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How to Take a Timings Report on a Minecraft Server
Server lagging and not sure why? A Timings report shows which plugins, worlds or processes put the most load on your server.
What you need before you start
- An active Minecraft server on Redfox Cloud.
- OP permissions in the game or access to the server console in the control panel.
- An FTP client (WinSCP or FileZilla) if your server runs Bukkit or SpongeForge.
On Bukkit and SpongeForge servers you need to change a setting and restart the server. Players will be disconnected during the restart.
Running the report
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Find out your server platform
The commands depend on which platform your server runs. In the game or the console, enter:
/versionThe response shows the platform name, e.g. Paper or Spigot. On a SpongeForge server, use /sponge version.
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Start profiling
Choose your server platform:
Since version 1.21, Paper includes the Spark profiler. Enter this command (OP permissions required):
/spark profiler start --timeout 600Once you run the command, Spark starts collecting data. The number 600 is the duration in seconds, i.e. 10 minutes.
Spigot doesn’t include Spark, so first install the Spark plugin. See How to upload a plugin to the server for the steps. Once installed, enter this command with OP permissions:
/spark profiler start --timeout 600- Open the bukkit.yml file in your FTP client.
- Find and change this line:
plugin-profiling: true - Restart the server and enter:
/timings reset
- Stop the Minecraft server.
- Open the config/sponge/global.conf file in your FTP client.
- Find and change this line:
verbose=true - Start the server.
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Wait while data is collected
On Paper and Spigot, the report is ready automatically after 10 minutes. On Bukkit and SpongeForge, wait at least a few minutes.
TipStart profiling while the server is lagging and players are online. A report from an empty server won’t show the problem.
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Open the report
Choose your server platform:
A link to the report appears in the console. Open it in your browser.
Click the link to open the report. Enter the command:
/timings mergedA timings folder will appear in the server files. Open the .txt file inside it with your FTP client to view the report.
Enter the command:
/sponge timings reportAfter a few minutes, a link to the report appears in the console.
Did it work?
If the report opens with your server’s performance data, you’re done. Not sure what the numbers mean? See the key metrics below, or send the link to our support team.
FAQ
The command isn’t recognised (“Unknown command”)
Check that you have OP permissions. On Spigot, make sure the Spark plugin is installed and the server has been restarted. Paper versions older than 1.21 don’t include Spark, so use /timings report or install the Spark plugin.
What do TPS and MSPT mean?
TPS shows how many times per second the server updates the game. The best value is 20. MSPT shows how many milliseconds one update takes. If it goes above 50 ms, the server can’t keep up and players experience lag.
How do I find what’s causing the load?
In the Spark report, expand the tree and look for the entries that take up the largest share of time. It’s usually a specific plugin, too many entities (mobs, items) or new chunks being generated.
Is it safe to share the report link?
Anyone with the link can open the report. It shows server performance data and your plugin list, so only share it with people who need it, such as our support team.
What’s next
If you run into trouble, contact us via live chat or email.