# Amazon GameLift Servers FleetIQ integration steps
Integration steps

This integration plan outlines the key steps to getting your multiplayer games up and running on Amazon EC2 instances with Amazon GameLift Servers FleetIQ. If you're looking for the Amazon GameLift Servers managed hosting service, which automates more game hosting processes for you, see the [Amazon GameLift Servers Developer Guide](https://docs.amazonaws.cn/gameliftservers/latest/developerguide/gamelift-intro.html).

To get started using Amazon GameLift Servers FleetIQ, you need to have a working game server that runs in either an on-premises or Amazon EC2 environment. Your game server can be a single process that manages one or multiple game sessions, spawns child processes, or runs inside of a container.

1. **Get an [Amazon account](https://aws.amazon.com/account/) and set up users with Amazon GameLift Servers FleetIQ access.**

   Create a new Amazon Web Services account or choose an existing account to use with Amazon GameLift Servers FleetIQ. Set up users with permissions to manage the Amazon EC2, Auto Scaling, and other Amazon resources used with your game. For detailed instructions, see [Set up your Amazon account for Amazon GameLift Servers FleetIQ](gsg-iam-permissions.md). 

1. **Create IAM roles.** 

   Create roles that allow Amazon GameLift Servers FleetIQ, Amazon EC2, and Auto Scaling resources to communicate with each other. See [Create IAM roles for cross-service interaction](gsg-iam-permissions-roles.md) for more details.

1. **Get the Amazon SDK and Amazon CLI with Amazon GameLift Servers FleetIQ functionality.**
   + [Download the latest version of the Amazon SDK](http://www.amazonaws.cn/tools/#SDKs).
   + [View the Amazon GameLift Servers API reference documentation](https://docs.amazonaws.cn/gamelift/latest/apireference/).

1. **Prepare your game server for use with Amazon GameLift Servers FleetIQ. **

   Add the Amazon SDK to your game server project and add code to keep Amazon GameLift Servers FleetIQ updated with the current status and usage of your game servers. See [Integrate Amazon GameLift Servers FleetIQ into a game server](gsg-integrate-gameserver.md) for additional guidance and examples. Amazon GameLift Servers FleetIQ uses this information to provide your matchmaking system with a list of viable, unoccupied game servers, and also avoid terminating instances that are currently hosting players during balancing. 

1. **Create an Amazon EC2 Amazon Machine Image (AMI) with your game server.** 

   Create an AMI with your game server software and with any other runtime assets or configuration settings. For help, see [Amazon Machine Images (AMI) ](https://docs.amazonaws.cn/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/AMIs.html) in the *Amazon EC2 User Guide*.

1. **Create an Amazon EC2 launch template.** 

   Build an Amazon EC2 launch template that uses your custom AMI and defines network and security settings for your hosting resources. The launch template must reference the instance profile that you created (see Step 2) with permissions that allow your game server to communicate with Amazon GameLift Servers FleetIQ. You don’t need to include instance types in your launch template, as this is done later. For help, see [ Creating a Launch Template](https://docs.amazonaws.cn/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/ec2-launch-templates.html) in the *Amazon EC2 User Guide*. 
**Note**  
Before using a launch template with Amazon GameLift Servers FleetIQ, we highly recommend that you first set up an Auto Scaling group to verify that the template configuration and AMI are deploying properly. 

1. **Set up Amazon GameLift Servers FleetIQ hosting resources.** 

   In each Region where you want to deploy game servers, create a game server group by calling [CreateGameServerGroup()](https://docs.amazonaws.cn/gamelift/latest/apireference/API_CreateGameServerGroup.html). Pass in the launch template (containing your custom AMI and network and security settings), IAM role, and a list of instance types that your game can run on. This action sets up an Auto Scaling group in your Amazon account that Amazon GameLift Servers FleetIQ can modify. For additional guidance and examples, see [Manage Amazon GameLift Servers FleetIQ game server groupsCreate a game server group](gsg-integrate-gameservergroup.md).

1. **Integrate Amazon GameLift Servers FleetIQ into your game client. **

   Add the Amazon SDK to your game client, matchmaker, or other backend component that allocates game server capacity. Depending on your game type, your matchmaker might call [ListGameServers()](https://docs.amazonaws.cn/gamelift/latest/apireference/API_ListGameServers.html) or [ClaimGameServer()](https://docs.amazonaws.cn/gamelift/latest/apireference/API_ClaimGameServer.html) to obtain server capacity and reserve an available game server. For additional guidance and examples, see [Integrate Amazon GameLift Servers FleetIQ into a game client](gsg-integrate-gameclient.md).

1. **Scale up your Auto Scaling group.**

   As instances are provisioned in your Auto Scaling group, they launch your game servers. Each game server then registers with Amazon GameLift Servers FleetIQ as available capacity, to be listed or claimed later by your matchmaker.

1. **Test your game.** 

   Invoke your matchmaker and call `ClaimGameServer` to request server capacity. Pass the resulting IP and port back to game clients so they can connect to the game server.