You can move a RedM server without resetting characters, inventories, money, or permissions if you migrate both halves of the installation: the complete FXServer/server-data and txAdmin state, plus a consistent MySQL or MariaDB backup. Stop writes on the old host, verify the backups, restore them to a compatible FXServer destination, and test a real existing account before changing the player endpoint.
What a safe RedM migration actually moves
A RedM installation is more than the executable that starts the game server. Data loss usually occurs when an operator copies only resources and forgets the database, or starts a new txAdmin deployment that points to a different data directory. Treat the migration as four linked parts:
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- Server files: the server-data directory, every resource and dependency,
server.cfg, included configuration files, and any framework-specific files. - txAdmin state: the complete
txDatadirectory, which holds panel accounts, configuration, its local database, and logs. - Persistent game database: the MySQL or MariaDB schema and rows for characters, inventories, money, jobs, permissions, and other framework tables.
External services are a fifth dependency. Record webhooks, Discord status settings, voice services, object-storage credentials, scheduled backups, DNS, and firewall rules so the restored server behaves like the old one.
1. Inventory the old host before touching it
Make an inventory while the old server is healthy. This prevents a missing path or secret from becoming a cutover emergency.
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- Record the FXServer artifact/build identifier, operating system, startup command, and the absolute server-data path.
- List the resources directory, framework (and its version if your project records one), resource dependencies, and the
ensureorder inserver.cfg. - Identify the database engine (MySQL or MariaDB), database name, host, port, account, and where the connection string is stored.
- Write down the game endpoint’s TCP and UDP ports, panel URL/port, firewall rules, and public address or DNS name.
- List cron jobs, Windows Task Scheduler jobs, restart scripts, backup jobs, webhooks, voice integrations, and any external storage.
- Locate the license key and database password, but do not put either value in a ticket, chat message, public repository, or migration notes that other people can read.
Open txAdmin’s getting-started documentation and the server-configuration documentation to match the destination’s panel and configuration concepts to what you already run. Labels and environment behavior can change; the available technical reference snapshot is dated 11 October 2026, so check the current documentation for your installed artifact before relying on a version-specific setting.
2. Freeze writes and create two independent backups
Put the old server in a consistent state
Schedule a maintenance window and stop FXServer, or use a maintenance mode that prevents players and scheduled scripts from changing data. A file archive made while resources are writing files can contain a mixture of old and new state, while a database dump made during active transactions can miss the final save. The cleanest sequence is: announce maintenance, stop player access, stop the server and write-producing jobs, then back up.
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Archive files and txAdmin state
Archive the complete server-data/resources tree, server.cfg and every file it includes, and the entire txData directory. The txAdmin documentation explicitly says to “Back up that folder and your txData before making changes.” Preserve the directory structure and file permissions where the destination operating system supports them. Do not rename resources to make the archive look tidier; resource names and dependency paths are part of the running configuration.
txAdmin is already included with FXServer; you do not install it as a separate resource. Copying txData is therefore how you retain panel accounts, configuration, its database, and logs. If you intentionally want a fresh panel, you can omit it, but that is a separate administrative reset and should not be confused with a full migration.
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Export the database separately
Create a consistent MySQL/MariaDB dump while writes are frozen. Keep this dump separate from the file archive, record its byte size and a checksum, and store at least one copy away from both hosts. The appropriate export method depends on your database engine, version, provider, and privileges; the RedM and txAdmin references document connection and import concepts rather than prescribing one universal dump command. Use your engine’s documented consistent-backup procedure or your database provider’s export function, and verify that the resulting file contains schema definitions and rows, not just table names.
At minimum, inspect the dump for framework and player tables covering characters, inventories, money, jobs, permissions, identifiers, and any tables added by your resources. A successful export that omits a resource’s tables is not a complete game backup.
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- List the archive and confirm the expected resources, included configuration files, and
txDataare present. - Calculate a checksum for the archive and SQL dump; calculate it again after transfer.
- Check that the SQL dump can be read and that its size is plausible compared with the live database.
- Keep the old host powered off or unchanged after the backup so it remains a rollback point.
3. Provision a compatible destination
Choose the operating system and control model
FXServer supports Windows and Linux installations. Select a destination that can run the same or a compatible FXServer/RedM artifact, exposes both required game protocols, and gives you enough control to restore files, secrets, firewall rules, and scheduled jobs. A full VPS provides root or administrator access; a managed panel may restrict filesystem and database operations. Neither model is automatically safer—the deciding factor is whether you can perform and verify a complete restore.
Install FXServer and launch txAdmin
Install the supported FXServer artifact for the destination operating system, start it, and open txAdmin. txAdmin is bundled with FXServer, as noted in the installation guide, so do not download a separate txAdmin resource. Confirm where the destination stores txData. The environment reference documents TXHOST_DATA_PATH for setting that location and TXHOST_GAME_NAME=redm for restricting setup to RedM; use those variables only when they match the way your service manager launches FXServer.
