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Your player data should survive when Redis data, the server’s InstanceID, and custom mission files are preserved. After the file update, verify keys, BattlEye, startup parameters, Redis connectivity, and the loaded world before allowing players back in.
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An Epoch installation has several layers that are easy to confuse:
- Arma 3 dedicated-server files: the executable, engine files, official data, and server-side binaries delivered through SteamCMD.
- Epoch code: the
@Epochclient/server mod and the Epoch server files or PBOs supplied by the target Epoch release. - Persistent state: Redis data containing characters, inventories, vehicles, storage, and world state.
- Local configuration:
EpochServer.ini,epochConfig.hpp,epochAH.hpp,server.cfg, Redis settings, BattlEye filters, startup parameters, and custom missions. - Authentication and content files: Epoch and BattlEye keys, custom addons, economy files, and map-specific mission files.
An update normally replaces the first two layers while deliberately preserving and reconciling the others. Deleting the whole server directory before you have a verified backup is the most common way to turn a routine update into data loss.
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Before you schedule downtime
Record the live state
Write down the current Arma 3 build, Epoch release, map and mission, complete startup command, game and query ports, profile directory, Redis port, password location, InstanceID, and every custom addon. Save copies of the launch script and any service definitions used by your operating system or hosting panel.
Take a screenshot or text export of the current console and note the last known-good restart. This gives you a comparison point if the updated server starts but loads the wrong mission, loses signatures, or appears to have a new world.
Announce a maintenance window
Tell players when the server will stop and when it is expected to return. Leave enough time for a test restart and rollback; do not promise a short outage if you have custom PBOs or a large Redis database to verify.
Prepare a rollback copy
Keep a dated copy of the entire server directory, or at minimum a file-level backup containing the executable tree, Epoch files, database export, configuration, keys, missions, and custom mods. Store the copy outside the live directory so an update or cleanup command cannot overwrite it. Do not remove this copy until the updated server has completed a normal restart and passed an administrator test.
Stop Arma 3 and Redis in the right order
- Kick or warn players and stop the Arma 3 server process first. Wait for the process to exit and for its final logs to be written.
- Stop Redis after the game server is down. This prevents writes while you copy the database and gives you a consistent backup.
- Confirm that no Arma 3 or Redis process is still holding the data files open before copying them.
The Epoch installation documentation describes Redis as the database service. One Redis instance can serve multiple Epoch servers on the same machine, and servers connected to that instance share character data by default. If you operate more than one server, each one must have a different InstanceID in its own @EpochHiveEpochServer.ini; otherwise, data can be associated with the wrong server.
Back up the data and settings that must survive
Copy the Redis data from its configured data directory. This is commonly a Redis dump file, although a hosting provider may expose a database-export function instead. Back up the database while Redis is stopped, and keep at least one copy that has not been opened or modified during testing.
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Also copy these directories and files from the live installation:
| Component | Why it matters | Update treatment |
|---|---|---|
@EpochHive |
Epoch server binaries and EpochServer.ini, including database and identity settings. |
Compare with the target package; preserve local settings deliberately. |
SC |
Server-side scripts or support content used by the installation. | Back up before replacing any release files. |
MPMissions |
Map missions and custom mission edits. | Merge against the new release rather than deleting custom missions. |
Keys |
Signature keys required for matching clients and server mods. | Keep the correct keys for the target package and remove only keys you have positively identified as obsolete. |
DBredis.conf |
Redis port, password and storage behavior. | Preserve and verify every setting used by the live server. |
| Configuration files | epochConfig.hpp, epochAH.hpp, server.cfg, BattlEye filters and launch scripts contain local policy and security settings. |
Use the target release as a reference, then reapply local values. |
| Custom mod folders | Additional addons, PBOs and scripts not included in stock Epoch. | Back up and test each one against the target release. |
If your provider supplies a database save-and-restore workflow, use it in addition to a downloadable copy. A provider-level export is useful if the host fails, while a local copy makes a quick rollback practical.
Update the Arma 3 dedicated server with SteamCMD
Use the same installation directory that the live server starts from. Updating a different SteamCMD directory and then launching the old directory leaves the server on the old build and can create confusing version mismatches.
