docker-minecraft-server/docs/misc/autoscale/autoscale.md

Autoscaling (sleep when idle)

Autoscaling (sometimes called sleeping, scale to zero or wake on join) is the pattern of stopping a Minecraft server when nobody is playing and starting it again when someone tries to connect with the intention of saving resources when the server is not in use (e.g., on a VPS with limited CPU/RAM or a home server).

mc-router

mc-router is a Minecraft-aware router/multiplexer.

• Routes players by the hostname they connect with (useful for multiple servers behind one port)
• Can auto-start a backend container on join and stop it again after an idle timeout

Examples:

• See the mc-router section in Examples

Lazymc

Lazymc can keep a server “asleep” until a player connects. With Docker it’s commonly used via lazymc-docker-proxy.

• Players connect to the proxy; the proxy starts/stops the server container
• Usually requires a static IP for the Minecraft container on a user-defined network

Example:

• See the Lazymc section in Examples

Lazytainer

Lazytainer starts/stops containers based on network traffic.

• Uses packet thresholds + inactivity timeouts (not Minecraft hostname aware)
• Can be triggered by port scans/pings in noisy environments

Example:

• See the Lazytainer section in Examples