Backups and Disaster Recovery
Tags: backups, disaster recovery, safety
Backups are boring until you need them. Automate, test, and document so a bad mod or corrupt chunk does not end a season.
What to back up
- World save folders, serverconfig.xml, serveradmin.xml, and any custom mods or prefabs.
- Keep a copy of your launch scripts and firewall rules in version control or a password manager note.
Schedule and retention
- Nightly incremental backups plus a weekly full snapshot before horde night.
- Retain at least 7–14 days; keep one “golden” snapshot per season in offline storage.
- Stop the server (or pause writes) during full backups to avoid half-written chunks.
Storage and verification
- Store backups off the game box (cloud bucket or another host) to survive hardware loss.
- Checksum archives and prune old copies automatically so disks do not fill mid-horde.
- Encrypt archives that contain admin credentials.
Test restores
- Restore to a staging server monthly; verify players can join and inventories are intact.
- Document the restore steps and share them with at least two admins.
- After a live restore, announce what timeframe was lost so players know what to rebuild.
Before risky changes
- Take a snapshot before major updates, mod installs, or wipes. See Mod Installation & Compatibility for safe mod deployment practices.
- Keep a rollback note ready (last good backup path, commands to restore) for fast recovery.
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