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How to Set Up a Redis Database for an Arma 3 Epoch Server

Configure Redis for Arma 3 Epoch on Windows: edit redis.conf, start Redis, match the [Redis] settings in EpochServer.ini, assign unique InstanceIDs, and set a reliable startup order.
Length11 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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An Arma 3 Epoch server cannot load or save its persistent world correctly until Redis is running and the Epoch configuration points to it. On a typical Windows installation, the setup is: extract the Epoch package, configure DB/redis.conf, start Redis, copy the same connection details into @EpochHive/EpochServer.ini, give each server a unique InstanceID, and only then start Arma 3.

The usual same-machine arrangement keeps Redis on 127.0.0.1, uses port 6379, and selects database 0. Those are common defaults, not requirements: the values in EpochServer.ini must exactly match the Redis process you actually run.

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What Redis does in an Epoch installation

Redis is the persistence backend expected by the Epoch server package. Epoch uses it for the data that must survive a server restart, including player and character state. The Arma 3 process is the client; Redis is the database service it contacts while the server is running. If Redis is stopped, unreachable, or configured with different credentials, Epoch cannot initialize its database connection and the game server may fail during startup.

The official Epoch installation notes state that only one Redis instance is needed per computer. They also warn that servers connecting to the same Redis instance share character data by default. That makes a single Redis process practical for several Epoch servers, but only when each server is assigned its own InstanceID.

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Before you begin

This procedure assumes a Windows host, because the Epoch package contains Windows command and executable files such as start-redis.cmd and redis-server.exe. Have the following ready:

  • An extracted Epoch server release package.
  • Permission to edit files in the server directory and to open the required local or remote ports.
  • A planned Redis password. Use a long, unique value rather than a password reused for an administrator account or another server.
  • The port, database number, and address you intend to use. For a Redis process on the same computer, the package examples normally use 127.0.0.1, port 6379, and database 0.
  • A separate InstanceID for every Epoch server that will use the same Redis process.

Do not start Arma 3 first and hope Redis will be launched automatically. Epoch community installation guidance explicitly says that the Redis database needs to be running for the server to start properly.

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Understand the package layout

After extracting the release, identify these two locations:

  • DB/ contains the Redis executable, configuration, startup script, and the files Redis uses for this installation.
  • @EpochHive/ contains EpochServer.ini, the Epoch-side configuration file.

Keep the Redis files together. In particular, launch Redis with the configuration file from the DB directory instead of relying on a working directory chosen by a shortcut or a service wrapper. A wrong working directory is a common reason for a window that opens and closes immediately or for Redis to start with settings other than the ones you edited.

Step 1: Configure Redis

Open the packaged configuration

Open DB/redis.conf in a text editor that preserves plain text. Make a copy before changing it so you can restore the package defaults if a later edit introduces a syntax error.

Keep a same-machine Redis private

For a Redis process on the same host as Arma 3, keep it bound to localhost as supplied by the package or community example. The address 127.0.0.1 accepts connections from the local computer without making Redis a service for every device on the network.

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A remote design is possible, but it is not a simple “change the IP” exercise. You need a deliberate bind-address choice, firewall rules that allow only the Epoch server to connect, routing between the machines, and a plan for protecting the password in transit and at rest. Do not expose a Redis port to the public internet merely to avoid running it locally.

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Set the Redis password

Set the requirepass value in redis.conf. The password is case-sensitive and must be copied exactly, including punctuation and spaces if your chosen configuration permits them. The Epoch community guidance places the password and persistence directives in this file; leave the package’s persistence settings intact unless you understand the recovery and storage consequences of changing them.

Record the final value in your server’s operational notes or password manager. Do not publish it in a server advertisement, paste it into a public support post, or commit the configuration file to a shared repository.

Review the values you will need later

Write down the address, port, database number, and password that Redis will use. You will enter the same four values in the [Redis] section of EpochServer.ini. Redis can listen on a non-default port or use a different logical database, but there is no benefit in changing those defaults for a straightforward single-server installation.

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Step 2: Start Redis and confirm that it stays running

Start Redis from the DB directory so the executable resolves the intended configuration and data paths. The package provides a startup script; you can also launch the executable explicitly.

start-redis.cmd

Alternatively, open a command prompt in the DB directory and run:

redis-server.exe redis.conf

Leave the Redis console running while you test the Epoch server. A healthy process should remain open and report its normal startup information rather than returning immediately to the command prompt. If the window closes, start the command from an already-open command prompt so the error remains visible, then inspect the console output and any log or data files named by redis.conf.

