How to Create Database Backups on Your Game Server
Learn how to back up your game server's MySQL database to compressed SQL from the panel — create a backup, lock it, and download, restore, or delete it.
A database backup saves a copy of your database so you can restore it if something goes wrong — handy before a big change, a plugin update, or just on a regular basis. The panel dumps your database to compressed SQL and stores it safely. This guide shows you how to create and manage these backups.
[!NOTE] First you must learn how to access our game hosting panel: https://curtcreation.net/kb/game-hosting-panel/how-to-access-your-game-server
[!NOTE] You'll need a database before you can back one up — see How to Create and Manage Databases. This page backs up databases; to back up your server's files, use the separate Backups page instead.
Step 1: Open the Database Backups Page
In your server's left sidebar, under MANAGEMENT, click Database Backups.
The cards across the top give you an at-a-glance summary: Total Backups, In Flight (currently running), Expiring, Failed, and Size on page.
Use the DATABASE dropdown to filter by a specific database, or leave it on All databases.
Step 2: Create a Database Backup
Click CREATE DATABASE BACKUP in the top-right.
In the New database backup dialog, set the options:
Database — choose which database to back up, e.g., s7_testdatabase.
Name (optional) — a label for the backup. Leave it blank to use the default, "Backup at <time>".
Lock this backup — tick this to protect the backup from automatic clean-up (see the note below).
Click START BACKUP.
[!NOTE] Backups are dumped to compressed SQL and uploaded to remote storage. A per-hour throttle and a per-server cap apply, so you can't create unlimited backups at once.
Step 3: View and Manage Your Backup
A green banner confirms Backup queued — it appears in the list within moments, and the Total Backups count updates.
Each backup row shows its name, a SUCCESS status, the database, its size, and when it was made.
The buttons on the right let you manage each backup:
Download — save the backup file to your computer.
Restore — load this backup back into the database.
Lock — lock or unlock the backup so it's exempt from retention pruning.
Delete — permanently remove the backup.
[!CAUTION] Restoring overwrites the database with the contents of the backup — anything added since will be lost. Old backups may be removed automatically over time (retention pruning); use Lock to keep one for good. Deleting a backup can't be undone.
That's it — your database is backed up. To keep backups running automatically on a recurring basis, set up a schedule with a Backup Database task — see How to Schedule Automated Tasks on Your Game Server.