To back up your Arma Reforger server, capture config.json, the profile folder, and your modlist before any change you might want to roll back. The LPV5 panel inside LoafHub at hub.loafhosts.com includes on-demand and scheduled backups with overwrite and replace options, so you can take a snapshot manually or have one created automatically every day. This guide covers what to back up, how to take snapshots in LPV5, how to restore, and why off-site copies still matter.
What to Back Up on a Reforger Server
An Arma Reforger server is mostly stateless on boot, but a few things are not, and those are exactly what a backup must capture. The core list is small: your config.json, the profile folder, and your modlist. The profile folder is where persistent scenarios (such as Conflict campaigns running with the Persistence System) keep their state, where logs live, and where ban lists are written.
- Back up config.json before any config change you might want to undo
- Back up the profile folder for any scenario using the Persistence System
- Back up your modlist so you can rebuild it exactly even if you lose the file
- Most vanilla scenarios are stateless: they reset on restart and do not need a save backup
- Conflict and Game Master use different save formats, so always restore on the same scenario you backed up from
Take an On-Demand Backup in LPV5
An on-demand backup is the right call before any risky change: editing config.json, swapping mods, changing scenarios, or applying a Reforger update. The LPV5 panel takes the snapshot while the server is running, so you do not need to plan downtime around it.
- Sign in to LoafHub at hub.loafhosts.com
- Open your Arma Reforger server in the LPV5 panel
- Open the Backups section
- Click Create Backup to take an on-demand snapshot
- Wait for the snapshot to complete and appear in the list
- Label the backup with a clear name like pre-mod-update or pre-config-change
- Always take an on-demand backup before adding or removing mods
- Take one before editing config.json so you can roll back if a typo breaks the server
Schedule Automatic Backups
Scheduled backups are the safety net that catches the changes you forgot to snapshot. The LPV5 Backups section lets you set a recurring schedule with overwrite or replace options, so you can keep a rolling daily backup without filling unlimited storage.
- Open the Backups section in LPV5
- Open the schedule options
- Pick a frequency, for example daily during a quiet hour
- Choose whether to overwrite the previous scheduled backup or to keep a rolling set
- Save the schedule and confirm the next-run time
- Schedule a daily backup at a low-traffic hour so the snapshot does not coincide with peak play
- A rolling 7-day set is a sensible default if you have the storage for it
- Overwriting saves space; a rolling set protects you from a bad change that goes unnoticed for days
Restore from a Snapshot
Restoring a backup in LPV5 reverts the server files to the state captured at that point. Use it when a config change broke the boot, a mod update broke a scenario, or a Conflict campaign you wanted to preserve was wiped.
- Stop the server from the LPV5 Console tab
- Open the Backups section and find the snapshot you want to restore
- Click Restore on that backup
- Confirm the restore
- Start the server from the Console tab and watch the boot log
- Verify your config, modlist, and scenario state look right
- Restoring overwrites the current files; take a fresh backup of the current state first if you might want to come back to it
- Restore on the same scenario you backed up from; cross-scenario saves are not compatible
Off-Site Copies for the Worst-Case
Backups stored on the same panel as the server protect you from most incidents, but for total peace of mind, keep an off-site copy of config.json and your modlist. Both are tiny files, and a copy in your own Git repo or cloud storage means you can rebuild a server even if your account is unavailable.
- Keep a Git repo with config.json and a text list of your mod IDs
- Re-export it whenever you make a meaningful change
- For larger persistent worlds, periodically download a panel backup to your own drive
- A modlist text file plus a working config.json is enough to rebuild a Reforger server on any host in minutes
Backup Hygiene That Saves Headaches
Good backup discipline costs nothing and pays off the first time you need it. The pattern is simple: snapshot before risky changes, schedule a regular safety-net snapshot, label clearly, and test a restore at least once so you know it works.
- Always snapshot before mod, config, or scenario changes
- Label backups with what you were about to change
- Test a restore on a quiet day so you trust the process under pressure
- Delete obviously stale backups so the list stays scannable