Game server glossary: the words hosts use
Plain English definitions of the words you meet when you rent a game server, from allocation and allowlist to TPS, wipes and SRV records, with a link to the fuller guide for each big one.
6 min read · Updated Oct 21, 2026 · By GuavaHost Team
Hosting has a lot of jargon, and most of it is simpler than it sounds. Skim it once and the guides, the panel and the people in Discord all make more sense. It is alphabetical, so you can come back for one word.
A to C
Allocation. An IP and port pairing reserved for your server. Your main one is the address players connect to, and extra ones cover RCON, a query port, voice chat or a live map. See adding and managing server ports.
Allowlist. Minecraft Bedrock's list of the only players allowed to join. Java calls the same thing a whitelist. Turning it on with no names on it blocks everybody, including you. See allowlist and whitelist explained.
Backup. A saved copy of every file on your server at one moment in time. Restoring one replaces your current files with that copy, so it is a rollback, not a merge. See backups.
Console. The live log of your server, plus a box to type commands into. It is where you read the error when something breaks. See using the console.
D to I
Datapack. Minecraft Java's own way of changing recipes, loot tables, advancements and world generation without a mod. It installs inside the world folder and players do not install anything. See installing datapacks.
DDoS. Distributed denial of service: an attacker floods your server's connection with junk traffic from many sources so real players cannot get through. Filtering it is included on every server. See how DDoS protection works.
Egg. The behind the scenes recipe a game panel uses to install a game and work out how to start it, including which settings to expose as startup options. You rarely touch one, but the word turns up in panel documentation.
FTP and SFTP. Two ways to move files between your computer and your server with a desktop app. SFTP is the secure one and the one to use. See uploading files with SFTP and SFTP versus FTP.
Heap. The memory a Java program is allowed to use, set with flags like -Xms and -Xmx. "java.lang.OutOfMemoryError: Java heap space" means the server asked for more than its limit. See Java heap space out of memory.
J to M
JAR. A single packaged Java file. The Minecraft Java server itself is a .jar (paper.jar, server.jar), and so is each plugin and each Fabric or Forge mod, which is why it is easy to put one in the wrong folder.
Mod. A change to the game itself, loaded by a mod loader. Mods can add new blocks, items and creatures, and usually every player needs the same mod too. See mods vs plugins vs modpacks vs datapacks.
Mod loader. The layer that lets mods run: Fabric, Forge or NeoForge on Minecraft Java, BepInEx on Valheim. The loader must match the game version, and the mod must match the loader. See installing Fabric and Forge mods.
Modpack. A tested bundle of mods, configs and often a specific loader version, published as one thing. The point of a pack is that everyone runs the identical version, server included. See installing a modpack.
MOTD. Message of the day: the line under your server's name in the in-game server list, and the only advertising most players ever see. See MOTD and server icon.
MSPT. Milliseconds per tick: the time your server actually spends doing one tick of work. It is the honest performance number, because it keeps getting worse after TPS has already bottomed out at its cap. See reading TPS and MSPT.
N to R
Node. One physical machine in a host's fleet, running many customer servers in separate containers. It decides your location and which ports are free. See what is a dedicated game server.
Op. Operator: a Minecraft player with in-game admin powers, granted with op <name> from the console. It is a blunt instrument, so busy servers use a permissions plugin instead. See op yourself.
Ping. The round trip time between a player and the server, in milliseconds. It comes from distance, so a closer location fixes it and a bigger plan does not. See lag versus ping.
Plugin. An add-on that runs only on the server, so players join with the normal unmodified game. Paper, Spigot and Purpur run Minecraft Java plugins; vanilla ignores them. See Paper vs Purpur vs Spigot vs Fabric vs Forge.
Port. The numbered door your server listens on, written after the IP with a colon: 123.45.67.89:25565. Games default to different ports, and some need a second one. See ports explained and TCP versus UDP.
Pre-generation. Building your world's chunks ahead of time rather than while players explore, so the server is not doing both at once. It trades disk space for smoothness. See chunk loading and pre-generation.
RCON. Remote console: a protocol that lets an outside tool send console commands to your server, usually on its own port with its own password. Discord bots use it. See what is RCON.
Restart versus kill. Restart and Stop ask the game to shut down properly, so it saves the world first. Force stop kills the process immediately, for a frozen server, and can lose anything unsaved. See start, stop and restart.
S to Z
Shared and dedicated IP. A shared IP is one address used by several servers, each on its own port, which is normal. A dedicated IP is yours alone, so you can hand out the IP without a port. See dedicated versus shared IP.
SRV record. A DNS record that lets a domain carry a port as well as an address, so Minecraft Java players can type play.yourserver.com and no number. See using a custom domain with an SRV record.
Sub-user. Someone you give panel access to your server, with only the permissions you pick and without sharing your account. See giving a friend access with sub-users.
Tick. One step of the game's simulation loop. Everything the world does happens on a tick, so the tick rate is the heartbeat of a server. See what is a server tick.
TPS. Ticks per second. Minecraft aims for 20 and cannot go higher, so TPS below 20 means the server is behind and the world is running in slow motion. Read it with MSPT. See reading TPS and MSPT.
Whitelist. Minecraft Java's name for the allowlist: the list of the only players allowed to join. See whitelist without locking yourself out.
Wipe. Deliberately clearing progress to start a fresh cycle, standard practice on Rust, where a map wipe clears the world and a blueprint wipe also resets what players have learned. See Rust wipes.
Common questions
What is the difference between a mod and a plugin?
A plugin runs only on the server and uses features the game already has, so players join with an unmodified game. A mod changes the game itself through a mod loader and can add genuinely new content, but usually every player has to install it too.
Is a whitelist the same as an allowlist?
Yes, they are the same feature with two names: Minecraft Java says whitelist and Bedrock says allowlist. Both are a list of the only players allowed in, and both block everyone if you switch the list on before adding any names.
Do I need to understand all of this to run a server?
No. Address and port, console, backups and restarts cover almost everything day to day. The rest of these words turn up when you start modding, tuning performance or automating things, and you can look them up then.
Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.
- glossary
- terminology
- definitions
- hosting-basics
- onboarding
Still need help? Our team is online 24/7 to answer questions.