.8xlarge"|"c5.large"|"c5.xlarge"|"c5.2xlarge"|"c5.4xlarge"|"c5.9xlarge"|"c5.12xlarge"|"c5.18xlarge"|"c5.24xlarge"|"r4.large"|"r4.xlarge"|"r4.2xlarge"|"r4.4xlarge"|"r4.8xlarge"|"r4.16xlarge"|"r5.large"|"r5.xlarge"|"r5.2xlarge"|"r5.4xlarge"|"r5.8xlarge"|"r5.12xlarge"|"r5.16xlarge"|"r5.24xlarge"|"m4.large"|"m4.xlarge"|"m4.2xlarge"|"m4.4xlarge"|"m4.10xlarge"|"m5.large"|"m5.xlarge"|"m5.2xlarge"|"m5.4xlarge"|"m5.8xlarge"|"m5.12xlarge"|"m5.16xlarge"|"m5.24xlarge",
    "WeightedCapacity": "string"
  }
  ...
]

--auto-scaling-policy (structure)

Configuration settings to define a scaling policy for the Auto Scaling group that is optimized for game hosting. The scaling policy uses the metric “PercentUtilizedGameServers” to maintain a buffer of idle game servers that can immediately accommodate new games and players. Once the game server and Auto Scaling groups are created, you can update the scaling policy settings directly in Auto Scaling Groups.

EstimatedInstanceWarmup -> (integer)

Length of time, in seconds, it takes for a new instance to start new game server processes and register with GameLift FleetIQ. Specifying a warm-up time can be useful, particularly with game servers that take a long time to start up, because it avoids prematurely starting new instances

TargetTrackingConfiguration -> (structure)

Settings for a target-based scaling policy applied to Auto Scaling group. These settings are used to create a target-based policy that tracks the GameLift FleetIQ metric “PercentUtilizedGameServers” and specifies a target value for the metric. As player usage changes, the policy triggers to adjust the game server group capacity so that the metric returns to the target value.

TargetValue -> (double)

Desired value to use with a game server group target-based scaling policy.

Shorthand Syntax:

EstimatedInstanceWarmup=integer,TargetTrackingConfiguration={TargetValue=double}

JSON Syntax:

{
  "EstimatedInstanceWarmup": integer,
  "TargetTrackingConfiguration": {
    "TargetValue": double
  }
}

--balancing-strategy (string)

The fallback balancing method to use for the game server group when Spot instances in a Region become unavailable or are not viable for game hosting. Once triggered, this method remains active until Spot instances can once again be used. Method options include:

  • SPOT_ONLY – If Spot instances are unavailable, the game server group provides no hosting capacity. No new instances are started, and the existing nonviable Spot instances are terminated (once current gameplay ends) and not replaced.

  • SPOT_PREFERRED – If Spot instances are unavailable, the game server group continues to provide hosting capacity by using On-Demand instances. Existing nonviable Spot instances are terminated (once current gameplay ends) and replaced with new On-Demand instances.

Possible values:

  • SPOT_ONLY

  • SPOT_PREFERRED

--game-server-protection-policy (string)

A flag that indicates whether instances in the game server group are protected from early termination. Unprotected instances that have active game servers running may by terminated during a scale-down event, causing players to be dropped from the game. Protected instances cannot be terminated while there are active game servers running. An exception to this is Spot Instances, which may be terminated by AWS regardless of protection status. This property is set to NO_PROTECTION by default.

Possible values:

  • NO_PROTECTION

  • FULL_PROTECTION

--vpc-subnets (list)

A list of virtual private cloud (VPC) subnets to use with instances in the game server group. By default, all GameLift FleetIQ-supported availability zones are used; this parameter allows you to specify VPCs that you’ve set up.

(string)

Syntax:

"string" "string" ...

--tags (list)

A list of labels to assign to the new game server group resource. Tags are developer-defined key-value pairs. Tagging AWS resources are useful for resource management, access management, and cost allocation. For more information, see Tagging AWS Resources in the AWS General Reference . Once the resource is created, you can use TagResource , UntagResource , and ListTagsForResource to add, remove, and view tags. The maximum tag limit may be lower than stated. See the AWS General Reference for actual tagging limits.

(structure)

A label that can be assigned to a GameLift resource.

Learn more

Tagging AWS Resources in the AWS General Reference

AWS Tagging Strategies

Related operations

  • TagResource

  • UntagResource

  • ListTagsForResource

Key -> (string)

The key for a developer-defined key:value pair for tagging an AWS resource.

Value -> (string)

The value for a developer-defined key:value pair for tagging an AWS resource.

Shorthand Syntax:

Key=string,Value=string ...

