Glossary: hosting and panel words explained

2 min readUpdated Oct 27, 2026

Plain-English meanings of the words you see in the ESN panel and docs, like console, startup variables, SFTP, port, RAM, subuser and backup.

New to hosting? Here's what the words in the panel and these guides mean.

Panel: The website where you manage your servers: panel.esnoffical.com.
Server: Your own space on ESN that runs one thing: a bot, a Minecraft world, a game server, a website or a VPS-lite container.
Console: The live output of your server, plus Start, Stop and Restart buttons and a box to send commands. See Using the console.
Main file / start file: The file your server runs when it starts, such as main.py or index.js. Set on the Startup page.
Startup variables: Settings on the Startup page that tell the server how to run, like the main file, the version or a jar name. See Startup settings.
Docker Image: The box on the Startup page where you pick the language or Java version, for example Python 3.13 or Node.js 24.
SFTP: A secure way to move files between your computer and your server with an app like FileZilla or WinSCP. See Uploading files.
Top folder: The first folder you see in Files. Your main file, requirements.txt or package.json usually need to be here, not inside a subfolder.
RAM (memory): How much your server can hold in memory at once. When a server goes over its plan's RAM it gets stopped. See How much RAM a Minecraft server needs.
CPU: Processing power. The Console page shows how much your server is using.
Disk: Storage space for your files, worlds, logs and backups.
Port: The number players or visitors connect to, shown on your server's Network page. Your app must listen on that port.
IP address: The address of the machine your server runs on. Together with the port, it's what players type to join a game server.
Bot token: The secret password your bot uses to log in to Discord. Keep it in a .env file and never share it. See Create a bot and get its token.
Intents: Switches in the Discord Developer Portal that let your bot receive certain data, like message content or member lists.
Packages: Code libraries your bot uses, like discord.py or discord.js, installed from requirements.txt or package.json. See Installing packages.
Subuser: Another person you give access to your server without sharing your password. See Give a friend access.
Schedule: A task that runs automatically, like a nightly restart or backup. See Schedules.
Backup: A saved copy of your server's files you can restore later. See Backups.
Two-factor authentication (2FA): A code from an app on your phone that you enter after your password, so a stolen password isn't enough. See Account security.
Suspended: A server that's paused, usually because a trial ended or a payment didn't go through. Files are kept.
Uptime: How much of the time a service is up. Check ESN's live status at status.esnoffical.com.
VPS-lite: Your own Linux container on ESN, for running things a normal bot server doesn't cover. See VPS-lite.

Still stuck? Use the live chat on the panel or ask in the ESN Hosting Discord. Last updated October 27, 2026.