ShardkeepShardkeep

Free software · self-hosted · AGPL-3.0

A control plane for Minecraft networks

Run every server in your network, and the Velocity proxy in front of them, across your own machines from one web UI and a public API.

Quick install Read the docs Source on GitLab

Early days: Shardkeep is young and moving fast. Try it, and tell us what breaks.

The Network page: the address players join, the running Velocity proxy, the lobby order and the servers in the network.

Built for networks, not single servers

Panels manage servers one by one. Shardkeep manages the network: where each server runs, how players reach it, and what happens when a machine or the Controller goes away.

  • One address for the whole network

    Players join play.example.com. Shardkeep runs Velocity in front of your Paper, Purpur and Folia servers, keeps its server list current as servers come, go and move, and locks backends to the proxy with modern forwarding.

  • Nodes dial out

    Each machine runs an Agent that connects to the Controller over mutual TLS. No inbound ports except Minecraft’s, no exposed Docker API, and it works behind NAT. Private keys never leave the Node.

  • Keeps running without the Controller

    If the Controller goes down, servers keep running and scheduled backups and restarts keep firing. Nodes catch up when it returns.

  • Backups, migration and cloning

    Scheduled, encrypted backups to S3 or a Node’s disk, with retention. Restore in place or as a new server, and move a server to another Node.

  • Verified software and plugins

    Paper, Purpur, Folia, Vanilla and Velocity from a signed catalog, every download checked against its hash. Plugins from Modrinth and Hangar with compatibility checks.

  • Teams, roles and an audit log

    Give people access to their team’s servers only, with built-in or custom roles. Every change is recorded, and everything the web UI does is in the public API.

How it works

  1. Install the Controller.It comes with its first Node, so you can create servers right away.
  2. Add more Nodes.One command per machine. The Agent enrolls with a one-time token and connects out.
  3. Create servers.Shardkeep places them, installs the software, wires the proxy and keeps each one the way you asked.
How Shardkeep fits togetherPlayers connect to one address, which reaches the Velocity proxy on a Node. The proxy forwards them to the network's servers on any Node. Each Node's Agent connects out to the Controller over mutual TLS; the Controller never connects in, and it is not in the players' path.Playersplay.example.comNode AVelocity proxylobby · Papersurvival · PurpurAgentNode BAgentminigames · FoliaControllerweb UI · API · desired statemTLS, outbound
Players reach one address. Agents dial out to the Controller; nothing connects in to a Node except Minecraft.
A server's overview: desired and observed state, how players connect through the network, resources and conditions.
What you asked for, and what the Node reports.
The create-server wizard, choosing between Paper, Purpur, Folia and Vanilla, in the light theme.
A new server in six short steps, in either theme.

Quick install

On a Linux machine with Docker Engine and the Compose plugin, as root:

curl -fsSL https://shardkeep.gg/install.sh | sh

It installs to /opt/shardkeep, asks for the name people will use to reach this machine, starts Shardkeep with its first Node, and tells you how to finish setup in your browser. Run it again later to upgrade. Read the script before you run it.

Prefer to do it by hand?
mkdir -p /opt/shardkeep && cd /opt/shardkeep
curl -fsSLo compose.yml https://gitlab.com/shardkeep/shardkeep/-/releases/permalink/latest/downloads/compose.yml
curl -fsSLo .env https://gitlab.com/shardkeep/shardkeep/-/releases/permalink/latest/downloads/env.example
chmod 600 .env
# Set SHARDKEEP_PUBLIC_NAME and POSTGRES_PASSWORD in .env, then:
docker compose up -d
docker compose exec controller shardkeep admin setup-code

Next: first-run setup, adding Nodes and your network’s address in the documentation.

Community

Shardkeep is built in the open by a small team and anyone who wants to help.

Our promise: everything you can self-host stays free and open. A hosted service, if one ever exists, will only add hosting, billing, managed operations and support.