JSON Syntax:

[
  {
    "Key": "string",
    "Value": "string"
  }
  ...
]

--cli-input-json | --cli-input-yaml (string) Reads arguments from the JSON string provided. The JSON string follows the format provided by --generate-cli-skeleton. If other arguments are provided on the command line, those values will override the JSON-provided values. It is not possible to pass arbitrary binary values using a JSON-provided value as the string will be taken literally. This may not be specified along with --cli-input-yaml.

--generate-cli-skeleton (string) Prints a JSON skeleton to standard output without sending an API request. If provided with no value or the value input, prints a sample input JSON that can be used as an argument for --cli-input-json. Similarly, if provided yaml-input it will print a sample input YAML that can be used with --cli-input-yaml. If provided with the value output, it validates the command inputs and returns a sample output JSON for that command.

--cli-auto-prompt (boolean) Automatically prompt for CLI input parameters.

See ‘aws help’ for descriptions of global parameters.

Output

GameServerGroup -> (structure)

The newly created game server group object, including the new ARN value for the GameLift FleetIQ game server group and the object’s status. The EC2 Auto Scaling group ARN is initially null, since the group has not yet been created. This value is added once the game server group status reaches ACTIVE.

GameServerGroupName -> (string)

A developer-defined identifier for the game server group. The name is unique per Region per AWS account.

GameServerGroupArn -> (string)

A generated unique ID for the game server group.

RoleArn -> (string)

The Amazon Resource Name (ARN ) for an IAM role that allows Amazon GameLift to access your EC2 Auto Scaling groups. The submitted role is validated to ensure that it contains the necessary permissions for game server groups.

InstanceDefinitions -> (list)

The set of EC2 instance types that GameLift FleetIQ can use when rebalancing and autoscaling instances in the group.

(structure)

This data type is part of Amazon GameLift FleetIQ with game server groups, which is in preview release and is subject to change.

An allowed instance type for your game server group. GameLift FleetIQ periodically evaluates each defined instance type for viability. It then updates the Auto Scaling group with the list of viable instance types.

InstanceType -> (string)

An EC2 instance type designation.

WeightedCapacity -> (string)

Instance weighting that indicates how much this instance type contributes to the total capacity of a game server group. Instance weights are used by GameLift FleetIQ to calculate the instance type’s cost per unit hour and better identify the most cost-effective options. For detailed information on weighting instance capacity, see Instance Weighting in the Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling User Guide . Default value is “1”.

BalancingStrategy -> (string)

The fallback balancing method to use for the game server group when Spot instances in a Region become unavailable or are not viable for game hosting. Once triggered, this method remains active until Spot instances can once again be used. Method options include:

  • SPOT_ONLY – If Spot instances are unavailable, the game server group provides no hosting capacity. No new instances are started, and the existing nonviable Spot instances are terminated (once current gameplay ends) and not replaced.

  • SPOT_PREFERRED – If Spot instances are unavailable, the game server group continues to provide hosting capacity by using On-Demand instances. Existing nonviable Spot instances are terminated (once current gameplay ends) and replaced with new On-Demand instances.

GameServerProtectionPolicy -> (string)

A flag that indicates whether instances in the game server group are protected from early termination. Unprotected instances that have active game servers running may be terminated during a scale-down event, causing players to be dropped from the game. Protected instances cannot be terminated while there are active game servers running except in the event of a forced game server group deletion (see DeleteGameServerGroup ). An exception to this is Spot Instances, which may be terminated by AWS regardless of protection status.

AutoScalingGroupArn -> (string)

A generated unique ID for the EC2 Auto Scaling group with is associated with this game server group.

Status -> (string)

The current status of the game server group. Possible statuses include:

  • NEW - GameLift FleetIQ has validated the CreateGameServerGroup() request.

  • ACTIVATING - GameLift FleetIQ is setting up a game server group, which includes creating an autoscaling group in your AWS account.

  • ACTIVE - The game server group has been successfully created.

  • DELETE_SCHEDULED - A request to delete the game server group has been received.

  • DELETING - GameLift FleetIQ has received a valid DeleteGameServerGroup() request and is processing it. GameLift FleetIQ must first complete and release hosts before it deletes the autoscaling group and the game server group.

  • DELETED - The game server group has been successfully deleted.

  • ERROR - The asynchronous processes of activating or deleting a game server group has failed, resulting in an error state.

StatusReason -> (string)

Additional information about the current game server group status. This information may provide additional insight on groups that in ERROR status.

SuspendedActions -> (list)

A list of activities that are currently suspended for this game server group. If this property is empty, all activities are occurring.

(string)

CreationTime -> (timestamp)

A time stamp indicating when this data object was created. Format is a number expressed in Unix time as milliseconds (for example “1469498468.057”).

LastUpdatedTime -> (timestamp)

A time stamp indicating when this game server group was last updated.