The startup queue

Starting a Minecraft server takes a lot of memory and CPU for its first minute or two. If many servers started at once on the same machine, every server on it would lag. The startup queue lets servers start one after another, as fast as each node has room.

What you see

Most of the time a start goes straight through. When a node is busy, the console shows Waiting in startup queue with your place in line. The server starts by itself when its turn comes, and your place is kept if you leave the page. A player who joins the address while the server waits is held in the lobby and moved over once it’s up.

The queue waits for three things on the server’s node:

Free memory for the server’s plan.
A free boot slot. Only a few servers boot at the same moment on each node.
Spare CPU, for free servers. When a node’s CPU is very busy, usually in the evening, free starts wait until it calms down. Paid starts still go.

Who goes first

The queue mostly keeps the order servers asked in, with these exceptions:

Paid plans and 24/7 servers go ahead of free servers. They still wait for memory on their node.
Lobby ranks give free servers a head start of a few minutes. The rank of the server owner or of the player asking for the start counts, whichever is higher. A head start never jumps a server ahead of one that has waited longer than the head start.
Smaller servers may go first if the first server in line needs more memory than is free. It keeps its place for 2 minutes, then smaller starts that fit are let through.

Moving to a quieter node

If a server waits too long because its node is full, the panel can move it to another node with room. Free servers move after about 10 minutes, if their files are small enough. Paid servers move after about 5 minutes. The console says the server is being moved, and the start continues on the new node in its old place in line. Moving doesn’t change the address.

Leave the queue

Click Abort start on the console, or Cancel start on the dashboard, to give up your place.