@backup

@backup
@backup/list

Wizard-only. @backup takes a copy of the world, into a timestamped directory under the game’s backup directory, and reports the name and size of what it wrote. @dump does the same. PennMUSH has no @backup: it holds the database in memory, and its @dump writes it out.

@backup/list reports the copies on disk, newest first, without taking one.

@backup copy: messages, events, and why the copy is a consistent snapshot
@backup retention: how many copies are kept, and copies taken on an interval

How a copy is taken

Everyone sees dump_message as the copy starts and dump_complete when it is written, and the dump and backup events are raised (see event dump and event backup). A failed copy tells connected wizards and royalty instead.

The game keeps running throughout. The copy holds the world as it was the moment the copy started: everything saved before then is in it, nothing after. It is written aside and moved into place only once complete, so a backup tool reading the directory never sees a half-written one.

Retention and scheduled copies

Older copies are deleted as new ones arrive, keeping 2 unless the server is set to keep more. Where the copies go, how many are kept, and whether one is also taken on an interval are set on the server process, not with @config: SHARPMUSH_BACKUP_PATH, SHARPMUSH_BACKUP_KEEP and SHARPMUSH_BACKUP_INTERVAL (such as 6h). A scheduled copy warns everyone five minutes and one minute before it, with dump_warning_5min and dump_warning_1min.

::: seealso