The safest Core Keeper dedicated-server backup is a dated archive of the complete active DedicatedServer data root, made only after the server has stopped cleanly. That archive should include the worlds directory, metadata such as worldinfos and servermaps when present, ServerConfig.json, and any deployment-specific configuration or mods.
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On Windows the usual location is %USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowPugstormCore KeeperDedicatedServer. On Linux it is ~/.config/unity3d/Pugstorm/Core Keeper/DedicatedServer. A launch option such as -datapath overrides those defaults, and a Docker deployment stores the data in its persistent volume or mounted server-data directory. The procedure below shows how to locate the authoritative path, create and verify archives, retain useful generations, and restore one without overwriting your only rollback copy.
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What a dedicated-server backup must contain
A world-only copy is an incomplete disaster-recovery plan. The save-data guidance for Core Keeper recommends archiving the entire save root before moving, editing, or renaming files manually. For a dedicated server, that means backing up the active DedicatedServer directory (or the equivalent Docker volume), not just one numbered world file.
Core data to include
worlds: the playable world data.worldinfosandservermaps: related metadata and map data when those directories exist in your installation.ServerConfig.json: server settings that should return with the world.- Deployment files: configuration, scripts, and mod files that your particular server uses.
.pugbackupcompanions: retain them when they are inside the active root; they may help with local recovery but are not a substitute for an independent archive.
Player characters are stored on clients rather than in the dedicated-server save. A server archive therefore restores the shared world and server state, but each player should separately back up their own character data.
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Before you copy anything
Use this short preflight to avoid capturing a half-written save or archiving the wrong directory.
- Identify the process, service, container, or launch script that actually runs the server.
- Check whether the command includes
-datapath; that custom path is authoritative. - Tell connected players that the server will be offline and record the current world index or name.
- Make sure the destination has enough free space for a compressed copy and at least one older generation.
- Choose a location outside the live save directory, such as a different disk or an external drive.
Find the active save path
Do not assume the default path if the server was installed by a panel, script, container image, or service wrapper. Follow the launch command or service definition first.
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|---|---|---|
| Windows dedicated server | %USERPROFILE%AppDataLocalLowPugstormCore KeeperDedicatedServer |
The documented world directory is its worlds subdirectory. The folder may not appear until the server has saved after a player joins. |
| Linux dedicated server | ~/.config/unity3d/Pugstorm/Core Keeper/DedicatedServer |
Expand ~ as the account that runs the service; a root shell and a game-service account can therefore point to different locations. |
| Custom launch path | The directory supplied to -datapath |
This overrides the defaults. Back up the custom directory instead of the standard location. |
| Docker | The persistent volume or host-mounted server-data directory |
Image layouts differ, but documented deployments place world saves, GameInfo.txt, and server configuration in persistent data. Stop the container before copying. |
Check a Windows installation
Open the server’s shortcut, batch file, or service definition and look for -datapath. If it is absent, paste the default path into File Explorer’s address bar. Inspect the complete DedicatedServer folder, not only worlds.
For a quick PowerShell check, replace the path only if your launch configuration uses a custom directory:
$root = Join-Path $env:USERPROFILE 'AppDataLocalLowPugstormCore KeeperDedicatedServer'
Get-ChildItem -Force $rootCheck a Linux installation
Run the command as the account that owns the server process. If the service uses a custom data path, use that value instead of the default:
root="$HOME/.config/unity3d/Pugstorm/Core Keeper/DedicatedServer"
find "$root" -maxdepth 2 -type f -printIf the listing is empty, inspect the service unit or launch script for -datapath, and confirm that the server has completed at least one save.
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Check Docker storage
Inspect the compose file or container definition for a volume mapping. A mapping resembling ./server-data:/... means the host-side server-data directory is the convenient backup source. A named volume must be copied through Docker rather than treated as an ordinary host folder.
docker inspect <container-name> --format '{{json .Mounts}}'Record the volume or bind-mount shown by that command. Backing up a disposable container layer will not preserve the world after the container is recreated.
Stop the server cleanly
Never archive a live world while the process is writing. A file-level copy taken during a save can contain mismatched metadata, truncated files, or a world that starts but rolls back recent progress.
- Announce the maintenance window and wait for players to disconnect.
- Use the server’s normal stop command or service control so it can flush its save data.
- For a Windows process, stop it through the server console or the service manager rather than immediately killing the process.
- For Linux, stop the relevant service, for example
sudo systemctl stop <service-name>, then verify that no server process remains. - For Docker, run
docker stop <container-name>and wait for the container to report that it has stopped. - Only after the process is down, copy or archive the persistent data root.
If the server cannot shut down normally, make a note of the forced stop. Treat the resulting archive as suspect and create a fresh backup after the next clean start-and-stop cycle.
