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Architecture

Spectra Server implements a dual WebSocket architecture using Socket.IO, separating incoming game data from outgoing frontend data for optimal performance and security.

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Port 5100: Incoming Game Data

Observer clients and auxiliary clients connect to port 5100 to send game data to the server.
  • Observer clients: Send match data from VALORANT observer mode
  • Auxiliary clients: Send player-specific data (abilities, health, scoreboard)
  • Authentication required: All clients must authenticate before sending data
  • SSL/TLS support: Configurable secure connections

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Port 5200: Outgoing Data Stream

Frontend applications connect to port 5200 to receive processed match data.
  • Room-based broadcasting: Clients join rooms by groupCode
  • Filtered data: Internal fields and secrets removed before emission
  • Real-time updates: Instant match_data events as game state changes
  • No authentication required: Simple logon with group code

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Socket.IO Configuration

Both WebSocket servers use identical Socket.IO compression settings for optimal bandwidth usage: 
const serverConfig = {
  perMessageDeflate: {
    zlibDeflateOptions: {
      chunkSize: 1024,
      memLevel: 7,
      level: 3,
    },
    zlibInflateOptions: {
      chunkSize: 10 * 1024,
    },
    threshold: 1024,
  },
  cors: { origin: "*" },
};

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Compression Settings

  • perMessageDeflate: WebSocket compression enabled
  • Deflate chunk size: 1KB for efficient memory usage
  • Deflate level: 3 (balanced compression vs. speed)
  • Inflate chunk size: 10KB for decompression buffer
  • Threshold: Messages over 1KB are compressed

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CORS Configuration

  • origin: "*" - All origins allowed
  • Frontend clients can connect from any domain
The wildcard CORS setting ("*") allows connections from any origin. For production deployments, consider restricting this to specific domains.

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SSL/TLS Support

Both servers support secure WebSocket connections (WSS) via SSL/TLS certificates.

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Configuration

Set environment variables to enable SSL: 
INSECURE=false
SERVER_KEY=/path/to/private-key.pem
SERVER_CERT=/path/to/certificate.pem

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Insecure Mode

For development environments, disable SSL: 
INSECURE=true
When INSECURE=true, the server creates HTTP servers instead of HTTPS. This should only be used in local development environments.

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Data Flow

  1. Observer/Auxiliary clients authenticate and send game data to port 5100
  2. Match Controller processes and validates incoming data
  3. Port 5200 broadcasts filtered data to all frontend clients in the room
  4. Frontend clients receive real-time updates via match_data events

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Connection Lifecycle

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Incoming Clients (Port 5100)

  1. Connect to wss://server:5100 or ws://server:5100
  2. Emit obs_logon or aux_logon event with authentication data
  3. Receive obs_logon_ack or aux_logon_ack response
  4. If authenticated, send obs_data or aux_data events
  5. On disconnect, auxiliary clients are marked as disconnected

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Outgoing Clients (Port 5200)

  1. Connect to wss://server:5200 or ws://server:5200
  2. Emit logon event with groupCode
  3. Join room for that group code
  4. Receive logon_success confirmation
  5. Receive match_data events for that match

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Error Handling

Both servers implement error event listeners: 
ws.on("error", (e) => {
  // Error logged and handled gracefully
});
Connection errors are logged but do not crash the server. Clients should implement reconnection logic for network failures.

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Next Steps

Incoming Connection

Learn about port 5100 observer and auxiliary connections

Outgoing Connection

Learn about port 5200 frontend connections

Authentication

Understand observer and auxiliary authentication flows

Data Events

Explore event types and data schemas

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