Backups

Backups are ZIP archives under a per-server destination (default {installDir}\Backups unless you set another folder). Legacy loose-folder archives can still restore / import.

What each kind contains

Kind	Live source	Inside the archive
World	ShooterGame/Saved/SavedArks	SavedArks/
Players	.arkprofile (+ related) under SavedArks / SaveGames	PlayerProfiles/
INI	Game.ini + GameUserSettings.ini in Config/WindowsServer	ConfigWindowsServer/

On-disk layout:

{backupRoot}/
  World/
  Player profiles/
  INI/

New archives are named {server}-{kind}-{type}-…-{YYYYMMDD-HHmmss}.zip (compact local date at the end). Create and restore require installation health Ready; you can still browse, export, and import archives beforehand.

Where to manage them

• Per server — Workspace → Backups (create, schedule, restore, export/import, open folder)
• Fleet — sidebar Backups (health, disk pressure, destinations)

Workspace Backups — create, schedule, and restore for one profile.

Fleet Backups — health, disk usage, and destinations across servers.

Triggers

Trigger	Behavior
Manual create	UI creates the selected kind(s); flushes world via RCON SaveWorld when active
World schedule	Optional; world only; server must be active; interval minimum 5 minutes
Player join/leave	Session watcher snapshots (not gated by the world schedule)
INI-on-save	Debounced after a successful INI save
Stop	Best-effort pre_stop (world + players + INI) after graceful exit
Restart	Fail-hard pre_restart after stop, before start
Safe update	Fail-hard pre_update before SteamCMD work

Default schedule policy (when enabled): interval 60 minutes; retain ~20 world / ~20 players / ~10 INI (configurable).

Tip

Stale / “never backed up” warnings on the fleet page only apply when the schedule is on and the process is active. Stopped servers are not nagged for an elapsed interval.

Portable export / import

Use these when moving archives between disks or hosts:

• Export — copy a completed archive to a path you choose (USB, NAS, another folder). The managed original stays put.
• Import — pick a YARK-compatible ZIP for the active kind tab; YARK validates it, copies it into the backup destination with a unique name, and lists it in history. Import does not restore live files — use Restore when you are ready.
• Delete — remove one or more completed archives from history and disk from the history row actions.

Unsafe or corrupt ZIPs are rejected before anything is written outside the managed backup folder.

Restore rules

1. Backup must be completed

2. Server must not be running

3. YARK creates a same-kind pre_restore safeguard first

4. Then applies the archive:

   • World — replaces live SavedArks
   • Players — overlays profiles (does not wipe unrelated live profiles)
   • INI — copies present INI files into live config

Caution

Restore history is recorded internally; a full restore-audit UI is still on the roadmap.

Critical path vs best-effort

Snapshot	Failure mode
pre_restart / pre_update	Fail-hard — operation stops; no blind continue
pre_stop	Best-effort — server already stopped; warning event if packaging fails
INI-on-save	Best-effort

Coming later

Richer restore-audit history in the Backups UI is still on the roadmap — see the product site.