Bohemia Interactive documents the dedicated-server application as app ID 233780. A typical SteamCMD session is:
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app_update 233780 validate
quitOn Linux, use the equivalent absolute path for your server directory. The validate option checks the downloaded files and can repair missing or damaged official files. Bohemia’s guidance is to run the update whenever a Steam patch is released; check the current dedicated-server documentation and the branch you use immediately before a production maintenance window.
Do not place custom Epoch files in the SteamCMD download as a substitute for a backup. SteamCMD manages the official Arma 3 files, not your Redis database, mission edits, BattlEye filters, or local Epoch configuration.
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Stage the target Epoch release before touching the live tree
Download the target server package from the EpochModTeam release repository and unpack it into a temporary directory. Compare that directory with the live installation first. This gives you a clean source for new binaries and PBOs while leaving the known-good tree intact.
The Epoch installation package describes removing previous @Epoch folders for a clean installation. For an existing server, interpret that as a staged replacement: remove or rename the old mod only after the backup is confirmed, and restore local files intentionally. Never run a blanket deletion that also removes DB, SC, @EpochHive, MPMissions, or custom-mod directories.
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Merge Epoch files and local configuration
Replace release files, preserve local values
Copy the target @Epoch folder and the release’s server binaries or PBOs into the live tree. Then compare every configuration file with the new defaults. Keep local values unless the release notes require a syntax change.
Pay particular attention to:
EpochServer.ini, especiallyBattlEyePath,InstanceID, RCON settings, Redis host and port, and the database password.epochConfig.hppandepochAH.hpp, including administrator, anti-hack and gameplay changes.server.cfg, including hostname, passwords,verifySignatures, BattlEye enforcement,requiredBuild, and log settings.- Redis configuration, including the password, listening port and data location.
- BattlEye filters and the path used by the server to load them.
- Startup parameters such as
-mod,-servermod, profile directory, map mission and ports.
A file-by-file comparison tool is safer than copying an entire new configuration over the old one. If a setting exists only in the target release, add it after checking its expected syntax; if a setting exists only in your installation, verify that the new release still supports it.
Keep custom missions and economy edits
Compare each custom mission with the release mission for the same map. Reapply your changes to the new structure instead of copying an old mission wholesale when the release has changed class names or scripts.
Epoch’s repository warns that adding items can require matching changes in both CfgPricing.hpp and CfgItemSort.hpp. If you add or remove an item, check those files together. A custom price without the corresponding sort entry, or an item definition that no longer matches the target release, can produce missing classes, broken traders or startup errors.
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Restore Redis and verify the database before launch
- Place the backed-up Redis data into the data location configured for this server, or use the provider’s restore function.
- Confirm the Redis password and port in both Redis and
EpochServer.ini. A mismatch can look like an empty database even when the dump is present. - Start Redis by itself and inspect its log for a successful load of the expected database.
- Only after Redis is healthy should you start the Arma 3 process.
Do not test a migration solely against the production copy. Keep the original dump and, when practical, restore it into a separate test instance first. If multiple servers share one Redis process, verify that each server still has its intended unique InstanceID and that you have not pointed a test server at live data.
Check keys, startup parameters and version compatibility
Before launching, perform a written checklist:
- The correct Epoch and BattlEye key files are in
Keys. -modand-servermodpoint to the intended folders and use the expected order.- The profile directory is writable and is the one whose logs you are monitoring.
- The map and mission name match the installed
MPMissionsfile. - Game, query and RCON ports are unchanged unless you intentionally changed them.
BattlEyePathpoints to the actual BattlEye directory.- The client and server are using compatible Arma 3 and Epoch versions.
Signature errors or missing PBO messages at this stage usually indicate a mismatched client/server package, an absent key, an incorrect startup path, or a custom file overwritten during the merge.
Start the server and validate it before reopening
- Start Redis and confirm its healthy status.
- Launch the Arma 3 server with the recorded command.
- Watch the console, RPT file and BattlEye logs through mission initialization. Do not treat the process staying open as proof of a successful update.
- Connect with an administrator account.
- Verify that a test character loads with expected inventory and that a known persistent object, vehicle or storage container is present.
- Check that traders, custom scripts, anti-cheat rules and BattlEye remote-console access behave as expected.
- Stop and restart the updated server once, then verify the same character and object again.
- Reopen the server to players only after both the initial startup and a normal restart pass.
