Swarm Hosts / Guides

First Swarm Server

Launch a Minecraft Java server, check that it is ready, and connect your first player. Once you know this flow, you can use the same steps with another game and its game guide.

Before You Start

  • Sign in to your Swarm Hosts account.
  • Install the agent if you have not connected a computer yet.
  • Open Swarm hosts and confirm your host is online and its container runtime is ready. An online agent alone does not mean Docker or Podman is ready.
  • Leave enough CPU, memory, and disk space for the game and the operating system. For a small Minecraft server, start with 2 CPU cores and 4 GiB of server memory.

Using a spare machine? The old PC Minecraft guide covers hardware, uptime, and backup planning.

Launch The Server

  1. Open Launch a server and choose Minecraft Java.
  2. Choose an online swarm host or a Swarm Zone with enough capacity.
  3. Enter a server name and set CPU and memory limits.
  4. Choose the offered server type and Minecraft version.
  5. Review the game settings, including the player limit, game mode, and difficulty.
  6. Keep Authenticate with Mojang enabled for a normal public server. Review the Minecraft EULA before launching; the managed server is configured to accept it.
  7. Optionally select Review compatibility to check the non-secret Minecraft settings, game image version, and selected managed content together.
  8. Click Launch Minecraft Java, review the server details, then confirm Launch server.

The optional compatibility review creates nothing and does not reserve capacity, stage data, launch, or apply content. Changing a reviewed setting, version, or content selection clears the result. Reload and review again when a saved template, version, or content selection is stale. A compatible result is advice about the reviewed inputs, not a guarantee: Launch separately revalidates the current choices and host capacity.

Version choices depend on the game. If no version selector is available, Swarm Hosts uses its current managed image for that game.

What Swarm Hosts Does For You

Swarm Hosts checks your access and the host's available resources, assigns ports from its allowed range, and sends the launch task to the agent. You do not need to choose host ports manually.

The host normally needs enough free CPU and memory for the limits you request. Enabling Allow over commit under Swarm Host → Operations → Capacity bypasses CPU and memory capacity checks; port checks still apply. Leave it off for your first server so you can learn what the machine can comfortably run.

Watch It Start

Open Swarm Servers, then select your new server. The usual status sequence is:

  • pending_deploy: the launch is queued.
  • dispatched: the launch task is assigned to the host for execution.
  • running: the container has started and any configured startup check passed.

The first launch may take longer while the game downloads. If it fails, open Activity & Logs for the error or Help for diagnostics and suggested fixes.

Use The Swarm Server Detail Page

The server page brings together connection details, status, and resource limits. Use its main sections to find the next task:

  • Server Tools → Actions: game-specific tools, such as Minecraft player management. Other tools depend on the game and enabled features.
  • Settings: game configuration, resource limits, versions, and sharing.
  • Files & Backups: world files, backup schedules, and restore points.
  • Activity & Logs: startup output, health history, and monitoring.
  • Help: diagnostics and a support report you can copy.

Connect Players

Copy the player address from the Swarm Server page. It may use a managed relay, a custom hostname, or the host's public IP. Use the displayed port, not Minecraft's default container port.

In Minecraft Java, choose Multiplayer → Add Server or Direct Connection and enter the displayed address.

Wait for the Minecraft Java status check to pass before inviting players. A running container or an open TCP port alone does not prove the game is ready. Join once yourself and confirm that the world loads.

If friends cannot connect, check Relays and Port Forwarding and Troubleshooting. Other games may use TCP, UDP, or both; follow their game-specific connection instructions.

After The First Launch

Create a backup under Files & Backups → Backups and set a backup schedule. Check CPU and memory in Activity & Logs → Monitor while people play, then adjust limits if needed. If these game settings work well, save them as a named non-secret template from Settings → Minecraft Java Settings so you can select it on a later launch. Review the full launch form each time because templates do not carry passwords, resources, placement, worlds, content, or the game version. See Settings, templates, and versions for the safe reuse flow, or use the Minecraft guide when you are ready to change settings, manage players, or add content.

Saving changed Minecraft settings redeploys the server and disconnects players. If the server is stopped, saving those settings starts it.