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Server Manager Wiki

Welcome to the GitHub wiki for Server Manager. This wiki is split into focused pages so users can find setup, architecture, operations, and troubleshooting information more quickly than in the original single-file document.

Quick Navigation

Page	Contents
Getting Started	Overview, requirements, installation, startup, shutdown
Architecture and Processes	Directory layout, module boundaries, launcher, process model
Desktop Dashboard	Main dashboard, admin dashboard, automation UI, console, tray icon
Web Interface and API	Browser pages, web server, API endpoints, auth flow
Server Management	Install/start/stop/restart/update workflows and Minecraft support
Database and Authentication	Database backends, schemas, user model, password hashing, 2FA
Security and Clustering	Security model, SSL/TLS, cluster design, join workflow, cluster APIs
Operations and Monitoring	IPC services, logging, analytics, SNMP, Grafana, email notifications
Troubleshooting and Reference	Diagnostics, firewall, uninstall, troubleshooting, config reference

Notes

• Source material was migrated from the repository file WIKI.md.
• Screenshots continue to use the repository-hosted image paths under docs/images/screenshots.
• The original long-form document remains available in the main repository for offline/reference use.

Original Overview

Server Manager — Technical Wiki

Version: 1.4.1 Platform: Windows 10/11, Windows Server 2016+ (Linux support in early development)
Developer: Sparks Skywere Repository: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SparksSkywere/servermanager

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Table of Contents

• Server Manager — Technical Wiki
  • Table of Contents
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. System Requirements
    • Windows (Primary Platform)
    • Linux (Experimental)
    • Python Dependencies
  • 3. Installation
    • 3.1 Windows Installation
    • 3.2 Linux Installation
    • 3.3 Manual Installation
    • 3.4 Post-Installation Steps
  • 4. Architecture and Project Structure
    • 4.1 Directory Layout
    • 4.2 Module Dependency Map
    • 4.3 Registry Configuration
  • 5. Starting and Stopping the Application
    • 5.1 Desktop Mode
    • 5.2 Windows Service Mode
    • 5.3 Shutdown Procedure
  • 6. The Launcher and Process Management
  • 7. Desktop Dashboard (Tkinter GUI)
    • 7.1 Main Dashboard
    • 7.2 Admin Dashboard
    • 7.3 Automation Settings Window
    • 7.4 Server Console
    • 7.5 System Tray Icon
  • 8. Web Interface
    • 8.1 Accessing the Web Interface
    • 8.2 Login Page
    • 8.3 Web Dashboard
    • 8.4 Create Server Page
    • 8.5 Admin Panel (Web)
    • 8.6 Cluster Management Page
  • 9. Web Server and REST API
    • 9.1 Flask Web Server
    • 9.2 API Endpoints Reference
    • 9.3 Authentication Flow
  • 10. Server Management
    • 10.1 Creating and Installing Servers
    • 10.2 Starting Servers
    • 10.3 Stopping Servers
    • 10.4 Restarting Servers
    • 10.5 Server Updates
    • 10.6 Server Console and Command Input
    • 10.7 Server Automation (MOTD, Warnings, Schedules)
  • 11. Minecraft Server Management
    • 11.1 Supported Modloaders
    • 11.2 Java Version Management
    • 11.3 Java Configurator CLI
  • 12. Database Layer
    • 12.1 Supported Database Backends
    • 12.2 Database Files and Schema
    • 12.3 Server Configurations Database
    • 12.4 User Database
    • 12.5 Steam Apps Database
    • 12.6 Minecraft Database
    • 12.7 Cluster Database
    • 12.8 Console State Database
    • 12.9 Database Migration and Schema Updates
    • 12.10 Database Population Scripts
  • 13. User Management and Authentication
    • 13.1 User Model
    • 13.2 Password Hashing
    • 13.3 Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
    • 13.4 Authentication Backends
    • 13.5 Resetting Admin Credentials
  • 14. Security
    • 14.1 Web Security
    • 14.2 Network Security
    • 14.3 SSL/TLS Certificate Management
    • 14.4 Cluster Security
  • 15. Clustering and Multi-Node Management
    • 15.1 Cluster Architecture (Host/Subhost)
    • 15.2 Join Request Workflow
    • 15.3 Cluster API Endpoints
    • 15.4 Agent Management GUI
  • 16. Services and Inter-Process Communication
    • 16.1 Command Queue
    • 16.2 Stdin Relay (Named Pipes)
    • 16.3 Persistent Stdin Pipe
    • 16.4 Dashboard Tracker
  • 17. Logging System
    • 17.1 Log Manager
    • 17.2 Log File Locations
    • 17.3 Log Rotation and Maintenance
  • 18. Monitoring and Analytics
    • 18.1 Analytics Collector
    • 18.2 SNMP Integration
    • 18.3 Grafana and Prometheus Integration
  • 19. Email Notifications (SMTP)
    • 19.1 Mail Server Configuration
    • 19.2 OAuth 2.0 for Microsoft Exchange
    • 19.3 Notification Templates
  • 20. Diagnostics and Debugging
    • 20.1 Debug Manager
    • 20.2 Diagnostic Reports
    • 20.3 Debug Center GUI
  • 21. Network Management
  • 22. Firewall Configuration
  • 23. Uninstallation
    • Windows Uninstallation
    • Linux Uninstallation
  • 24. Troubleshooting
    • Application Will Not Start
    • Web Interface Not Accessible
    • Database Connection Errors
    • Server Will Not Start
    • Commands Not Reaching Server
    • 2FA Issues
    • Cluster Nodes Not Connecting
  • 25. Configuration Reference
    • 25.1 Registry Keys
    • 25.2 Environment Variables
    • 25.3 Default Ports
    • 25.4 Automation Settings Fields

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1. Introduction

Server Manager is a server management platform developed by Sparks Skywere for managing dedicated. It provides both a desktop GUI and a web-based platform for administering servers from a local machine or across various networks (All self hosted too!).

The application is designed to run on Windows with administrator privileges and offers the following core capabilities:

• Server Management — Install, start, stop, restart, and update game servers through a unified interface.
• Real-Time Server Console — Interactive console that connects to running server processes, allowing operators to view output and send commands in real time through multiple input methods including named pipes and file-based command queues.
• Automated Operations — Schedule server restarts with pre-restart warning broadcasts, MOTD (Message of the Day) announcements at configurable intervals, and automatic update checking with seamless update-and-restart workflows.
• Multi-Node Clustering — A Host/Subhost topology that allows a central Host node to manage multiple Subhost nodes across a network. Nodes join via a secure request-and-approval workflow, and the Host can remotely control servers on any connected Subhost.
• Web-Based Dashboard — A web interface served from a Flask web server (via Waitress WSGI) that provides server management, user administration, analytics charts, and cluster management from any browser on the network.
• User Management with 2FA — Multi-user support with role-based access control (admin/user), bcrypt password hashing, and optional TOTP-based two-factor authentication.
• Monitoring and Metrics — Real-time analytics collection with health scoring, Prometheus-format metrics endpoint, SNMP monitoring support, and Grafana integration with pre-built dashboard configurations.
• Email Notifications — SMTP-based email notifications using templates for events such as server alerts, account lockouts, password resets, maintenance windows, and welcome messages. Supports Gmail, Outlook, Office365, Yahoo, custom SMTP, and OAuth 2.0 for Microsoft Exchange.
• Security — Rate limiting, CSRF protection, input validation (SQL injection and XSS prevention), account lockout, path traversal prevention, SSL/TLS certificate management, and network-level access control.

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