Install lifecycle
Note: The content on this page pertains to Game Server Hosting (Multiplay) available on the Unity Cloud Dashboard. If you’re using Game Server Hosting (Clanforge), refer to the Game Server Hosting (Clanforge) documentation.
The install lifecycle is the series of states or statuses a server transitions through when you roll out a release for a build. When you update a build and roll out a new release, the servers using the build go through the install lifecycle. There are six possible states in the install lifecycle: allocated, deallocated, installing, offline, online, and ready, many of which overlap with the server lifecycle.
- A server is in an allocated state when it’s online and allocated.
- A server is in a deallocated state when it’s online and not allocated. This state doesn't appear in the Unity Cloud Dashboard.
- A server is in an installing state when it’s applying the release.
- A server is in an offline state when it’s finished shutting down.
- A server is in an online state when it’s online but not yet ready to accept allocations.
- A server is in a ready state when it’s online and has marked itself as ready to accept allocations..
The install lifecycle varies slightly depending on whether the rollout is a forced rollout or a progressive rollout.
Progressive rollout lifecycle
A progressive rollout is a method of deploying a build update where you update servers only when they're empty. If there are any players connected to a server, Game Server Hosting performs the update on servers as soon as they're available.
If you release an update as a progressive rollout, Game Server Hosting waits for you to deallocate each server before triggering the installation. As a result, the state flow of a server during a progressive rollout is allocated → deallocated → installing → offline → online.
Note: The deallocated state exists but doesn't appear in the Unity Cloud Dashboard.
Forced rollout lifecycle
A forced rollout is a method of deploying a build update where you force servers to update even if there are players connected. If players are connected when you start a forced rollout, Game Server Hosting stops the server, breaking the connection with those players.
If you release an update as a forced rollout, Game Server Hosting triggers the installation irrespective of the server’s allocation status. As a result, the state flow of a server during a forced rollout is allocated → installing → offline → online.
