Update an Arma 3 Epoch server during a planned maintenance window, not while players are connected. Stop Arma 3 and Redis cleanly, make a restorable backup, update the dedicated-server files with SteamCMD, stage the target Epoch release separately, then merge the new files with your existing configuration, Redis data, keys, missions and custom addons. Start the server only after checking InstanceID, BattlEye, ports and startup parameters, and keep the old installation until a normal restart succeeds.
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This method updates the software without intentionally wiping player or world data. The main risks are replacing local files blindly, restoring Redis incorrectly, changing an InstanceID, or mixing incompatible client, Epoch and server builds.
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What you need before scheduling the update
An Epoch update is a coordinated change to three layers: the Bohemia dedicated-server installation, the Epoch server package, and the persistent Redis database. Treat them as one production system. A new Epoch folder alone is not a complete update.
Record the current state
Write down the values you will need to reproduce the current server:
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- Current Arma 3 build and target Epoch release.
- The complete startup command, including
-mod,-servermod, profile, configuration and mission parameters. - Map and mission name, game and query ports, and the profile directory.
- Redis port, password location and data directory.
- The current Epoch
InstanceID. - Every custom mod, server-side addon, mission edit and economy edit.
Also note the exact time you begin maintenance. If several administrators operate the server, give everyone the same stop and rollback time so no one writes to Redis while it is being copied.
Plan a real maintenance window
Announce downtime, close scheduled restarts and prevent automated launch scripts from starting the old process during the backup. A busy server can change player and world records while you are copying them, producing a backup that looks complete but cannot restore a consistent state.
Files and data that must survive
The following table separates replaceable program files from local state. “Merge” means compare the new release with your live copy and deliberately reapply local values; it does not mean overwrite one directory with the other.
| Component | Update treatment | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Arma 3 dedicated-server files | Update in the existing installation directory with SteamCMD | The executable and official data must match the current Steam build. |
@Epoch and Epoch server binaries/PBOs |
Stage the target release, then replace the corresponding program files | These are the versioned Epoch components; a clean release may remove an old @Epoch, but local files must be restored intentionally. |
@EpochHive, SC, MPMissions, Keys |
Back up and merge or restore as appropriate | They contain server state, missions, signatures and local changes. |
Redis database and DB/redis.conf |
Copy data only while Redis is stopped; restore the matching configuration | Redis holds player and world persistence and may enforce a password and port. |
EpochServer.ini, epochConfig.hpp, epochAH.hpp, server.cfg |
Preserve local settings and compare them with release defaults | These files define database access, security, BattlEye, build requirements, passwords, logging and gameplay behavior. |
| Custom mod and server directories | Copy to a separate backup and reintroduce after the target release is verified | Custom code can depend on class names or file structures that changed between releases. |
Step-by-step update procedure
1. Announce downtime and capture a rollback point
Tell players when the server will stop and when it is expected to return. Before stopping anything, save the version and configuration notes described above. Make either a dated copy of the entire server directory or a file-level backup that includes every persistent and customized path. A full directory copy is simplest for rollback; a file-level backup is useful when storage is limited, but only if you have a written list of every required path.
Do not begin by deleting the old Epoch folder. Your rollback point must remain untouched until the new build has passed testing.
2. Stop Arma 3 first, then Redis
Stop the Arma 3 process gracefully and wait for it to exit. Only after the game server has stopped should you stop Redis. Epoch’s installation documentation identifies Redis as the database service and notes that one Redis instance can serve multiple servers; stopping it after Arma 3 prevents new writes while you capture the database.
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If a service manager is used, disable automatic restart temporarily. Confirm with the process list or service status that neither process is still running before copying files.
3. Back up Redis and the server tree
Copy the Redis persistence file, commonly a dump file, or create the export method provided by your Redis host. Also copy @EpochHive, SC, MPMissions, Keys, DB/redis.conf, all custom server or mod folders, and the configuration files listed in the table. Keep the backup outside the directory you will modify and label it with the date, Arma build and Epoch release.
