Regular backups protect against world corruption, a bad update or an admin mistake. This tool writes the script, the retention and the schedule, without your data ever leaving your machine.
How to use the tool
Choose Linux (bash) or Windows (PowerShell) and the method: archive, 7z or snapshots (rsync / robocopy).
Enter the folder to back up, the destination, the exclusions and the retention period.
Enable service stop for a consistent copy if the game has no hot-save command.
Save the script, make it executable, schedule it (cron or schtasks line provided) and test a restore.
Good practice
Apply the 3-2-1 rule: three copies, two media, one off-site. A backup never restored isn't a backup: test regularly. The download has a .txt extension: rename it to .sh (Linux) or .ps1 (Windows). Adapt the default paths (Linux-style) to your system. Backups may contain passwords (RCON, database): protect the destination folder. Off-site copy with rsync assumes SSH key authentication; for object storage (S3), add a dedicated client such as rclone. “Snapshots” mode keeps one folder per run while saving space with hard links (rsync --link-dest); retention deletes folders older than N days.
# Restore test (archive method)
mkdir -p /tmp/restore-test
tar -xzf /backups/gameserver/gameserver-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.tar.gz -C /tmp/restore-test
ls /tmp/restore-testFrequently asked questions
- Do I need to stop the server during the backup?
- It is the safest way to get consistent files. Otherwise, force a world save through RCON just before (see the RCON command sheet) or use the game's own backup features.
- Where should I store backups?
- Not only on the same disk as the server. Use a second disk or, better, another server or remote storage (rsync over SSH).