Question about LAN gaming and CD issues.

[bluehorizon]

Here's the situation. 10 or 12 workstations will be connected to a server for network gaming. There will be over 8 games available, each requiring a CD to play. How would all the workstations run a copy of a particular game without the required CD? This is assuming it wouldn't be a problem to purchase a copy of the game for each PC. Would the game have to be installed on each PC? If so, how would they all run it without a CD in the drive? CD hacks aren't an option.

Also, what kind of hardware would need to be in the server to handle something like this?

 

[Necrolezbeast]

not sure of a network/server option to get the cd access....but you could make and image of the cd's and distrobute to all the workstations and use a program like daemon-tools to mount the image....no need for individual drives on the workstations and the like. Someone else may have the server option idea, but I have no idear

 

[bluehorizon]

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[samuraijake]

Try a program like Virtual CD. It will allow you to copy the CD contents to a hard disk and then map a virtual drive to that directory. If you do this on the server, you will have network access (from you 10-12 networked PCs) to those virtual drives.

That's going to be a lot of traffic while loading the game. Might want to consider gigabit ethernet. Other components in the server = as much as you can afford.

 

[Hoober]

Originally posted by: samuraijake
Try a program like Virtual CD. It will allow you to copy the CD contents to a hard disk and then map a virtual drive to that directory. If you do this on the server, you will have network access (from you 10-12 networked PCs) to those virtual drives.

That's going to be a lot of traffic while loading the game. Might want to consider gigabit ethernet. Other components in the server = as much as you can afford.

Another vote for Virtual CD. I use it at home and it's great not having to swap CDs or even worry about them once the CD image has been created.

 

[bluehorizon]

Exactly what I needed. Thanks!

 

[gils2000]

Ok this well work for sure I promise. Not to say all the other suggestions wont it?s just this a monkey could do. Go to www.gamecopyworld.com and they provide a no CD EXE for free. It is for people with you kind of needs. I have used it a number of times and it hasten let me down yet.
Good luck and happy gamming!