--- title: "Managing your Minecraft server" description: "Optimize Paper and modded servers with performance flags, run spark profiles, manage JVM memory, and schedule automatic daily restarts." url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/minecraft/performance-and-backups/" category: "Minecraft" category_url: "https://www.gameserverkings.com/knowledge-base/minecraft/" published: "2026-07-02T02:43:43.965Z" updated: "2026-08-07T21:07:36.577Z" source_format: "markdown" site: "GameServerKings" --- # Managing your Minecraft server This guide covers keeping a Minecraft server smooth and protecting your world, for both Java and Bedrock. It applies on top of any of the setup guides: [Java: Getting Started](/knowledge-base/minecraft/java-getting-started/), [Java: Plugins](/knowledge-base/minecraft/java-plugins/), [Java: Mods](/knowledge-base/minecraft/java-mods/), or [Bedrock](/knowledge-base/minecraft/bedrock/). ## Performance Tips (Java) - **Use PaperMC or Purpur, not vanilla.** The performance gains over the vanilla jar are large, especially with more than a handful of players. Paper optimizes entity ticking, chunk loading, and dozens of other systems. - **Lower view-distance and simulation-distance.** Default 10 each is reasonable; drop to 6 to 8 for crowded servers. `simulation-distance` especially drives CPU cost, since it controls how far entities and redstone actually tick. - **Install Spark for profiling.** The Spark plugin (`/spark profiler`) identifies exactly which plugins, entities, or chunks are eating your tick time. It is the single best tool for diagnosing lag. - **Watch your tick rate.** A healthy server holds 20 TPS (ticks per second). Use `/spark tps` or a plugin to monitor. Sustained drops below 20 mean the server cannot keep up. - **Cap entities.** Mob farms and item-drop accumulation are common lag sources. Paper's `paper-world-defaults.yml` lets you cap entities per chunk. - **Schedule daily restarts** at low-population hours to clear memory fragmentation. ## Performance Tips (Modded Java) - **Allocate enough RAM.** Large modpacks are memory-hungry; if you see out-of-memory crashes, raise the `Xmx` heap size — or move to a [dedicated server](/dedicated/) with more memory. - **Use a performance mod set.** Packs increasingly bundle Lithium, Starlight, and FerriteCore (Fabric) or equivalents for big server-side gains. - **Pre-generate chunks.** Tools like Chunky generate the world ahead of time so players are not triggering expensive generation while exploring. - **Watch for laggy machines.** In automation packs (Create, mekanism), a runaway machine setup can tank the whole server. Spark profiling finds these. ## Performance Tips (Bedrock) - **Lower tick-distance.** Default 4 is reasonable; drop to 3 on crowded servers. It controls simulated chunks per player. - **Cap max-players realistically.** Bedrock is lighter than Java but still benefits from a sane slot count for your RAM. - **Schedule daily restarts** like any long-running server. ## JVM Memory and Garbage Collection (Java) The Startup tab exposes the `Xmx` (max heap) value. A few principles: - Allocate roughly 75% of your purchased RAM to the heap, leaving the rest for the OS and off-heap overhead. - More RAM is not always better. Beyond what the server actually uses, extra heap just makes garbage-collection pauses longer. A 20-player Paper server rarely needs more than 6 to 8 GB. - Modded servers are the exception and genuinely need large heaps. > [!TIP] Unexplained lag spikes are often garbage collection > If you see periodic lag spikes that are not tied to auto-save, they may be garbage-collection pauses. Right-sizing the heap (not over-allocating) usually helps. ## Backups The world folder (named per `level-name`) is the critical data on both editions. On your [Minecraft server rental](/games/minecraft/), the **Backups** tab snapshots the whole server volume. ### Recommended Schedule - **Daily snapshot** minimum, via the panel's Backups tab - **Twice-daily** for busy servers or active build projects - **Before every update** (Minecraft version, plugin/mod updates, pack upgrades) - **Monthly download** to your own storage for off-platform safety ### Automated Backups Set up an automated daily backup through the **Schedules** tab: 1. Create schedule: "Daily Backup" 2. Cron: `0 5 * * *` (5 AM server time) 3. Add task: Create Backup, name pattern `auto-{date}` ### Plugin Backups Are Not a Substitute > [!WARNING] Plugin backups sit on the same volume > Plugins like EssentialsX offer `/backup` commands, but they only copy the world to a configured folder on the same volume. They do not protect against volume-level issues the way panel backups do. Use panel backups as your primary safety net. ## Scheduled Restarts Both editions benefit from a daily restart to clear memory creep. From the **Schedules** tab: 1. Create schedule: "Daily Restart" 2. Cron: `0 4 * * *` (4 AM, before the 5 AM backup) 3. Tasks (Java, with player warnings via a plugin or `say`): - Send Command: `say Server restarting in 5 minutes.` - Send Command: `say Server restarting in 1 minute.` (offset 240s) - Send Power Action: Restart (offset 300s) ## Common Issues - **"Failed to verify username"** (Java): A player without a paid Minecraft account tried to connect while `online-mode=true`. They need a real account, or you would have to set `online-mode=false` (insecure for public servers, not recommended). - **Plugin or mod errors after a Minecraft update**: Plugins and mods must be updated for each MC version. Check compatibility before bumping your server version. - **Modded server out of memory**: Raise the JVM heap (`Xmx`) in the Startup tab. - **Lag spikes every 30 seconds or so**: Often auto-save. On Paper, tune the save interval, or schedule less frequent full saves. Spark profiling confirms whether saves are the cause. - **TPS drops as the server fills up**: Lower view-distance and simulation-distance, profile with Spark, and cap entities. Confirm you are running Paper, not vanilla. - **Bedrock players cannot connect to a Java server**: That requires [Geyser](/knowledge-base/minecraft/geyser-crossplay/), not a config change. ## What to Read Next - [Java: Getting Started](/knowledge-base/minecraft/java-getting-started/) for memory allocation basics - [Java: Plugins](/knowledge-base/minecraft/java-plugins/) (Spark is listed there) for profiling tools - [Java: Mods](/knowledge-base/minecraft/java-mods/) for modded-specific memory guidance - [How to Create a Backup](/knowledge-base/general/how-to-create-a-backup/) for the panel backup workflow in detail - [Minecraft Server Commands](/knowledge-base/minecraft/admin-commands/) for `/save-off`, `/save-all` and the safe backup sequence --- Made with 💜 by GameServerKings