

# Common monitoring scenarios
<a name="gamelift-servers-metrics-scenarios"></a>

## Dive deep performance investigation
<a name="scenario-dive-deep-performance"></a>

**Scenario:** A host/instance is having degraded performance due to specific processes or game sessions

**Investigation steps:**
+ Access the Instance Performance dashboard.
+ Review "Top N Memory Consuming Game Sessions" table to identify which processes contribute the most to instance memory consumption.
+ Review "Top N CPU Consuming Game Sessions" table to identify which processes contribute the most to instance CPU utilization.
+ Click on Game Session links to enable deeper investigation of detailed metrics.
+ Analyze server timings (Server Delta Time, Server Tick Rate, Server Tick Time, Server World Tick Time) to identify performance bottlenecks.

## Game server crash investigation
<a name="scenario-game-server-crash"></a>

**Scenario:** A game session has crashed and you need to determine the root cause

**Investigation steps:**
+ Access the Server Performance dashboard for the crashed game session.
+ Check Memory Usage (Units) and Physical Memory Usage (%) to determine if the crash was due to out of memory.
+ Review CPU Usage (%) to identify if CPU overload caused the crash.
+ Analyze Network I/O (Bytes) and Network I/O (Packets) to determine if network bandwidth problems contributed to the crash.
+ Examine Packet Loss percentage to identify network-related issues.

## Investigate player reported issues
<a name="scenario-player-reported-issues"></a>

**Scenario:** Players report lag or interruption during gameplay

**Investigation steps:**
+ Access the Server Performance dashboard for the affected game session.
+ Review Server Tick Time and Server World Tick Time to identify delays in game updates.
+ Check Server Tick Rate to ensure consistent server update frequency.
+ Analyze CPU Usage (%) to identify processing bottlenecks.
+ Review Memory Usage metrics to identify memory-related performance issues.
+ Check Network I/O metrics and Packet Loss to identify network bottlenecks.

## Identify performance changes in different game server builds
<a name="scenario-performance-changes-builds"></a>

**Scenario:** You want to measure how game performance changes across different server builds

**Investigation steps:**
+ Compare Server Tick Time metrics between different builds to measure processing efficiency changes.
+ Analyze Server Tick Rate consistency across builds to identify performance regressions.
+ Review Server World Tick Time to measure game world update performance changes.
+ Compare Memory Usage patterns between builds to identify memory optimization improvements or regressions.
+ Monitor CPU Usage trends to assess computational efficiency changes.

## Detect delays and slowness in gameplay
<a name="scenario-detect-gameplay-delays"></a>

**Scenario:** You need to monitor server responsiveness and game update speed

**Investigation steps:**
+ Monitor Server Tick Time to measure how fast the server processes each update cycle.
+ Track Server Tick Rate to ensure consistent game state updates per second.
+ Analyze Server World Tick Time to measure game world update speed, which directly impacts customer experience.
+ Set up alerts for Server Delta Time variations to detect inconsistent server performance.

## Benchmarking different game scenarios
<a name="scenario-benchmarking"></a>

**Scenario:** You want to identify how different game scenarios affect server performance

**Investigation steps:**
+ Compare server performance metrics across different player counts to understand scaling impact.
+ Analyze performance differences between game modes using Server Tick Time and CPU Usage metrics.
+ Monitor Memory Usage patterns across different game scenarios to identify resource-intensive features.
+ Track Network I/O metrics to understand bandwidth requirements for different gameplay scenarios.
+ Use the Instance Performance dashboard to identify which game scenarios produce the highest resource-consuming game sessions.

## High resource utilization response
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**Scenario:** Unusual resource spikes (CPU >85%, Memory >90%)

**Investigation steps:**

### Identify affected resources
<a name="identify-affected-resources"></a>
+ Use DescribeGameSessionDetails API.
+ Filter by Status if needed.
+ Document affected instances.

### Analyze resource usage
<a name="analyze-resource-usage"></a>
+ Review Instance Overview dashboard.
+ Compare utilization across fleet.
+ Check historical patterns.

### Monitor game server impact
<a name="monitor-game-server-impact"></a>
+ Check Server Performance metrics.
+ Review tick times and packet loss.
+ Monitor memory leaks.

### Resolution steps
<a name="resolution-steps"></a>
+ Download session logs.
+ Address build issues.
+ Monitor improvements.

## Game server crash analysis
<a name="scenario-server-crashes"></a>

**Scenario:** Multiple error-status game sessions across fleet

**Investigation steps:**

### Initial assessment
<a name="initial-assessment"></a>
+ Access Fleet Overview dashboard.
+ Review crashed session table.
+ Note patterns in timing/location.

### Performance analysis
<a name="performance-analysis"></a>
+ Check server timing metrics.
+ Review resource utilization.
+ Monitor network performance.

### Infrastructure review
<a name="infrastructure-review"></a>
+ Verify fleet capacity.
+ Check instance health.
+ Review scaling policies.

### Resolution path
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+ Analyze server logs.
+ Review code optimization.
+ Implement fixes.

## Fleet capacity optimization
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**Scenario:** Game launch or benchmark study

**Analysis steps:**

### Resource utilization
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+ Filter by location.
+ Review P50/P95/P99 metrics.
+ Analyze usage patterns.

### Instance type analysis
<a name="instance-type-analysis"></a>
+ Compare performance by type.
+ Identify scaling candidates.
+ Document utilization patterns.

### Optimization actions
<a name="optimization-actions"></a>
+ Adjust scaling policies.
+ Modify instance types.
+ Update fleet configuration.