DataServer.ini

Primary configuration file for DataServer. All keys live under a single [DataServerInfo] section.

File Location#

DataServer/DataServer.ini

Loaded once at startup. Changes require a DataServer restart.

Configuration#

All keys belong to section [DataServerInfo].

Database Schema Check#

At startup DataServer reads the highest Id in table dbo.AxiomSchemaVersion. If the table is missing, or the highest Id is below 2, DataServer logs [Schema] NOT STARTING, closes its SQL connections and does not open DataServerPort. GameServers cannot connect.

Fix: run the update from the Axiom Server Manager, or run the numbered scripts from the server package's migrations folder (the log message calls it SQL\Migrations; files 0001_*.sql, 0002_*.sql, ...) in order against the MuOnline database. Then restart DataServer.

Connection Pool#

DataServer opens the primary connection plus 4 pool connections, all using the same DSN and credentials. The pool size is fixed at compile time and not configurable via the INI.

Implications for SQL Server sizing:

• Each DataServer consumes 5 concurrent SQL logins
• The SQL login must permit at least 5 simultaneous sessions
• Under load, all 5 can be busy at once; plan max worker threads and max connections accordingly

AdvancedLog#

Leave off in production. Enable temporarily when tracing a specific save or load path, then disable; the extra I/O slows the server under load.

Important Behavior#

• Keys are read with the Windows INI parser. A missing file or missing key yields the documented default (empty string for text keys, the listed integer for numeric keys), so a missing or unreadable DataServer.ini results in an empty DSN and an empty license key, which then fail license activation and the SQL connect
• License activation runs before anything else. An empty or invalid LicenseKey stops the process before the SQL connect is attempted
• Primary database connection is attempted first; pool connections open next. Either failure keeps the TCP port closed, so GameServers cannot connect
• License activation requires the license service to be reachable at startup. Offline grace only applies to heartbeats after a successful activation, not to the activation itself
• Quotes, trailing spaces, and BOM can cause silent value truncation
• Related files loaded from the DataServer root alongside this INI: AllowableIpList.txt and BadSyntax.txt

Examples#

[DataServerInfo]
DataServerODBC = MuOnline
DataServerPort = 55960
LicenseKey = YOUR-KEY-HERE

[DataServerInfo]
DataServerODBC = MuOnline
DataServerUSER = mu_app
DataServerPASS = <strong-password>
DataServerPort = 55960
AdvancedLog = 0
LicenseKey = YOUR-KEY-HERE
ControlPort = 55991
ControlKey = <long-random-secret>

Common Issues#

• Startup freezes at "Loading files..." - LicenseKey is empty, invalid, or the license service is unreachable
• "Could not connect to database" - DSN name typo, wrong credentials, or the DSN targets the wrong SQL Server instance
• "Could not connect pool connection N" - primary login works but the SQL login's session limit is below 5
• GameServer cannot reach DataServer - DataServerPort changed but GameServer config was not updated, or a firewall blocks the port
• [Schema] NOT STARTING in the log - the database is older than this DataServer. Apply the migrations (see Database Schema Check) and restart
• Server Manager cannot connect to DataServer - ControlPort is 0, or ControlKey differs from the one set in the Server Manager
• Excessive log noise, slow responses - AdvancedLog left at 1 under production load

Related Pages#

• AllowableIpList.txt - GameServer IP whitelist loaded alongside this INI
• BadSyntax.txt - forbidden substrings for character and guild names
• ConnectServer.ini - sibling INI for ConnectServer using the same parser conventions