Starting redis-server.exe without the intended configuration can produce a misleading result: Redis may run, but on a different port, without the password, or with different persistence behavior. Always make the configuration-file argument explicit when troubleshooting.

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Step 3: Point Epoch at the running Redis process

Edit the [Redis] section

Open @EpochHive/EpochServer.ini and locate the [Redis] section. Set these fields to the values used by the Redis process:

Epoch field What it identifies Typical local example Important condition
IP The address of the Redis host 127.0.0.1 Must be reachable from the Arma 3 process; localhost is for a same-machine layout.
Port The TCP port on which Redis is listening 6379 Must match the port selected in redis.conf; a different port is valid if both files agree.
DB The logical Redis database number 0 Must select the database in which this Epoch server’s data is stored.
Password The credential Redis requires The value of requirepass Must match character for character, including case.

Do not assume that changing only the IP is enough. A connection can fail because the port is wrong, the logical database is not the one you intended, or the password differs by one character. Save the file after checking spelling and section names.

Check for accidental formatting changes

Keep the existing key names and file structure. Do not add quotation marks around a value unless the packaged syntax already uses them, and do not leave two competing entries for the same setting. If you copied a password from another application, check for a trailing space introduced by the copy operation.

Step 4: Separate multiple Epoch servers

A single Redis process can serve several Epoch servers, but the official notes warn that servers sharing it share character data by default. To keep worlds and player records separated, open the [EpochServer] section in each server’s EpochServer.ini and assign a unique InstanceID.

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Server Redis process Redis database InstanceID Result
Epoch server A Same process Same or deliberately selected DB Unique value, for example 1 Uses its own Epoch namespace.
Epoch server B Same process Same or deliberately selected DB Different value, for example 2 Does not collide with server A’s Epoch data.

The exact numeric values are your choice; uniqueness is the requirement. Do not clone an EpochServer.ini and leave the copied InstanceID unchanged. That is the configuration mistake most likely to make apparently unrelated servers appear to share characters or other persistent state.

Running separate Redis processes is an alternative when you need independent ports, separate operating-system service identities, or stronger isolation. It also creates additional administration work. The Epoch notes’ “one Redis instance per box” guidance means one process is normally sufficient, not that multiple processes are forbidden.

Step 5: Finish the surrounding Epoch and Arma 3 configuration

Redis is only one part of a working server. Before launching the game process, complete the remaining files in the Epoch package and your Arma 3 installation. The official template covers server identity, administrator passwords, logging, signature verification, BattlEye settings, and the required build field.

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Check the BattlEye settings

Verify the BattlEye path and password in the files supplied with your server. A BattlEye problem can look like a general startup failure even when Redis is configured correctly, so treat it as a separate validation item.

Check server.cfg

Confirm the server name, identity, administration settings, logging options, signature-verification choices, and any build requirement in server.cfg and the related template files. Keep these checks separate from Redis troubleshooting: a server can authenticate to Redis and still fail because its Arma 3 or BattlEye settings are invalid.

Step 6: Start in the correct order

  1. Start Redis from the DB directory with start-redis.cmd or redis-server.exe redis.conf.
  2. Wait until the Redis console indicates that it is accepting connections and remains running.
  3. Start the Arma 3 server with the Epoch files and parameters you normally use.
  4. Watch the Arma 3 console and logs for database authentication or connection errors during initialization.
  5. After a controlled shutdown, start the server again and confirm that the persistent state is still available. This checks the complete Redis-to-Epoch path rather than only proving that a process can launch.

Starting Arma 3 before Redis can create a misleading first failure. Once Redis is running, restart the Arma 3 process so Epoch performs a fresh connection attempt.

Step 7: Make the installation survive reboots

Two manually opened console windows are suitable for initial testing but fragile for a public server. The official Epoch notes recommend using a service restarter to keep both Redis and Arma 3 running. A Windows service manager or another supervised restart mechanism can start the programs at boot, restart them after a crash, and record exit states.

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Set the dependency order

  • Configure Redis to start first.
  • Start the Arma 3 server only after Redis is available.
  • Give the game process a restart policy that does not launch several copies simultaneously if a shutdown is slow.
  • Use absolute paths to the Redis executable, redis.conf, the Epoch installation, and the Arma 3 server files.
  • Run both processes under an account that has access to their directories and logs, but avoid granting broader permissions than required.

Plan maintenance and recovery

Keep the Redis data and log locations on storage included in your backup plan. Test restoring a copy on a non-public instance before relying on it for a live world. Save a copy of redis.conf, EpochServer.ini, server.cfg, and your service definitions whenever you change them.

