Backups and schedules
What a backup contains
Section titled “What a backup contains”A backup is the server’s whole folder (worlds, mods, configuration,
player data) as a compressed .tar.zst archive, minus what the server
downloads or writes again by itself (libraries, versions, caches, logs,
crash reports), the file manager’s trash, and links. Backups are
stored in <data>/backups and listed on the Backups page and each
server’s Backups tab.
Backing up a running server is safe and players stay connected: NetherNode pauses world saving, flushes everything to disk, archives, and turns saving back on. If the server removes a file while the backup is being made (some mods save through temporary files), that file is left out, and the backup’s Details say how many were (edge builds, for now).
Restoring
Section titled “Restoring”Restore stops the server if it’s running (players are disconnected), makes a Before restore backup of what’s there, swaps in the backup’s files, and starts the server again if you ask it to. If a restore isn’t what you wanted, restore the Before restore backup.
Backups of modpack servers remember the pack version they were made on. Restoring one puts that version (and its Minecraft version) back too, so a backup from before a modpack update undoes it.
Backups of a server you delete are kept; download them, or delete them yourself.
Downloading
Section titled “Downloading”Admins can download any backup. Downloads resume if interrupted. To open
one: tar --zstd -xf <file>.tar.zst.
Schedules
Section titled “Schedules”A schedule runs one action on a timetable in a time zone you choose (daylight-saving changes are handled):
| Action | Notes |
|---|---|
| Back up | Optionally keep only the newest scheduled backup per day for N days and per week for M weeks. This counts the scheduled backups from all of the server’s schedules; manual and Before restore backups are never deleted automatically. |
| Restart / Stop | Players get chat warnings beforehand (15, 10, 5 and 1 minutes, as you choose). |
| Send a message | Shown in chat to everyone online. |
| Run a command | Any console command; the reply is kept with the result. |
| Start | Useful with Stop for servers that should only run some hours. |
Pick Every day, Every week or Every few hours, or write a cron expression (minute, hour, day, month, weekday). The editor shows the next runs before you save. Run now, in a schedule’s menu, runs it straight away; a restart or stop asks first and skips the warnings. Commands and messages are skipped while the server is off.
If NetherNode wasn’t running when a schedule was due, missed backups and starts run when it comes back; missed restarts, stops, commands and messages are skipped, so nobody is kicked without warning.