Run a stable and protected World of Warcraft Server.

[stonetwig]

How to run a stable well protected WoW server!
Written by: stonetwig

What you need to know:
You will need to know the basics in installing a server. How to port forward and such things is NOT going to be explained in this guide! Please pick another guide in the list to receive exact screen shots from the configuration files.

It is good if you are used to use Gnu/Linux in some way, or if you are somewhere a bit interested in it and know some basic commands.

Gnu/Linux command list:

cd <search way> - change directory (ex. cd /var/www/ will put you in the folder /var/www/)
cd .. - Go "up one step" in the folder list.
chmod - change ownership and user availability options here. (ex. chmod /var/www/index.php 775)
rm - remove a file (ex. rm ./index.php)
ls - list all files and directorys in the current folder
cd - will take you to your home folder (ex. /home/stonetwig/)

More commands will be available if you search on "linux commands" on google!


What you'll need:
Two physic servers, no emulator as wine.
A stable line (for the most cases wireless won't work that good)
Linux Ubuntu - Server edition.
Windows server 2003
A repack which you like or a repack you've created by yourself.
(which do not include the mysql deamon)


How to start? (In this example we prefer to use ascent)

A database is the heart out of a private World of Warcraft server. You might ask yourself why, but it is a simple answered question. A database is containing all the data you use in-game and everybody's account details are available from the database.

You can also modify the way you want, and change all data that is enshrined.

This guide will take up what I would recommend that we use to have on a stable server with good uptime and a well-managed database.

Two servers and setup.

Two servers can I use in this context, in order to have a fine site with good uptime. The page will not go down on the server itself goes down. That means you can post messages to users and people will still be able to register themselves and search / use the database.

Be that as we start with the most important .. database server. In this case, the database server and apache web server be the same. We use the famous dist Ubuntu to get an easy start. If you are an advanced user, you can choose a different dist.

You need to download a server of Ubuntu (which is free) from their website: Ubuntu Home Page | Ubuntu

Once you have downloaded the server and installed Ubuntu server with LAMP (Linux Apache MySQL Php) to install the whole package if you have not done it with the following command:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install apache2 php5 php5-mysql mysql-server-5.0

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Note that at this point you can use SSH to come in to your server from your "main computer" without having to bother with changing screen or similar! (Ubuntu software have SSH built in)
*EDIT* : A well-known software for windows is called putty. Thats a free software you can download from their webpage, search on putty on google!**
You can learn more about SSH and the protocol for:
Secure Shell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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After you install the LAMP on your server, we'll be ready.
At this store, you can submit your current database that you have downloaded with the latest repacket or from AC Web.

Once you've sat in your database right and proper, there is only one way to go from here, upload your website!
If you use windows and SSH to connect to your server, you can download a program called WinSCP to make this easier.
(WinSCP :: Free SFTP and FTP client for Windows)

They log in with your user you have indicated in the past and go to the folder /var/www/ and remove the default folder apache2 anything.

When you made it, only to upload all of your files that are home to keep up. So the entire home as there are lots of different kinds of servers that ascent or mango.

When you have completed the upload you can type in the server URL or IP address in your web browser and the website should show up!
(note if you experience problems with the .xml files you probably should turn short php tags off. You can find it in /etc/apache/php.ini or something similar)

One of Two Servers completed!

NEXT STEP IS PRETTY EASY:

Now we have completed the first one and now we need to config the Windows machine with the WoW server on.

First install your Windows Software.

When you have done that you just may have to download the ascent server.

You will need to change the following files:

acent-realms.conf
ascent-logon.conf
acent-world.config

The things you need to change to make the server work is the database section.
You need to change a the hostname of your database from "localhost" to the database servers IP address. You may also have to change the password for mysql to your own.
PLEASE DO NOT USE AN EASY PASSWORD AND THERE WILL BE NO CHANCE THAT THEY WILL FIND IT OUT BY GUESSING, AND DO NOT USE THE DEFAULT PASSWORD.

Now the server will work if you start the ascent-world.exe and the ascent-logonserver.exe.
(If you gain any errors according to the .exe file being badly written you need to download .NET framework from www.microsoft.com)

But don't start it up..yet!

First install some commonly used firewall for your Windows machine like ZoneAlarm and an anti-virus called Avast! or some other like AVG.
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND TO TURN OFF DAILY UPDATES AND DAILY SCANS FROM THE SECURITY SOFTWARE. IT MAY CAUSE BIG LAG FOR PLAYERS FOR A LONG TIME.

The anti-virus will still pick up some of the most known or most close to a virus. The thing is if someone would hack your server and would go this far to do it they probably won't have extremely good written viruses and than your not-updated anti-virus protection will do fine.

Now you can safely put your server online by starting up those .exe files I mentioned before.


F.A.Q:
1. How do I add the whole database into my new ubuntu servers database?
A: Please read more on the MySQL help pages to learn more about your problems. Every case may differ a lot! (help pages: MySQL :: Developer Zone)

2. What is the meaning with using Gnu/Linux software instead of traditional Microsoft?
A: Gnu/Linux is often more secure and does not support easy-control-the-whole-computer things. Like no password check or the way auto start works.

3. Why don't you write in detail how to change the config files in the server and how to make it public?
A: Loads of topics will come up everyday about opening ports and forward them to your computer. There is already a ton of guides which will show screenshots of where to type in what in commonly used config files. If you have any questions about that please post them in that sort of guide.

4. Why do you even use two servers?
A: There are many reasons for that. But here is some few reasons why you would be happier to run two servers instead of one.

1. .NET framework will not run under Linux which makes it impossible to run the whole server under linux!

2. Security - People will have a more harder time to gain access to both of your servers. They will have some special problems when the hacker will notice that you are running Linux for the database and probably webpage.

3. If the World server dies, the webserver is still up to post news on the site and keep the discussion up on the forums! This is a very important thing!

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND TIME TO WATCH OVER THIS.

PLEASE WRITE A COMMENT OR/AND ISSUE YOU HAVE PROBLEM WITH!

(If my grammar sucks it is because the clock is 02.49 CET in Sweden and just came home from a concert with 15000 persons head banging to the Swedish band In Flames)

Goodnight! :wave:

[stonetwig]

Hey..

I really put down some time on this post, would be kind of fun with any sort of reply or feedback!

[w21froster]

dude this was a really good tut +rep.

[DJGonn]

Indeed, good contribute!+Rep