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Use the right txAdmin deployment path
For an existing installation, choose txAdmin’s existing-server path and point it at the restored server-data directory. A new RedM recipe is useful when you are building a clean deployment, but deploy it into an empty directory before copying your backed-up files. Recipe tasks can write files and execute database queries. Read the recipe and inspect every cleanup or database-reset option before running it against a database that already contains player data; the recipe reference is at github.com/citizenfx/txAdmin/blob/master/docs/recipe.md.
4. Restore the server files without changing the layout
- Stop the destination FXServer and any resource-management process.
- Copy the archived server-data tree and resources into the destination deployment directory, preserving resource names, subdirectories, and framework layout.
- Restore
server.cfgand all files it includes. Keep the originalensureorder unless you have a documented reason to change it; dependencies can fail when resources start out of order. - Restore
txDatato the destination path you recorded. If you setTXHOST_DATA_PATH, ensure the service account can read and write that directory. - Replace old absolute paths with destination paths. Update any provider-specific environment variables, mount points, service names, or file permissions.
- Set the destination’s RedM license key and database secret in protected server files or provider secret settings. The txAdmin documentation advises keeping server keys and database passwords in protected locations.
- Review endpoint declarations and assign the destination’s TCP and UDP ports. Open those ports in the host firewall and any provider firewall, then confirm that the public address or DNS record will point to this machine.
Do not use a copied configuration blindly if it contains the old host’s internal address, drive letter, container path, or environment-variable name. Change only values that describe the destination; retain framework settings, OneSync choices, resource configuration, and identifiers that your application depends on.
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5. Create the destination database and import the dump
- Create the destination MySQL or MariaDB database with the required character set and collation for your framework.
- Create a database account and grant the privileges your resources need to read, insert, update, create, and alter tables. Do not grant broader server-wide privileges than necessary.
- Import the verified SQL dump into the empty destination database using the engine or provider’s documented import process.
- Update the connection string, environment secret, or framework configuration in
server.cfgso it names the destination host, port, database, account, and password. - Check that the import completed without skipped statements, duplicate-table errors, or collation failures. Confirm that character, inventory, money, job, permission, identifier, and framework-specific tables exist.
Do not point a new recipe at the production database until you understand every query it will run. A recipe can execute database cleanup tasks as well as setup queries; running a reset task against an existing database can remove the very rows you are trying to preserve. The txAdmin recipes documentation explains how recipe tasks work.
6. Start through txAdmin and validate persistence
Start FXServer from txAdmin rather than bypassing the panel with an untested command. Watch the console from the first line and fix the first dependency or configuration error before interpreting later failures. The RedM installation guide and RedM server basics documentation provide installation context, but your own resource stack remains the authority for its required settings.
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Run a functional checklist
- Log in to txAdmin with the restored panel account and confirm the panel sees the intended server-data path.
- Confirm the FXServer console reaches a ready state without missing-resource, permission, or license errors.
- Verify both game endpoint protocols and the panel port through the destination firewall and public network.
- Confirm database connectivity, then watch for failed queries when resources initialize.
- Join with a real existing test account. Check character selection, spawn, inventory, money, jobs, permissions, and identifiers.
- Change a harmless value, disconnect, restart the server, reconnect, and verify that the value persists. This tests the complete save path rather than merely proving that the database is reachable.
- Check scheduled restarts, framework save jobs, backups, webhooks, Discord status, voice integration, object-storage uploads, and any administrative commands.
- Review logs for errors after a player has connected and performed normal actions; a clean startup alone does not prove persistence.
Use a disposable test character for destructive tests, but use at least one existing account to prove that the restored identifiers map to the imported rows. Never “fix” a missing character by creating a replacement account before you have checked the database connection and identifier settings.
7. Cut over only after a second backup
- Leave the old host intact and do not delete its files or database.
- After validation, stop the destination briefly and create a fresh backup of the restored files and database. This gives you a known-good rollback point at the moment of cutover.
- Put the old host into maintenance again, stop all writes, and take a final incremental or full SQL export if players have been allowed onto it during testing.
- Apply that final database export to the destination, then repeat the account, inventory, money, and save test.
- Change the DNS record or the player connection endpoint to the destination address. Lowering DNS TTL in advance can reduce cache time, but actual propagation depends on resolvers and is not instantaneous.
- Monitor txAdmin, FXServer, database, firewall, and web-integration logs while players reconnect. Pay particular attention to failed saves and connection attempts still reaching the old address.
- Retain the old archive and database dump until the new host has operated successfully for a period appropriate to your server’s save and backup schedule.