Check that the backup is readable before proceeding: verify that the Redis file has a non-zero size, that mission PBOs and source files are present, and that the configuration files open normally. A backup that was never tested is only an assumption. Do not use your only production copy as the test target; restore a duplicate when you need to validate a migration.
4. Update the Arma 3 dedicated server with SteamCMD
Run SteamCMD against the same installation directory used by the live server. Bohemia Interactive’s dedicated-server documentation uses appID 233780 and the following sequence:
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login YOUR_STEAM_ACCOUNT
app_update 233780 validate
quitReplace the example directory and login method with the values appropriate to your host. The validate option checks the downloaded files and can repair missing or damaged official files. Bohemia’s guidance states that the server should be updated whenever a patch is released on Steam, but perform that update during your planned window so the Epoch package and your clients can be checked together.
Do not run SteamCMD against a new, empty directory unless you deliberately intend to build a second server. Updating a different path is a common reason administrators think an update failed: the service continues launching the old executable.
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5. Stage the target Epoch release separately
Download the target Epoch server package from the EpochModTeam release repository and unpack it into a temporary staging directory. Compare its directory tree with the live tree before copying anything. Look for changed PBO names, new configuration keys, updated BattlEye files and altered mission structures.
The Epoch installation instructions describe removing previous @Epoch folders for a clean installation. On an existing server, interpret that as a staged replacement: keep the old folder in your rollback copy, place the new release beside it, and copy only the target program files into production after the backup is confirmed. Never delete DB, SC, @EpochHive, MPMissions or custom-mod directories simply because they are absent from a clean package.
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Copy the target @Epoch folder and the release’s server binaries or PBOs into the live installation. Then merge your local settings into the new structure. Preserve the values that identify your server and its data:
EpochServer.ini, includingBattlEyePath,InstanceID, RCON settings and database settings.epochConfig.hppandepochAH.hpp.server.cfg, including hostname, passwords,verifySignatures, BattlEye,requiredBuildand log settings.- Redis connection values and any provider-specific service configuration.
- BattlEye filters, profile paths and custom startup parameters.
Use the new release’s example files as a comparison, not as an automatic replacement. New releases can add settings that your old file lacks, while an unedited example can silently remove your password, RCON configuration or security restrictions. Add new keys deliberately and retain local values that are still supported.
7. Reconcile custom missions and economy files
Compare every custom mission with the target release’s default mission. Reapply local edits one at a time and record the file changed and the reason. Pay particular attention to custom item definitions and economy files. Epoch’s repository warns that adding items may require corresponding updates to both CfgPricing.hpp and CfgItemSort.hpp; adding an item in only one location can produce missing prices, sorting errors or a mission that fails during initialization.
Keep custom scripts and addons outside the new release while you first test the unmodified target package. Then add them in small groups, restarting between groups. This isolates a custom dependency from a problem in the Epoch update itself.
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8. Restore and verify Redis
Place the backed-up Redis data in the configured Redis data location and restore the matching password and port in DB/redis.conf or the service configuration. Start Redis by itself and confirm that it loads the expected database before launching Arma 3. Check the Redis log for a successful load rather than relying only on a running process.
One Redis instance can serve several Epoch servers, and servers connected to the same instance share character data by default. If you deliberately share Redis, each server must have a different InstanceID in @EpochHive/EpochServer.ini. Preserve the existing identifier for this server; change it only when you are intentionally separating data and have documented the consequence.
9. Check keys, parameters and version alignment
Before launch, verify that the Epoch and BattlEye key files in Keys match the server package and the clients you expect to connect. Confirm the complete startup command, including -mod and -servermod order, profile directory, map and mission, game and query ports, BattlEye path and any required build setting.
Signature errors usually indicate mismatched client and server packages, an incorrect key set or a custom file that was overwritten. A missing PBO usually indicates an incomplete copy, a wrong startup path or a mod parameter that points to a directory that no longer exists.