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Use a filename that identifies the server and records the date and time in UTC. For example: corekeeper-dedicated-2026-10-15T1419Z.tar.gz. Keep the archive outside the live root so a cleanup, reinstall, or disk failure cannot remove both copies.
Windows PowerShell ZIP
Stop the server first, then run:
$root = Join-Path $env:USERPROFILE 'AppDataLocalLowPugstormCore KeeperDedicatedServer'
$stamp = (Get-Date).ToUniversalTime().ToString('yyyy-MM-ddTHHmmZ')
$destination = Join-Path 'D:CoreKeeperBackups' "corekeeper-dedicated-$stamp.zip"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force (Split-Path $destination) | Out-Null
Compress-Archive -Path $root -DestinationPath $destination -CompressionLevel OptimalChange D:CoreKeeperBackups to a destination on another disk or an attached backup drive. If the path contains a custom -datapath, set $root to that directory instead.
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Linux TAR.GZ
Run as a user who can read the save root:
root="$HOME/.config/unity3d/Pugstorm/Core Keeper/DedicatedServer"
backup_dir="/srv/backups/corekeeper"
stamp="$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H%MZ)"
mkdir -p "$backup_dir"
tar -C "$(dirname "$root")" -czf "$backup_dir/corekeeper-dedicated-$stamp.tar.gz" "$(basename "$root")"The archive contains the DedicatedServer directory at its top level, which makes later extraction less error-prone. If the service account cannot read the files, run the archive command with appropriate administrative privileges, then preserve ownership information as described in the restore section.
Docker volume or mounted directory
For a bind mount, stop the container and archive the host directory:
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tar -C /path/to -czf /path/to/backups/corekeeper-dedicated-$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H%MZ).tar.gz server-dataFor a named volume, create a temporary container that mounts the volume and a host backup directory, then archive the mounted files:
docker run --rm
-v <volume-name>:/source:ro
-v /path/to/backups:/backup
alpine sh -c 'tar -C /source -czf /backup/corekeeper-volume-$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H%MZ).tar.gz .'Do not delete or recreate the volume until the archive has been verified. The exact container image is not material to the archive; what matters is that the persistent volume is mounted read-only for the copy.
Verify that the backup is usable
A successful archive command proves only that bytes were written. Verify both its contents and its integrity before calling it a backup.
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- List the archive. For ZIP, use
tar -tfonly for TAR files; useExpand-Archive -WhatIfor a ZIP listing tool on Windows. For TAR.GZ, runtar -tzf corekeeper-dedicated-2026-10-15T1419Z.tar.gz | head. - Check expected entries. Confirm that
DedicatedServer/worlds, configuration, and any metadata directories appear. If the server uses a custom layout, confirm the files specific to that deployment. - Record a checksum. On Windows,
Get-FileHash .corekeeper-dedicated-2026-10-15T1419Z.zip -Algorithm SHA256. On Linux,sha256sum corekeeper-dedicated-2026-10-15T1419Z.tar.gz. - Test extraction. Extract to a temporary directory, not over the live server, and open representative files. Periodically perform a full restore test on a separate test instance.
- Store the manifest. Keep the archive name, UTC creation time, checksum, source path, and world index in a small text record alongside the backup.
If listing or extraction reports an error, discard that archive as a recovery copy and repeat the process after checking disk health and free space.
Choose retention and backup locations
No universal Core Keeper rule defines how often to archive, how many generations to keep, or how frequently to test a restore. Set a policy that matches the server’s activity and the amount of storage available.
| Policy event | Reason | Suggested handling |
|---|---|---|
| Routine scheduled archive | Protects against unnoticed corruption or deletion. | Choose a daily, weekly, or activity-based cadence that your storage can sustain. |
| Before a game or server update | Provides a known-good rollback point if compatibility changes. | Stop cleanly and create a separately named pre-update archive. |
| Before world transfer or file edits | Preserves the original layout before a risky operation. | Keep the archive until players have confirmed the result. |
| After major mod or configuration changes | Lets you identify which generation introduced a problem. | Record the change in the manifest and retain the prior generation. |
| Off-host copy | Protects against failure of the server disk or host. | Copy selected generations to an external drive or a cloud-backup service; secure the account and test retrieval. |
Use more than one location: the live host is convenient for fast rollback, while an external or off-site copy addresses theft, disk failure, and destructive mistakes. Encrypt archives if they contain information you do not want exposed, and protect the encryption key separately.
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Restore a Core Keeper dedicated server
Restore into the same active data path the server will use at startup. A restore to the wrong default directory has the same symptoms as a missing world: the server starts with an empty or older state.
- Stop the server or container. Do not extract over files that are open or being updated.