Record the final Arma 3 build, Epoch release, configuration revision and Redis backup date. Keep the pre-update tree and database backup until the server has operated normally through that restart.
What happens to player data and the InstanceID?
Updating the Arma 3 executable or Epoch files does not inherently wipe player data. Player and world state resides in Redis, so the critical actions are stopping Redis cleanly, backing up its data, restoring the correct dump, and keeping the same database connection settings.
The InstanceID identifies the Epoch server’s data context. Keep the existing value when updating the same server. If several servers connect to one Redis instance, assign a unique value to each server; changing or duplicating it can make a server appear to have the wrong character or world state.
Manual updates versus managed hosting
Some administrators prefer a managed Arma 3 server hosting service to handle SteamCMD updates, Redis, backups and restarts. Others need direct control of custom files and logs. Compare the options on the operational points that affect an Epoch update:
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| Consideration | Self-managed server | Managed hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Custom files | Full control over missions, PBOs, filters and startup parameters. | Control depends on the host’s file access and mod policy. |
| Redis backups | You schedule, copy, test and restore the database. | The host may provide automated exports, but retention and restore access must be confirmed. |
| Downtime and rollback | You choose the maintenance window and can keep a complete rollback tree. | The host may simplify restarts, but its rollback procedure and timing need verification. |
| Logs and BattlEye | Direct access to RPT, Redis and BattlEye logs and settings. | Log access varies by panel and support plan. |
| Recurring cost | Infrastructure and administration are your responsibility. | A recurring hosting fee exchanges some administration for provider support. |
| Support responsibility | You troubleshoot compatibility between Steam, Epoch, Redis and custom addons. | The provider may handle platform maintenance, while custom-mod problems may remain your responsibility. |
Before moving a live database to a host, verify its backup export format, restore process, access to EpochServer.ini, BattlEye filters and startup parameters, and whether you can download the complete server tree for an independent rollback.
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The server will not start
Stop the process and read the first error in the console and RPT rather than the final cascade of messages. Check for a missing PBO, a malformed configuration line, an invalid startup path, or a required addon that was not copied from the staged release.
Missing classes or PBOs
Compare the target release’s PBO list with the launch parameters and mission dependencies. Restore the matching server files and keys; do not solve a missing-class error by copying random files from an older Epoch release.
Signature rejections
Confirm that clients are using the matching Epoch and Arma 3 builds, that the server has the correct key files, and that verifySignatures and BattlEye settings were not changed unintentionally. A stale custom mod or wrong -mod path is another common cause.
The world appears empty or new
Stop the server immediately. Check the Redis port, password, data path and InstanceID. If the expected database did not load, do not let players create new progress on the wrong world. Restore the known-good Redis backup and configuration before testing again.
How to roll back safely
- Stop Arma 3, then stop Redis.
- Keep the failed update directory and its logs for comparison.
- Restore the previous Epoch files, configuration, keys, missions and startup script from the dated backup.
- Restore the pre-update Redis data and verify its password, port and data location.
- Start Redis, launch the prior known-good Arma 3 build, and test an administrator account and persistent object.
- Leave the server on the known-good build until the compatibility problem is understood.
There is no universal migration script for every custom Epoch installation. Addons, mission edits and economy changes require administrator-specific testing, so a complete backup and a reversible file merge are more reliable than an unattended replacement.
Final update checklist
- Maintenance window announced and current versions recorded.
- Arma 3 process stopped before Redis.
- Redis export or dump verified and stored separately.
- Entire server tree, keys, missions, configs and custom mods backed up.
- SteamCMD updated app ID
233780in the live installation directory. - Target Epoch package staged outside the live tree.
- Local
InstanceID, Redis credentials, BattlEye path and custom edits merged. CfgPricing.hppandCfgItemSort.hppchecked when items were changed.- Startup parameters, keys, ports, profile path and mission verified.
- Redis loaded the expected database before Arma 3 started.
- Console, RPT and BattlEye logs clean through mission initialization.
- Administrator character and known persistent object survived a full restart.
- Rollback backup retained until normal operation is confirmed.
Steam branches, Epoch releases, BattlEye requirements and hosting procedures can change. Recheck the target Epoch release notes and Bohemia Interactive’s current dedicated-server documentation immediately before updating a production server.
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