Java Reference
In-Depth Information
APPENDIX
4
How to Install a Cloud Server
You can run a Minecraft server on your own computer, but there are some
drawbacks to doing that. The biggest one is that your computer needs to be
powered on and connected to the Internet 24×7. That's a little difficult on a
laptop. Also, anything you're doing personally on the computer may slow
down the Minecraft server and all your players—and anything the server is
doing will slow down the other programs on your computer. So if a lot of folks
want to connect to your server and play on it, you might prefer to set up a
remote server in the cloud.
Setting up a Minecraft server in the cloud is very similar to setting up a
server locally, with one important difference: you don't have physical access
to the computer that's running your Minecraft server. That means no key-
board, no screen, no power switch or reboot button. But no worries; you know
how to use the command line, and that's all you need.
We'll see what this all means and how to work with it in this appendix.
What Is the Cloud?
Some say that “the cloud” is really just a big rack of computers in Virginia.
That's actually not far from the truth, as Amazon and others do maintain
large data centers in that area, plus in California and many other spots around
the world. “The cloud” is just a bunch of computers somewhere on the Internet.
When people talk about a computers in the cloud, they mean a computer
that is accessed only over the Internet, that you might not even know (or care
about) the physical location of, and that someone else owns and maintains.
As you can see, that's a pretty generic and flexible definition. A huge variety
of cloud services is available, with an equally huge range of pricing, reliability,