10. Start, observe and reopen the server
Start Redis first if your service arrangement requires it, then launch Arma 3 with the recorded command. Watch the console, the Arma 3 RPT file and BattlEye logs through mission initialization. Do not reopen the server just because the process remains running; wait until the mission has initialized without repeating errors.
Connect with an administrator account and perform a controlled persistence test:
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- Confirm the expected map and mission load.
- Check that an administrator can join without a signature or BattlEye rejection.
- Verify a test character has the expected identity and inventory.
- Inspect a known persistent object or location that existed before maintenance.
- Restart the server once and repeat the character and object checks.
Only after those checks pass should you announce that the server is open. Record the final Arma build, Epoch release and configuration hash, and retain the pre-update backup until the server has completed a normal restart with players online.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to recognize and fix common failures
The server will not start or reports missing classes and PBOs
Stop the process and inspect the RPT file for the first missing class or PBO, not just the final cascade of errors. Compare the failed tree with the staged release and verify that the startup command points to the intended installation. Restore the previous Epoch files and configuration if the target package is incomplete, then test the new package in a separate copy.
Clients are rejected for signatures or BattlEye errors
Check that clients use the matching Epoch and Arma versions, that the server’s Keys directory contains the keys supplied for that release, and that BattlEye filters and the configured BattlEyePath were not replaced with files from another server. An incorrect verifySignatures or requiredBuild value in server.cfg can also reject otherwise healthy clients.
The server starts with an empty or new world
Stop it immediately so it does not create more records in the wrong database. Confirm the Redis port, password, data path and service instance, then check that the expected dump was loaded. Verify that InstanceID is unchanged for this server. Restore the known-good Redis backup and prior Epoch configuration if the data still does not appear.
Redis will not authenticate or connect
Compare the password and port in the Epoch configuration with the active Redis service, and inspect the Redis log for a failed load or permission error. Start Redis alone and test the connection before starting Arma 3. Do not repeatedly restart the game server against an uncertain database; each attempt can create confusing partial state.
The update remains unstable after troubleshooting
Use the rollback point rather than improvising further edits. Stop Arma 3 and Redis, restore the prior Epoch files, configuration and Redis data, and restart the prior known-good Arma build. Keep the failed update tree intact for comparison. The Epoch and hosting documentation describe the required components and backup/restore concepts, but there is no universal migration script for every custom installation; administrators must test custom addons against the target release.
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Running the update yourself gives you the most control, while managed hosting shifts routine maintenance to a provider. Compare the options against the work your server actually requires:
| Decision factor | Self-managed server | Managed service |
|---|---|---|
| Custom files | Direct access to every mission, mod and configuration file. | Usually supported, but provider file policies and change windows apply. |
| Redis backups and restores | You schedule, test and retain exports yourself. | The provider may automate backups; confirm retention, download access and restore procedure. |
| Downtime and rollback | You choose the window and can keep a complete local rollback tree. | The provider may offer restart tools, but confirm how quickly a prior image or database can be restored. |
| Logs and BattlEye settings | Full access to RPT, Redis and BattlEye logs and filters. | Access varies; verify that you can download logs and edit required security settings. |
| Recurring cost | Hardware, bandwidth and administration are your responsibility. | A recurring hosting fee covers some infrastructure and maintenance. |
| Support responsibility | You diagnose SteamCMD, Redis, mods and scripts. | Support may handle platform updates, while custom addons remain your responsibility. |
Regardless of where the server runs, ask for a documented Redis export, a downloadable backup and a rollback path before relying on a managed update.
Quick Recap
Keeping future updates safe
- Maintain a dated pre-update copy and never overwrite it until the new server has survived a restart.
- Keep a versioned record of
EpochServer.ini,server.cfg, mission files and economy edits. - Test a release and custom addons on a separate instance when possible.
- Use a unique
InstanceIDfor every server sharing one Redis instance. - Recheck the target Epoch release notes and Bohemia Interactive’s dedicated-server documentation immediately before each production update; Steam branches, Epoch releases, BattlEye requirements and hosting terms can change.
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