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How to Back Up the Redis Database on an Arma 3 Epoch Server

A practical guide to backing up Arma 3 Epoch’s Redis database, including dump.rdb locations, BGSAVE and SAVE, scheduled Windows or Linux archives, verification, and safe restoration.
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The Arma 3 Epoch database is stored in Redis’s dump.rdb snapshot. To back it up, stop the game server when possible, locate that file, and copy it to storage outside the server. If you need the newest possible snapshot first, run Redis BGSAVE (preferred for a live service) or SAVE (synchronous and blocking), then copy the resulting file.

The exact folder varies with the Redis build and its dir setting. A restore is equally direct but must be performed with Redis or the game server stopped before the old file is replaced.

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What the Epoch Redis backup contains

Epoch uses Redis persistence for the world’s persistent state. The snapshot file, dump.rdb, is the file you preserve for a conventional backup. Community server administrators describe it as containing player progress, bank balances, vehicles, base or buildable objects, and trader-inventory data. Because the file represents the database at the moment Redis last wrote a snapshot, it is not automatically a record of every transaction that happened afterward.

Keep the backup on a different disk, machine, or hosting account from the live server. A second copy in the same server directory does not protect you from a failed disk, an accidental deletion, or a hosting reset. Use a dated filename for archived copies, but retain one copy under the exact name dump.rdb when preparing a restore.

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Find the correct dump.rdb

Do not assume that every Epoch installation uses the same path. Community notes distinguish older and newer Redis Windows layouts, and a custom configuration can override both.

Installation detail Reported location or action How to treat it
Redis 2.8.12 and earlier The Redis database folder was commonly used. Check the folder configured for the server and confirm that it contains dump.rdb.
Redis 2.8.16 and later (community report) UsersUSERNAMEappdatalocalredis was reported as the default location on Windows. Replace USERNAME with the account running Redis, then verify the file and its modified time.
Nitrado-style hosting Administrators commonly access the Epoch database through the server’s arma/DB directory over FTP. Use the host’s file manager or FTP account and download the file before making changes.
Any other layout Redis’s dir configuration determines where the snapshot is written. Inspect the active Redis configuration rather than copying a similarly named file from an unrelated folder.

The version-specific paths above come from community guidance and can differ with the account, service wrapper, or hosting image. If a search for dump.rdb returns several files, identify the one whose directory is the active Redis dir and whose timestamp changes when Redis creates a snapshot.

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Make a reliable manual backup

Use this procedure before an Epoch update, a Redis upgrade, a configuration change, or any maintenance that could damage persistent data.

  1. Announce a maintenance window. Prevent players from writing new state while you copy the database. A clean shutdown is safer than copying a file that Redis is replacing.
  2. Stop the Arma 3 server. On a managed host, use the host control panel. On a self-hosted machine, stop the Arma server process using the method you normally use to launch it.
  3. Stop Redis if it runs independently. If Redis is a separate service, stop it as well before copying. When the game server is stopped but Redis remains active, the database can still change.
  4. Confirm the active database directory. Check the Redis dir setting or the known Epoch DB directory. Verify that dump.rdb is present and note its file size and modification time.
  5. Copy, do not move, the file. Download it over FTP or copy it to a separate local directory, backup disk, or remote system. Leave the original in place until the archive has been checked.
  6. Give the archive a dated name. For example, use an Epoch-2026-10-14-2300.rdb naming pattern. Keep the extension as .rdb; the file must be renamed back to dump.rdb for a normal restore.
  7. Check the copy. Confirm that the destination file has a non-zero size and can be read by your backup system. If possible, compare a checksum of the source and destination while Redis is stopped.
  8. Restart Redis and the game server. Watch the startup log and connect with a test account to ensure the world loads normally.

If you cannot stop the service immediately, create a fresh snapshot first and copy only after Redis reports that the snapshot has completed. A stopped-service copy remains the safer default because it avoids a partially written file.

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Force a fresh snapshot with BGSAVE or SAVE

Redis writes snapshots according to its configured save rules. To capture recent changes before copying, issue a command through the Redis command-line client from the machine that can reach the Redis instance.