- Preserve the current state. Rename the active
DedicatedServerdirectory to a rollback name such asDedicatedServer-before-restore-2026-10-15. For Docker, stop the container and snapshot or rename the current persistent volume where your platform allows it. - Select the archive. Use the generation whose manifest matches the intended world and configuration. Confirm its checksum when one was recorded.
- Extract at the parent level. If the archive contains
DedicatedServer/..., extract it into the parent directory so the final path is exactly.../DedicatedServer/worlds, not.../DedicatedServer/DedicatedServer/worlds. - Repair ownership and permissions. On Linux, assign the restored files to the account that runs the service, for example
sudo chown -R <service-user>:<service-group> /path/to/DedicatedServer, and ensure that account can read and write the files. For Docker, match the UID/GID expected by the image or mounted-volume configuration. - Check world selection and settings. Verify the configured world index,
ServerConfig.json, ports, passwords, and mod configuration before starting. - Start and inspect. Start the service or container, read its logs, and connect with a test player. Confirm the world terrain, player access, settings, and recent progress.
- Keep the rollback copy. Do not delete the pre-restore directory or volume until players confirm that the restored world is correct.
Docker restore detail
Stop the container, replace the contents of the persistent volume or host-mounted server-data directory with the extracted archive, then start the same container definition. Do not change the volume mapping during the restore. If the container starts with a new world, stop it and recheck that the archive was extracted into the mounted path rather than into an unrelated host directory.
Understand automatic .pugbackup files
Core Keeper creates .pugbackup companion files for save data and updates them as the game closes. They can provide a convenient local recovery option when a recent save is damaged, so retain them inside your archived root.
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They are not an independent backup: they sit beside the live data and can be lost with the same disk, volume, accidental deletion, or host failure. Do not build a retention policy that relies only on these companions.
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The expected worlds folder is missing
The setup documentation notes that it may not be created until the server has saved after a player joins. Start the server, allow a player to connect and the world to save, stop it cleanly, and then inspect the path. If it still does not appear, locate a custom -datapath or a Docker mount.
The archive contains an empty or old world
First verify that the server was stopped before copying. Then compare the archive’s source path with the process command line and service account. A root shell’s ~ can differ from the game account’s home directory, and a custom data path can make the standard folder irrelevant.
The server starts but shows a new world
Check for an extra directory level created during extraction, such as DedicatedServer/DedicatedServer/worlds. Confirm that the launch command points to the restored path and that the intended world index and configuration were restored.
Linux or Docker reports permission errors
Stop the service, inspect ownership with ls -ln, and restore ownership to the service account or the UID/GID expected by the container. Avoid making the entire host filesystem writable; limit changes to the dedicated-server data root.
The backup cannot be opened
Use the checksum and archive test to determine whether the file changed or was corrupted. If the test fails, use another retained generation. A backup that was never listed or extracted should not be your only recovery copy.
Recent player progress is absent after restore
The selected archive may predate the last clean shutdown, or the progress may have been client-side character data. Confirm the archive timestamp and world state, then ask players to restore their own character backups if necessary.
Compare backup designs before choosing one
| Decision axis | Stopped-server archive | Live file copy | Whole-root archive | World-only copy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consistency | Highest practical consistency because writes have stopped. | Risk of mismatched or incomplete files. | Captures a coherent stopped-server state. | Can omit metadata and configuration. |
| Scope | Depends on what you select. | Depends on timing and tool. | Includes worlds, metadata, settings, and deployment files. | Limited to playable world data. |
| Location | Can be local, external, or off-site. | Often remains on the same disk unless copied. | Portable ZIP or TAR.GZ file. | Portable but incomplete for a full rebuild. |
| Restore time | Predictable extraction and path replacement. | May require cleanup of partial files. | One documented extraction operation. | May require reconstructing settings and metadata. |
| Portability | Works on native directories when permissions are preserved. | Tied to the copying environment. | Can be moved between hosts with path and permission adjustments. | May not match the target deployment’s expected layout. |
For most administrators, the sensible baseline is a stopped-server, whole-root archive stored on the host plus at least one independent destination. Add scheduled generations and pre-update snapshots as the server’s activity warrants.
Quick Recap
Operational checklist
- Locate the real data root from the launch command, service definition, or Docker mount.
- Stop the server or container cleanly.
- Archive the entire root, including metadata, configuration, and existing
.pugbackupfiles. - Use a UTC timestamp and keep the archive outside the live directory.
- List the archive, calculate a SHA-256 checksum, and test extraction.
- Keep multiple generations and at least one copy on another device or off-site.
- Before restoring, rename the current root so it remains a rollback copy.
- After restoring, fix permissions, verify the world index and settings, inspect logs, and obtain player confirmation before deleting the rollback.
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