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CatalystCatalyst Docs

Nodes Overview

A node is a Linux machine that runs game servers. The panel never runs games itself — it tells nodes what to run, and the agent on each node does it.

Lifecycle

Section titled “Lifecycle”
  1. Install — run the agent installer on the machine (installing a node).
  2. Register — the node authenticates to the panel with its ID and API key (registering).
  3. Allocate — define the node’s IP addresses and port ranges so servers get join addresses.
  4. Operate — create servers on it, watch health, apply updates (updating a node).
  5. Retire — migrate servers off, then remove the node.

How panel and node communicate

Section titled “How panel and node communicate”
  • The agent calls the panel (outbound HTTPS/WebSocket). Nodes do not need inbound panel ports — useful behind NAT.
  • Players connect directly to the node on game ports.
  • If the link drops, running servers keep running; the panel shows the node as unreachable until the agent reconnects. See node issues.

Capacity thinking

Section titled “Capacity thinking”

Nodes are divided by memory first, CPU second, disk third. Overcommitting memory causes the worst failures (the kernel kills game processes), so keep headroom and set per-server limits honestly. Monitoring shows when a node is full before your players notice.