In the GSH panel you create backups, download them externally and restore an earlier server state. Check the storage location, completion status and included data before the restore. A backup with the right date is only a way back once the restore scope is known.
Where to Find the Backups
Open your server in the customer area and select the Files & Data section. There you will find the Backups tab. At the top are the buttons, below them the list of all existing backups with name, size, creation time and the actions for each row.
Every row carries a label showing where the backup is stored:
- Separate storage: The backup is stored in the node's backup storage and uses none of your storage quota. This applies to manual and scheduled backups.
- On your storage: The backup is stored in the
/backupsfolder on your server and counts toward your booked storage space. This is how the automatic safety points are stored that the panel creates before risky changes.
For some games, a backup does not include files that your server can simply download again itself, such as Steam content or workshop downloads. Before the restore, check whether the required configuration, extension data and saves are included in the backup scope. External databases and separate services may need their own backup. The panel displays this notice when it applies to your game.
Creating a Backup
Click Create Backup. The panel shows a progress bar; depending on the size of the server, this takes about a minute. Afterwards the new backup appears at the top of the list. With Refresh you reload the list.
There is also Backup + Drive. This creates the same backup and additionally uploads a copy to your Google Drive. The prerequisite is that you have connected Google Drive beforehand under Account → Connections; the Google Drive Copies section shows you whether the connection is active.
You may encounter two messages: if the free storage is not enough, the panel states how much is used and how much would need to be free for the backup. And if you trigger several backups in quick succession, it asks you to wait a few minutes.
Automatic Backups and Retention
Further down in the same tab you will find Automatic Backups. Switch on Enable Automatic Backups and choose the Frequency: hourly, daily, weekly or monthly. You specify the Time in UTC; in summer, German time is two hours later, in winter one hour later.
In the Retention block you define how many backups should remain on the server. If the number is exceeded, the panel automatically deletes the oldest ones. The upper limit depends on your plan; the panel shows it directly below the input field. For Google Drive, you set separately how many copies stay there and whether new backups are uploaded automatically. Save with Save Retention.
How many backups are set for your specific server and how long each type is kept is explained on the page behind the link How many backups are included and how long are they kept? directly in the tab.
Restoring a Backup
Find the state you want to go back to in the list and click Restore in that row. The panel stops the server and writes the backup state back; during this you can watch the progress.
Do you only need individual files, for example an accidentally overwritten configuration? For backups labeled On your storage, there is an additional Select option. With it you browse the archive, see for each file whether it is missing on the server, changed or unchanged, and restore only your selection. Selected files overwrite files of the same name on the server.
With Download you fetch a backup to your computer. This is especially worthwhile before you reduce the retention number.
Automatic Restore Points and Safety Points
Where available, the tab additionally shows Automatic Restore Points. They are created automatically several times a day and are stored outside your server. The states of the last two days are kept in full, after that one per day. With Create Restore Point you can add an extra one at any time. When restoring, the panel stops the server, first creates a fresh safety point, replaces the data state and restarts the server if it was running before.
Before risky changes, such as switching games, the panel also automatically creates a safety point. Safety points are kept for seven days and are listed under Manage → Safety Points.
After the Restore
Check the server status and log in once in-game before your fellow players return. If you are planning something bigger afterwards, such as switching server software or version or installing plugins with the wizard, create a fresh backup beforehand. Then a failed attempt costs you at most a few minutes.
Confirming the Right Backup State Before the Restore
Compare server ID, backup time and occasion with the change you want. Before a production restore, additionally download the current state if you want to keep it. Check the archive for the world, important configuration and extension data; an external database has to be backed up separately. Wait for the restore status to complete before you start again or replace further files. Afterwards, check known game progress and key functions. An older complete archive can still be the wrong point in time. Therefore don't switch randomly between backups, but decide based on documented points in time.