5Stack

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Why Kubernetes? ​

5Stack is built with Kubernetes in mind. It removes much of the infrastructure complexity normally required to operate a highly distributed system, while providing critical features needed to deliver smooth, reliable competitive gaming experiences.

Key Benefits ​

  • Distributed Game Server Nodes
    Connect multiple physical game server machines as Kubernetes nodes. Tailscale is used to securely network hosts together.

  • Reliability & Safety
    Built-in health checks, zero-downtime deployments, comprehensive logging, resource allocation, and CPU pinning for optimal performance.

  • Priority & Preemption
    Ensure live matches are never starved by background jobs or maintenance tasks.

  • Metrics & Monitoring
    Collect CPU, memory, network, and disk metrics across all game servers and infrastructure components.

  • Rapid Server Provisioning
    Provision new game servers in seconds instead of minutes, enabling on-demand match creation.

  • Self-Healing
    Automatic restarts and rescheduling keep game servers online when processes or hosts fail.

  • Configuration Management
    Manage configuration, API keys, and sensitive data securely using ConfigMaps and Secrets.

  • Persistent Storage
    Use persistent volumes for demo storage and game file management across restarts.

  • Resource Management
    Resource limits and quotas prevent exhaustion and ensure fair allocation across all game servers.

  • Rolling Updates
    Update game server versions or configurations with zero downtime using controlled rollout strategies.

  • Network Security
    Network policies provide fine-grained control over traffic between pods and services.

Why Not Docker Compose? ​

Docker Compose is excellent for local development and small, static deployments, but it breaks down quickly under the scale and reliability requirements of competitive game servers.

1. Single-Host Limitation ​

Docker Compose is fundamentally designed for a single machine.

  • No native multi-node scheduling
  • No awareness of other hosts
  • No cross-host service discovery

2. No Real Scheduler ​

Docker Compose does not decide where workloads should run.

  • No CPU topology awareness
  • No resource-based placement
  • No priority or preemption
  • No affinity or anti-affinity rules

3. Poor Failure Handling ​

Failure recovery in Docker Compose is limited.

  • No health-based rescheduling
  • No host-level failover
  • No self-healing beyond basic restarts

4. No Safe Rolling Updates ​

Docker Compose cannot perform true zero-downtime updates.

  • Updates require stopping containers
  • No controlled rollout strategy
  • No automated rollback

5. Limited Observability ​

Docker Compose has no built-in observability stack.

  • Logs are local to the host
  • No unified metrics
  • No event stream

6. Weak Configuration & Secrets Handling ​

Docker Compose secrets are static and host-bound.

  • No secret rotation
  • No RBAC controls
  • Secrets tied to file paths

7. No Multi-Tenancy or Isolation ​

Docker Compose has no real isolation model.

  • No namespaces
  • No quotas
  • No enforced resource boundaries

When Docker Compose Is the Right Tool ​

Docker Compose works well for:

  • Local development
  • Single-host deployments
  • Small communities
  • Prototyping

5Stack goes beyond this scope:

  • Multi-node
  • Multi-region
  • High uptime requirements
  • Competitive integrity guarantees