Configure DS Hub with the SDK

Last updated on October 21, 2025

Overview​

AccelByte Gaming Services (AGS) DS Hub provides continuous connection between your game server and the backend services by using The WebSocket Protocol. WebSockets ensure reliable, real-time data transfer by allowing two-way communication between the server and the backend.

This article covers configuring DS Hub with the AGS Game SDK.

Goals​

The goals of this article are to show you how to use the AGS Game SDK to:

  • Connect to AGS DS Hub
  • Handle connect and disconnect events
  • Listen to notifications

Prerequisites​

To be able to complete the steps in this article, you will need the following:

  • Access to the AGS Admin Portal
  • The AGS Game SDK installed in your game server
  • DS Hub credentials (obtained during game server deployment)

Connect to DS Hub​

This section shows you how to connect your game server to DS Hub.

FOnlineSubsystemAccelByte* AccelByteSubsystemPtr = static_cast<FOnlineSubsystemAccelByte*>(IOnlineSubsystem::Get(ACCELBYTE_SUBSYSTEM));

if (AccelByteSubsystemPtr == nullptr)
{
	return;
}

const FOnlineSessionV2AccelBytePtr SessionInterface = StaticCastSharedPtr<FOnlineSessionV2AccelByte>(AccelByteSubsystemPtr->GetSessionInterface());

if (SessionInterface == nullptr)
{
	return;
}

const FOnRegisterServerComplete OnRegisterServerComplete =
	FOnRegisterServerComplete::CreateLambda([&](bool bWasSuccessful) {
		bRegisterSuccess = bWasSuccessful;
		bRegisterServerDone = true;
	});

SessionInterface->RegisterServer(NAME_GameSession, OnRegisterServerComplete);
WaitUntil(bRegisterServerDone, TEXT("Wait until register server success ..."));

Listen to Notifications​

DS Hub can receive various notifications from AGS services. Here's how to listen for them:


var dshubClient = AccelByteSDK.GetServerRegistry().GetApi(notifications.ApiId).GetDsHub();

// listen AMS server claimed notif, Game Server can perform any action needed to AGS Services
dshubClient.MatchmakingV2ServerClaimed += (result) => 
{
    if (result.IsError)
    {
        Debug.LogWarning($"Failed to claim DS. Error: {result.Error.Message}");    
    }
    else
    {
        Debug.Log($"Success to claim DS: {result.Value}");    
    }
};

// listen Matchmaking v2 backfill proposal, Game Server can accept / reject the proposal
dshubClient.MatchmakingV2BackfillProposalReceived += (result) => 
{
    if (result.IsError)
    {
        Debug.LogWarning($"Failed to receive backfill proposal. Error: {result.Error.Message}");
    }
    else
    {
        Debug.Log($"Success to receive backfill proposal: {result.Value}");
    }
};

// listen Game Session Ended notification, Game Server can perform any action needed to AGS Services
dshubClient.GameSessionV2Ended += (result) => {
    if (result.IsError)
    {
        Debug.LogWarning($"Failed to receive game session ended notification. Error: {result.Error.Message}");
    }
    else
    {
        Debug.Log($"Success to game session ended notification: {result.Value}");
    }
};

// listen Game Session Member changed notification, Game Server can perform any action needed to AGS Services
dshubClient.GameSessionV2MemberChanged += (result) => {
    if (result.IsError)
    {
        Debug.LogWarning($"Failed to receive game session ended notification. Error: {result.Error.Message}");
    }
    else
    {
        Debug.Log($"Success to receive game session member changed notification: {result.Value}");
    }
};

Send Custom Notifications​

You can send custom notifications through DS Hub to other services:

// Send a custom notification
std::string topic = "GAME_STATUS";
std::string payload = R"({"status": "MATCH_STARTED"})";

dshubClient->SendNotification(topic, payload, [](const bool success) {
    if (success) {
        LOG("Custom notification sent successfully");
    } else {
        LOG("Failed to send custom notification");
    }
});

Listen to Notifications​

DS Hub can receive various notifications from AGS services. The following notifications are commonly received by DS Hub (click a notification for payload details):

For full payload examples and the complete list of server notifications, see: Server Notifications

Best Practices​

  1. Connection Management

    • Implement reconnection logic with exponential backoff
    • Handle connection timeouts appropriately
    • Log connection events for debugging
    • See the reconnection strategy: WebSocket reconnection strategy

  2. Notification Handling

    • Process notifications asynchronously
    • Validate notification payloads before processing
    • Implement error handling for malformed messages
    • See implementation example in ByteWars game

  3. Security

    • Store credentials securely
    • Use HTTPS for initial connection
    • Validate server certificates

Common Issues and Solutions​

  1. Connection Failures

    • Verify DS Hub URL and credentials
    • Check network connectivity
    • Ensure proper firewall configuration

  2. Message Handling

    • Implement proper JSON parsing error handling
    • Handle unexpected message formats gracefully
    • Log problematic messages for debugging

Send Notifications to Server​

An admin or service can send a custom notification to the server using this endpoint.

Response Codes​

The endpoint returns the following HTTP status codes:

  • 200 - Success. The notification was successfully sent to the server.
  • 404 - Not Found. This occurs when:
    • The specified server (serverId/DS ID/ Server Name) is not found
    • The server is not connected to DS Hub
    • Invalid server ID was provided

Example Request​


curl -X POST \
  https://{domain}/dshub/v1/admin/namespaces/{namespace}/servers/{serverId}/notify \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer {token}' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "topic": "CUSTOM_NOTIFICATION",
    "payload": "{\"message\": \"test notification\"}"
  }'
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