> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://new-docs.simplecloud.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Servers

> Understanding server instances in your SimpleCloud network

A server is a running Minecraft instance - the actual Java process that players connect to. Servers are ephemeral by default: they exist only while running and can be created or destroyed as needed.

Every server belongs to either a [Group](/en/manual/setup/groups) or a [Persistent Server](/en/manual/setup/persistent-servers).

## How Servers are Created

### From Groups

Groups create servers automatically based on player demand:

* Auto-scaling spins up new servers when players join and removes idle ones when demand drops
* Minimum count ensures servers are always available, even with no players
* Multiple instances run simultaneously (Lobby-1, Lobby-2, Lobby-3, etc.)
* You can also manually start additional servers when needed

### From Persistent Servers

Persistent servers are single instances that don't scale:

* Always the same server - just on or off
* Maintains its world and data between restarts
* Ideal for gamemodes like Skyblock, SMP, or Citybuild

## Server Lifecycle

Every server progresses through these states:

```mermaid theme={null}
stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> QUEUED
    QUEUED --> PREPARING
    PREPARING --> STARTING
    STARTING --> AVAILABLE
    AVAILABLE --> INGAME : Players join
    INGAME --> AVAILABLE : Players leave
    AVAILABLE --> STOPPING
    INGAME --> STOPPING
    STOPPING --> STOPPED
    STOPPED --> [*]
```

| State         | Description                                          |
| ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| **Queued**    | Waiting for a server host to be assigned             |
| **Preparing** | Template files being copied to the runtime directory |
| **Starting**  | JVM process launching, plugins loading               |
| **Available** | Ready for players, registered with proxy             |
| **Ingame**    | Has active players connected                         |
| **Stopping**  | Graceful shutdown in progress                        |
| **Stopped**   | Process terminated, runtime cleaned up               |

## Server Properties

* Each server inherits properties from its group or persistent server configuration
* Instance-specific property overrides are possible at runtime
* Properties are available to plugins via the Cloud API and as environment variables

## Server Host Allocation

Servers don't run in a vacuum - they're assigned to server hosts:

* The controller assigns servers to hosts based on deployment settings
* Priority order determines which host is preferred when multiple are available
* Each server runs in its own isolated directory on the host