How Amazon GameLift FleetIQ works

The Amazon GameLift FleetIQ solution is a game hosting layer that supplements the full set of computing resource management tools that you get with Amazon EC2 and Auto Scaling. In addition to offering a slate of features specific to game hosting, Amazon GameLift FleetIQ provides an extra layer of logic that makes it possible to use low-cost Spot Instances for game hosting. This solution lets you directly manage your Amazon EC2 and Auto Scaling resources and integrate as needed with other AWS services.

When using Amazon GameLift FleetIQ, you prepare to launch Amazon EC2 instances as usual: make an Amazon Machine Image (AMI) with your game server software, create an Amazon EC2 launch template, and define configuration settings for an Auto Scaling group. However, instead of creating an Auto Scaling group directly, you create a Amazon GameLift FleetIQ game server group with your Amazon EC2 and Auto Scaling resources and configuration. This action prompts Amazon GameLift FleetIQ to create both a game server group and a corresponding Auto Scaling group. The game server group is linked to and manages certain aspects of the Auto Scaling group.

After the Auto Scaling group is created, you have full access to your Amazon EC2 and Auto Scaling resources. You can change the configuration of your Auto Scaling groups, add multi-level scaling policies or load balancers, and integrate with other AWS services. You can connect directly to instances in the group. As part of its optimization logic, Amazon GameLift FleetIQ also makes periodic updates to certain Auto Scaling group properties. You can track the availability status of all instances deployed by the Auto Scaling group.

You can temporarily suspend Amazon GameLift FleetIQ activity for a game server group at any time. You also have the option to delete a game server group but retain the corresponding Auto Scaling group.