Complete Guide to Performance Optimization in Minecraft Java Servers

Learn how to optimize your Minecraft Java server for maximum performance through hardware configuration, server settings, and best practices.
optimization
performance
server
minecraft

Introduction

This guide covers comprehensive server optimization techniques, from JVM arguments and server configurations to plugin optimization and world settings, helping you achieve the best possible performance for your Minecraft server.

Hardware Optimization

Recommended Specifications

  1. CPU Requirements

    • Single-thread performance priority
    • Recommended: 4.0GHz+ clock speed
    • Multiple cores for additional services

  2. RAM Allocation

    • Minimum: 4GB for small servers
    • Recommended: 8-16GB for medium servers
    • Large servers: 16GB+ based on plugins/players

  3. Storage

    • SSD strongly recommended
    • NVMe for best performance
    • RAID configurations for redundancy

Storage Configuration

# Linux fstab optimization
/dev/sda1 /minecraft ext4 noatime,nodiratime,errors=remount-ro 0 1

Java Virtual Machine (JVM) Optimization

Garbage Collection

  1. Aikar's Flags (Recommended)
java -Xms6G -Xmx6G -XX:+UseG1GC -XX:+ParallelRefProcEnabled -XX:MaxGCPauseMillis=200 
-XX:+UnlockExperimentalVMOptions -XX:+DisableExplicitGC -XX:+AlwaysPreTouch 
-XX:G1NewSizePercent=30 -XX:G1MaxNewSizePercent=40 -XX:G1HeapRegionSize=8M 
-XX:G1ReservePercent=20 -XX:G1HeapWastePercent=5 -XX:G1MixedGCCountTarget=4 
-XX:InitiatingHeapOccupancyPercent=15 -XX:G1MixedGCLiveThresholdPercent=90 
-XX:G1RSetUpdatingPauseTimePercent=5 -XX:SurvivorRatio=32 -XX:+PerfDisableSharedMem 
-XX:MaxTenuringThreshold=1 -Dusing.aikars.flags=https://mcflags.emc.gs 
-Daikars.new.flags=true
  1. Memory Settings
# For servers with 8GB RAM
-Xms6G -Xmx6G

# For servers with 16GB RAM
-Xms12G -Xmx12G

Never allocate 100% of system RAM to Minecraft

Server Configuration

server.properties Optimization

# Performance settings
view-distance=8
simulation-distance=6
max-tick-time=60000
network-compression-threshold=512
max-players=100

# Game rules
spawn-protection=0
max-world-size=25000

spigot.yml Configuration

settings:
  save-user-cache-on-stop-only: true
  moved-wrongly-threshold: 0.0625
  moved-too-quickly-multiplier: 10.0
  
world-settings:
  default:
    mob-spawn-range: 6
    entity-activation-range:
      animals: 16
      monsters: 24
      raiders: 48
      misc: 8
    merge-radius:
      item: 2.5
      exp: 3.0
    item-despawn-rate: 6000
    arrow-despawn-rate: 300

paper.yml Optimization

world-settings:
  default:
    prevent-moving-into-unloaded-chunks: true
    max-auto-save-chunks-per-tick: 6
    optimize-explosions: true
    mob-spawner-tick-rate: 2
    container-update-tick-rate: 3
    grass-spread-tick-rate: 4
    hopper:
      disable-move-event: true
      cooldown-when-full: true
    max-entity-collisions: 2
    use-faster-eigencraft-redstone: true
    armor-stands-tick: false

World Optimization

Pre-Generation

  1. Using WorldBorder
/wb set 5000
/wb fill 20
/wb trim
  1. Chunk Loading
/chunky radius 5000
/chunky start

View Distance Management

# per-player-view-distance.yml
default-view-distance: 8
max-view-distance: 12
min-view-distance: 4

Plugin Optimization

Plugin Management

  1. Essential Plugins Only

    • Remove unused plugins
    • Combine plugin functionality
    • Use lightweight alternatives

  2. Plugin Monitoring

/timings on
/timings paste

Common Plugin Optimizations

  1. ClearLag Settings
interval: 6000
remove:
  dropped-items: true
  vehicles: false
  animals:
    enabled: false
    interval: 12000
  1. CoreProtect
check-updates: false
database:
  max-async-insert-size: 1000
  buffer-size: 1000

Entity and Redstone Management

Entity Limits

# paper.yml
per-player-mob-spawns: true
spawn-limits:
  monsters: 50
  animals: 10
  water-animals: 5
  ambient: 1

Redstone Settings

redstone:
  engine-mode: alternate
  disable-observer-diagonal: true
  disable-tripwire-duplication: true

Monitoring and Profiling

Diagnostic Tools

  1. Spark Plugin
/spark profiler
/spark healthreport
/spark tps
  1. Timings Analysis
/timings on
/timings report

Performance Monitoring

Performance Testing

Benchmarking

  1. TPS Testing
/tps
/mspt
  1. Load Testing
/perf start
/perf stop

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions

  1. High CPU Usage

    • Check entity counts
    • Review redstone machines
    • Monitor chunk loading
    • Profile plugin usage

  2. Memory Leaks

    • Monitor heap usage
    • Check plugin memory usage
    • Review garbage collection
    • Analyze memory dumps

  3. Lag Spikes

    • Check disk I/O
    • Monitor network traffic
    • Review automatic saving
    • Check chunk loading

Best Practices

General Guidelines

  1. Regular Maintenance

    • Clear old player data
    • Remove unused plugins
    • Update configurations
    • Monitor performance

  2. World Management

    • Regular backups
    • World border limits
    • Entity cleanup
    • Chunk pre-generation

  3. Plugin Management

    • Regular updates
    • Configuration review
    • Remove duplicates
    • Monitor impact

Advanced Optimization

Network Optimization

  1. TCP Settings (Linux)
sysctl -w net.ipv4.tcp_fastopen=3
sysctl -w net.core.rmem_max=16777216
sysctl -w net.core.wmem_max=16777216
  1. Firewall Configuration
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 25565 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 25565 -j ACCEPT

Database Optimization

  1. MySQL Settings
innodb_buffer_pool_size = 512M
innodb_log_file_size = 256M
innodb_flush_log_at_trx_commit = 0
  1. SQLite Optimization
database:
  type: SQLite
  synchronous: OFF
  journal_mode: MEMORY

Conclusion

Server optimization is an ongoing process that requires regular monitoring and adjustments. By following this guide, you can create a solid foundation for a high-performance Minecraft server.

Additional Resources