CM API Endpoint

The Steamworks API allows developers not only to retrieve information about available CM servers, but also offers features such as matchmaking, Steam Cloud storage, user statistics, and achievements.

An example of developers using the CM servers is the product Grim Dawn by Crate Entertainment, LLC.

A typical call from the game would be as follows


cellid=87: The cellid parameter typically refers to a geographical region or a network area within the Steam infrastructure. Each cell represents an area used for network optimization and assignment. The number 87 would indicate a specific region or cell, allowing the server selection to be geographically optimized to minimize latency and improve connection speed.
format=vdf: The format parameter determines the response format. vdf stands for Valve Data Format, a format used by Valve for data representation. It is similar to JSON or XML, but is specifically used in the Valve ecosystem.

For editing VDF files, a special Notepad++ VDF Language Plugin   is available, which provides syntax highlighting and other useful features for the VDF format.

This plugin significantly eases the editing of VDF files by offering a clearer visualization of the code and a more structured presentation of the data. Installing and using the plugin is straightforward and it can be directly downloaded from GitHub  .

SDR

The Steam Connection Manager (CM) plays a key role in the context of Steam Datagram Relays (SDR), acting as an intermediary between the player and the Steam network.

CM manages the connections to the Steam servers, with SDR helping to make these connections efficient and secure. When a game or application wants to connect to the Steam network, it uses the services of the Connection Manager to find an optimal route through the Valve network, which is facilitated by SDR.