Command Behaviour When to use it
BGSAVE Starts a background snapshot and lets Redis continue serving requests while the child process writes dump.rdb. Preferred when the server must remain available. Wait for the background save to finish before copying.
SAVE Writes the snapshot synchronously and blocks Redis while it runs. Useful during a maintenance window on a small database; avoid it during active play because the block can pause requests.

Typical command-line forms are:

redis-cli BGSAVE

For an authenticated instance, include the password in the form required by your Redis client, for example:

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redis-cli -a "YOUR_REDIS_PASSWORD" BGSAVE

Use your actual host, port, and authentication options if Redis is not listening on the local default. The command’s immediate response only indicates that a background save was scheduled. Check Redis’s status output or log for completion before copying the file. A synchronous SAVE returns after the write has completed, but its blocking behaviour is why it belongs in a maintenance window.

Schedule Windows backups

Windows administrators commonly use a batch file that calls redis-cli save, renames the resulting snapshot to an Epoch-year-month-day-hour.rdb pattern, and copies it to another location. The exact Redis path, password, and destination are installation-specific, so treat the following as a template rather than a drop-in file.

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@echo off
set REDISCLI=C:pathtoredis-cli.exe
set DBDIR=C:pathtoredisdata
set DEST=D:EpochBackups
set PASSWORD=YOUR_REDIS_PASSWORD

"%REDISCLI%" -a "%PASSWORD%" SAVE
if errorlevel 1 exit /b 1

for /f "tokens=1-4 delims=/-.: " %%a in ("%date% %time%") do set STAMP=%%a-%%b-%%c-%%d
copy /y "%DBDIR%dump.rdb" "%DEST%Epoch-%STAMP%.rdb"

Adjust the date parsing for the Windows regional format on your server; the built-in %date% layout is not identical in every locale. Protect the batch file because it contains the Redis password. A safer design is to use a restricted service account and a credential mechanism supported by your Redis client rather than leaving a readable password in a shared folder.

Schedule the task

After running the script manually and opening one archive to verify that it exists, schedule it with Windows Task Scheduler or schtasks. A generic hourly trigger looks like this:

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schtasks /Create /SC HOURLY /MO 1 /TN "Epoch Redis backup" /TR "C:pathtobackup.cmd"

Run the task under an account that can read the Redis directory and write to the backup destination. If the destination is a network share, use its UNC path and an account with explicit share permissions. Review the task history after the first scheduled run; a successful task launch does not prove that redis-cli authenticated or that the copy succeeded.

Schedule Linux backups

The arma3epoch-debian package includes a redis_backup script described by community administrators. It copies the Redis dump, compresses and archives it, and can be run manually or from cron.

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  1. Run the package’s redis_backup script manually during a quiet period.
  2. Locate the generated archive and confirm its timestamp, size, and destination.
  3. Extract a test archive on a separate directory to verify that the expected Redis dump is inside.
  4. Add the script to the account’s crontab after confirming that its environment contains the needed paths and permissions.

A typical hourly cron entry has this shape, with the real path substituted for the placeholder:

0 * * * * /path/to/redis_backup

Cron runs with a limited environment. Use absolute paths, redirect output to a log, and ensure the cron account can read the Redis data directory and write the archive location. Keep enough free space for several compressed generations; otherwise the script may fail after working normally for days.

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Choose a retention plan

A single latest copy protects against an immediate failure but not against discovering corruption several days later. Keep several points in time and store at least one generation away from the game server.

  • Short-term: retain frequent snapshots for the period in which an operator might notice a bad update or accidental deletion.
  • Pre-update: create a clearly labeled copy immediately before every Arma 3, Epoch, Redis, or server-image update.
  • Longer-term: retain less frequent daily or weekly copies after removing old hourly files.
  • Off-host: replicate an archive to a different disk, machine, or provider account.
  • Access control: restrict the archive directory because the database includes player and economy data.

Do not overwrite the only known-good archive with a newly created file until the new copy has passed a size and readability check.

Restore an Epoch database from a backup

Restoration replaces the live Redis snapshot. Schedule downtime and make a safety copy of the current file before changing anything, even if you believe it is damaged.