If the destination fails, reverse the endpoint change, stop writes on the destination, and restore the old host from the last known-good state. Do not run both hosts as active production servers: players may create conflicting identifiers and database rows that are difficult to reconcile.
What must be preserved, and where it lives
| Component | What to carry over | Typical migration failure |
|---|---|---|
| FXServer/RedM runtime | Compatible artifact/build and operating-system setup | Resources require features absent from an older artifact, or the service cannot execute the binary |
| Configuration | server.cfg, included cfg files, endpoint declarations, ensure order, framework settings, license and secrets |
Old absolute paths, ports, or environment variables still point at the former host |
| Resources | Scripts, maps, MLOs, framework resources, assets, and dependencies, with original names and layout | A missing dependency prevents later resources from starting |
| txAdmin | Entire txData directory, including panel accounts, configuration, local database, and logs |
A new empty txData directory makes the panel appear unconfigured or loses its history |
| Persistent database | MySQL/MariaDB schema and rows for characters, inventories, money, jobs, permissions, identifiers, and framework tables | The connection points to an empty database, or the dump omitted resource tables |
| External integrations | Hostnames, webhooks, Discord status, voice, object storage, scheduled backups, and firewall rules | Gameplay works, but notifications, voice, uploads, or automatic backups silently fail |
How to evaluate the new host before committing
Compare destinations against the operations you must perform, not just advertised player slots. No authoritative performance, capacity, downtime, or data-loss statistics were established for this migration; CPU, memory, disk I/O, bandwidth, resource load, and player count must be evaluated for your own stack.
| Decision area | Questions to answer |
|---|---|
| Control | Can you access the filesystem, run the required service account, restore txData, and change firewall rules, or are you limited to panel buttons? |
| Compatibility | Are Windows or Linux supported for your chosen artifact? Does the panel support RedM recipes and your resource dependencies? |
| Database | Is MySQL or MariaDB available locally or as a managed service? How often are backups made, and can you perform a test restore? Are storage and connection limits documented? |
| Networking | Are stable TCP and UDP ports allocated? Can you control firewall rules, public address, DNS, and DDoS protection? |
| Operations | Do you retain txAdmin and console logs, support scheduled restarts, provide support access when needed, and allow rollback? |
| Capacity and cost | Are CPU, memory, disk I/O, bandwidth, player-slot limits, and backup storage adequate, and are recurring backup or database charges clear? |
A managed RedM host can simplify patching and panel access, while a self-managed VPS offers broader control. Before signing up, ask the operator to confirm RedM support, migration assistance, backup policy, port allocation, restore workflow, region, and any restrictions on custom resources. Keep your own archive and SQL dump regardless of the provider’s backup promise.
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Common failure symptoms and targeted fixes
The panel opens, but the old server configuration is missing
txAdmin is probably reading a new or incorrect txData location. Stop FXServer, confirm TXHOST_DATA_PATH or the service’s working directory, restore the complete old txData, and verify permissions for the account that runs FXServer.
Resources fail in a cascade
Read the first missing dependency or path error, not the final resource in the list. Compare the restored resources tree and ensure order with the inventory, then correct destination paths and file permissions. Do not rename a resource to hide a dependency mismatch.
The server starts but characters or inventories are empty
Check the active connection string, database name, host, port, and account privileges in the destination configuration. Query the destination database directly to confirm the expected tables and rows were imported. If the rows exist, compare the framework’s identifier settings with the identifiers stored for the test account.
Players can connect, but saves do not survive a restart
Watch database errors while changing a test value, confirm the account can update tables, and verify scheduled save resources are running in the intended order. A successful login proves only that some connection succeeded; the write-and-restart test proves persistence.
Players still reach the old host
Check the DNS record, advertised endpoint, cached resolver results, and any hard-coded direct-connect address. Keep the old host in maintenance so a stale client cannot continue creating writes there. Monitor both hosts until connection traffic has moved.
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- Rotate the database password, panel credentials, and webhooks if they were exposed during the migration or stored in a location no longer trusted.
- Store license keys and database secrets in protected server files or provider secret settings, not in public repositories.
- Encrypt archives and SQL dumps when they contain identifiers, inventories, money, or credentials. An optional offline copy on an external hard drive for server backup protects against a provider-side deletion or account lockout.
- Keep at least one restore-tested backup separate from the live machine. A backup that has never been imported is an assumption, not a recovery plan.
- Document the final server-data path, txData path, database endpoint, ports, scheduled jobs, and rollback procedure for the next operator.
Once the new host has passed real-player monitoring and a restore test, retire the old service deliberately: preserve the agreed retention archives first, revoke its credentials, and remove DNS or firewall access only after you are certain no required integration still depends on it.
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