The official installation notes also recommend restarting the Arma 3 server every four hours. That is an operational recommendation, not a measured performance guarantee. If you adopt it, schedule it during a quiet period, announce the cadence to players, and make sure Redis remains available throughout the game-process restart.

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Verification checklist

Use this checklist before calling the installation complete:

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  • Files: The extracted package contains DB/redis.conf, the Redis executable and startup script, and @EpochHive/EpochServer.ini.
  • Redis process: Redis was started from the DB directory with the intended configuration file and remains running.
  • Network: The [Redis] IP and Port identify the host and port where Redis is actually listening.
  • Database: The DB value is the logical database you selected.
  • Authentication: EpochServer.ini’s Password is identical to requirepass in redis.conf.
  • Isolation: Every Epoch server sharing a Redis process has a different InstanceID.
  • Startup: Redis starts before Arma 3, both manually and through the reboot/restart mechanism.
  • Game configuration: BattlEye, server identity, logging, signature verification, required build, and server.cfg settings are complete.

Troubleshooting Redis and Epoch connection failures

The Redis window closes immediately

Run the command from an existing command prompt in the DB directory instead of double-clicking it. Confirm that you passed redis.conf explicitly. Read the console output and the configured log location for a path, permission, port, or syntax error. If the process starts from one shortcut but not another, compare the working directory and command-line arguments.

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Epoch reports an authentication failure

Compare requirepass in DB/redis.conf with the Password under [Redis] in EpochServer.ini. They must be identical, including capitalization and punctuation. After correcting either file, restart Redis if its configuration changed, then restart Arma 3 so Epoch creates a new authenticated connection.

The connection is refused or times out

First confirm that Redis is still running. Then compare the configured IP and Port with the address and port Redis was started to use. For a same-machine setup, try the documented localhost arrangement: Redis bound to 127.0.0.1 and Epoch pointed to that same address. For a remote layout, verify routing and firewall rules in addition to the two configuration files.

Two servers appear to share characters

Inspect the InstanceID in each server’s [EpochServer] section. Duplicate values cause servers using the same Redis process to share the same Epoch namespace. Assign a distinct value to every server, then restart the affected processes so they reconnect with the corrected identity.

The server works manually but not after a reboot

Check the service or restart mechanism’s executable paths, working directories, account permissions, and startup order. Redis must become available before Arma 3 launches. Review both applications’ logs after a reboot rather than assuming that a visible Arma 3 process means Redis started successfully.

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Local Redis versus a remote or managed arrangement

For one Epoch server on one Windows machine, local Redis is usually the least complicated design: localhost avoids a network hop, the package’s example values require minimal editing, and the Redis data stays beside the game server. A remote or managed arrangement can make sense when you need a separate database host, independent maintenance windows, or centralized operations, but it shifts responsibility to network security and service availability.

Consideration Redis on the Epoch machine Remote or managed Redis
Configuration control Direct access to redis.conf, persistence settings, logs, and process lifetime. Control depends on the provider or remote administrator.
Updates and backups You schedule, test, and store them. Some work may be delegated, but the exact backup and recovery policy must be verified.
Firewall exposure Can remain on localhost for a single-machine server. Requires restricted network access and a carefully maintained firewall path.
Multiple Epoch servers One process can serve several, provided each has a unique InstanceID. Also possible, subject to the service’s connection and isolation limits.
Latency No network hop between Arma 3 and Redis. Depends on the route and geographic location of the database host.
Monthly cost No separate Redis service fee, but you carry administration and hardware costs. Pricing and included operations vary; no universal amount applies.

Whichever architecture you choose, the Epoch-side rule does not change: IP, Port, DB, and Password must describe the Redis instance that is actually available when Arma 3 starts.

A practical operating routine

  1. Before a change, stop or gracefully shut down the Arma 3 server and preserve copies of the configuration files.
  2. Change one Redis or Epoch setting at a time so a failed startup has a clear cause.
  3. Start Redis and verify that it remains active before launching Arma 3.
  4. After a successful launch, test a controlled restart and confirm that a known character or world change persists.
  5. Record the current InstanceID, Redis address, port, database number, and service start order in your internal runbook without exposing the password.
  6. When adding another Epoch server, allocate its InstanceID before copying any files and check that its identity is not already in use.

Once Redis is configured, authenticated, started first, and paired with a unique Epoch identity, the database portion of an Arma 3 Epoch deployment is complete. Further startup errors should then be investigated in the Arma 3, BattlEye, mod, and server-configuration layers rather than by repeatedly changing Redis values at random.

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