Updates & SteamCMD

ASA dedicated app id: 2430930.

Shared caches (next to SteamCMD)

Cache	Purpose
steamapps/depotcache	Compressed Steam downloads (network reuse)
asa_content_cache	Expanded install copied into each server

SteamCMD always uses:

+force_install_dir <dir> +login anonymous +app_update 2430930 validate +quit

validate is always passed.

Install / update / verify pipeline

1. Ensure asa_content_cache via SteamCMD (unless a fresh in-session cache can be reused for install)
2. Robocopy cache → server installDir, excluding ShooterGame\Saved (worlds, INI, players)
3. If robocopy fails → fallback SteamCMD update directly on the server install dir

Action	Reuses fresh 15‑min cache?	Notes
Install files	Yes	Prefer stopped server
Update	No — always talks to Steam	Safe-update path
Verify	No — always talks to Steam	Same auto-stop/restart idea; no pre_update / rollback

Jobs queue with retries (up to 3 attempts) and can resume after app restart.

Safe update

When you run Update on a server that was running:

1. Remember wasRunning
2. Stop without a nested pre_stop backup
3. Create fail-hard pre_update backups (world + players + INI)
4. SteamCMD update + robocopy sync
5. If it was running → start and wait up to ~90s for healthy running
6. On failure after backups exist → restore each pre_update archive, optionally restart if it was running, then fail the job

A server that was already stopped stays stopped after success (and after rollback).

Caution

An active-server update must produce exactly one stable pre_update set — it must not also create a pre_stop set for the same job.

“Update available” signal

YARK compares Steam build ids:

• Local: steamapps/appmanifest_2430930.acf in the install
• Public: SteamCMD.info API for app 2430930

The Wildcard ARK Version string shown in the UI is informational only — do not treat it as the Steam update decision (staggered rollouts make those non-equivalent).

Tips

• Point Settings → SteamCMD at a disk with room for the shared cache
• Prefer safe update over manual file copies into installDir
• Check Logs → Updates for per-job log files under app userData
• Live SteamCMD console streams on the progress dock during jobs

Related: Backups, Troubleshooting.