Backups and restore

Stratum can make world backups on a schedule. Backups are off by default.

Turn backups on

The backup scheduler starts when the server starts. Restart the server after you turn backups on. The log then shows backup scheduler armed.

/stratum set Backup.Enabled true

Or add this Backup object to the top level of stratum.json. Keep the other settings already in the file:

{
  "Backup": {
    "Enabled": true,
    "IntervalMinutes": 360,
    "RetainCount": 5
  }
}

How backups work

A backup uses the SQLite backup API of the server, so it copies a consistent snapshot of the world. It runs on a background thread, and the server keeps ticking while it runs. If a backup is still running when the next one is due, the next one is skipped.

The first backup runs about 1 to 1.5 minutes after the server starts. The scheduler checks every 30 seconds, so the timing can vary by that much. After that, one backup runs every IntervalMinutes.

Backup files go to the Backups folder in your data folder, not next to the world file. Each file is named after the world and the time it was made:

stratum-backup-<worldname>-<timestamp>.vcdbs

For example, for a world named default: stratum-backup-default-2026-10-14_18-30-00.vcdbs.

After each successful backup, Stratum deletes the oldest of its own backup files beyond RetainCount. It does not touch backup files it did not create. Stratum sorts backups by their creation time, so do not copy or move files inside the Backups folder. A copied file can look newer than it is, and then the wrong backup is deleted.

With the defaults (IntervalMinutes of 360 and RetainCount of 5), you keep about 30 hours of history.

Config reference

Restore a backup

1. Stop the server.

2. Open the Backups folder and find the backup you want.

3. In the Saves folder of your data folder, move the current world file out of the way. For a world named <worldname>, rename <worldname>.vcdbs to <worldname>.vcdbs.bak. Also move any <worldname>.vcdbs-wal and <worldname>.vcdbs-shm files beside it, because they belong to the old world. Keep the old files until you have confirmed the restore.

4. Copy the backup into the Saves folder, using the world’s original name. Replace <data folder>, <worldname>, and <timestamp> with your paths and the values in the backup filename. Use the same world name in both paths:

   cp "<data folder>/Backups/stratum-backup-<worldname>-<timestamp>.vcdbs" "<data folder>/Saves/<worldname>.vcdbs"

   For example, to restore builderworld from stratum-backup-builderworld-2026-10-14_18-30-00.vcdbs:

   cp "/srv/stratum/data/Backups/stratum-backup-builderworld-2026-10-14_18-30-00.vcdbs" "/srv/stratum/data/Saves/builderworld.vcdbs"

5. Start the server.

What a backup covers

A backup holds the world database: terrain, block entities, and the player data stored in the world file. It does not hold these files:

• The config files: stratum.json, stratum-commands.json, and stratum-performance.json.
• The mod files and the Vintage Story server files.
• Logs.
• Player data kept outside the world file.

For a full copy, back up the whole data folder, the one that contains serverconfig.json, with an external tool or your host’s snapshot feature.