  1. Stop the Arma 3 server. Prevent the game from writing while the database is being replaced.
  2. Stop Redis. Redis must not have the old snapshot open or rewrite it while you perform the replacement.
  3. Preserve the current file. Rename the live dump.rdb to a dated quarantine name or copy it to a separate location. Do not permanently delete your last state until the restored world has been tested.
  4. Remove the active snapshot. Delete the old dump.rdb from the active Redis dir, or move it outside that directory.
  5. Install the selected archive. Copy the chosen backup into the active directory and rename it exactly dump.rdb. On a hosted Epoch installation, this is commonly the arma/DB directory.
  6. Set ownership and permissions. The Redis service account must be able to read the file and write the directory for future snapshots.
  7. Start Redis first. Check its log for a successful RDB load and for any error about a corrupt or inaccessible file.
  8. Start the Arma 3 server. Join with an administrator or test account and verify that expected players, vehicles, bases, bank balances, and trader inventory are present.

If Redis refuses to start with the restored file, stop it again and keep the failed file for diagnosis. Restore the quarantined pre-restore copy or select an older archive rather than repeatedly overwriting the only backup.

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Verify that a backup is usable

File existence alone is not proof of a recoverable database. Use a small, repeatable verification checklist:

  • Record the archive’s creation time, source directory, and Redis version used to create it.
  • Confirm the file is not zero bytes and that its size is plausible compared with previous snapshots.
  • Check that the copy completed without an FTP, network-share, or permission error.
  • Keep the original .rdb extension in the archive and document the rename required for restore.
  • Periodically perform a test restore on a non-production instance or maintenance machine. Never test by replacing the live world first.
  • After a test load, inspect representative player, vehicle, base, bank, and trader records.

Why recent progress may be missing

Redis does not necessarily write an RDB file after every change. One community note describes example save rules of one change in 900 seconds, 10 changes in 300 seconds, and 1,000 changes in 60 seconds. Those figures are an unofficial example, not a guarantee for every Epoch server. Your active Redis configuration may use different thresholds or additional persistence settings.

If an archive is missing the last few minutes of play, inspect the configured save rules and the time of the last completed snapshot. For planned backups, force a completed BGSAVE and wait for it to finish, or stop Redis cleanly before copying. Do not claim that a file is a point-in-time backup newer than Redis’s last successful snapshot.

Hot-copy and update cautions

A forum user has claimed that copying a live dump.rdb is safe, but that is an individual community assertion rather than a verified Redis guarantee. A live copy can race with a rewrite and should not be your standard procedure. Stop the services, or at minimum force a background snapshot and copy only after completion.

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Create and verify a backup before every game or Epoch update. Community administrators warn that an update can damage the database and force progress to be restarted. Keeping a pre-update archive gives you a defined rollback point even when the update itself appears successful.

Troubleshooting checklist

The file is not in the expected folder

  • Check the Redis version and the account that runs the service.
  • Inspect the active dir setting; the configured directory takes precedence over a guide written for another build.
  • Search for recently modified dump.rdb files, then confirm the candidate belongs to the Redis instance used by Epoch.

The backup script creates no archive

  • Run the command interactively and read the Redis client’s error output.
  • Verify the password, host, port, and executable path.
  • Check that the scheduled account can read the source and write the destination.
  • Ensure the destination has free space and that a network share is available when the task runs.

The restored world looks older than expected

  • Compare the archive timestamp with the last successful Redis snapshot, not merely the time the copy command ran.
  • Choose a newer verified archive if one exists.
  • Review save settings and use a completed BGSAVE before the next maintenance window.

Redis will not load the restored file

  • Stop Redis and confirm the file is named exactly dump.rdb in the configured dir.
  • Check ownership and permissions.
  • Review the Redis log for corruption or version errors.
  • Try the next older verified archive, retaining the failed file for analysis.

Pre-maintenance checklist

  • Notify players and stop the Arma 3 server.
  • Stop Redis or complete a fresh background snapshot.
  • Copy dump.rdb from the active dir.
  • Store a dated copy off the live server.
  • Verify size, timestamp, permissions, and archive readability.
  • Keep the pre-update copy until the updated server has been tested.

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