Node Drives
Node drives allow you to spread game server storage across multiple disk drives on a Windows node. This feature is only available for Windows nodes - Linux nodes use a single storage directory configured in the daemon config file.
What Are Drives?
A drive is a storage location on a Windows node where game server files are kept. Each drive has:
- Path - the directory on the node (e.g.,
D:\GameServers) - Max Disk - the maximum amount of disk space available for game servers on this drive (in MB)
- Label - a friendly name for identification (e.g., "SSD Drive D")
By default, Windows nodes store all server data in a single location. Adding drives lets you use multiple physical disks, which is useful when one drive is not large enough or you want to separate workloads.
Only Available for Windows Nodes
Drives are a Windows-specific feature. Linux nodes configure their storage directory in the daemon configuration file (servers.data_dir). If you need multiple storage locations on Linux, use filesystem mounts to map additional disks into the data directory.
Adding a Drive
- Navigate to Admin > Nodes and select your Windows node.
- Go to the Drives tab.
- Click Add Drive.
- Fill in the details:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Path | The full directory path on the Windows node (e.g., D:\GameServers) |
| Max Disk | Maximum disk space for this drive in MB |
| Label | A friendly name for the drive |
- Click Save.
The directory must exist on the node or the daemon will create it. The node must be online when you add or modify drives.
How Servers Are Distributed
When you create a new server on a Windows node with multiple drives, the panel selects a drive based on available disk space. The server's files are stored entirely on one drive - files are not split across drives.
You can see which drive a server is using in the server's detail page.
Monitoring Disk Usage
Each drive displays its current usage on the node's Drives tab:
- Total - the maximum disk space configured for the drive
- Used - the amount of space currently allocated to servers
- Available - remaining space available for new servers
Monitor these values to ensure you have enough capacity for new servers. If a drive is full, new servers will be placed on other drives that have available space.
Best Practices
Use SSDs for Game Files
Game servers benefit significantly from fast storage. SSD or NVMe drives reduce world load times, improve chunk generation, and provide better overall performance compared to traditional hard drives.
Separate OS and Game Data
Keep game server data on a separate drive from the Windows operating system. This prevents game server storage from filling up the OS drive, which can cause system instability.
Plan Capacity
Set the Max Disk value to leave some headroom on the physical drive. Do not allocate 100% of the drive's capacity - leave space for temporary files, logs, and operating system needs.
Label Drives Clearly
Use descriptive labels that identify the physical drive and its purpose. This makes it easier to manage storage when you have multiple drives.
Requirements
- The node must be online to add, edit, or remove drives
- The drive path must be a valid directory on the Windows node
- The daemon must have write access to the drive path