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Godlike.Host offers hosted DayZ servers with its own game panel, SFTP access and free DDoS protection, if you would rather not host it yourself.
DayZ does not provide a complete built-in restart scheduler. The reliable design is a two-part system: messages.xml warns players and performs a graceful shutdown, while an external wrapper, task, cron job, supervisor, or hosted control plane starts the server again. Discord notifications are a separate webhook or bot integration. Once those roles are separated, you can automate recurring restarts without abandoning persistence, update handling, or crash recovery.
How DayZ restart automation actually works
A DayZ server restart has three distinct jobs:
- Warn players. The server broadcasts countdown messages from the mission’s
db/messages.xmlfile. - Stop cleanly. A message entry can terminate the server when its countdown reaches the deadline.
- Start again. A process outside DayZ must launch the executable after it exits.
DayZ’s own message system can handle the first two jobs, but it is not a complete clock-based scheduler. The DayZ-Modding-Wiki describes this directly: “DayZ has no built-in restart scheduler.” Treat the in-game configuration as the shutdown authority and the wrapper or management service as the relaunch authority.
This separation also makes failures easier to reason about. If the server shuts down but does not return, the relaunch layer is at fault. If players receive no warning, inspect messages.xml. If the server runs but Discord is silent, troubleshoot the webhook independently rather than changing the restart process.
Choose a restart architecture
Pick one authority to start and supervise the DayZ process. Do not run several independent schedulers against the same installation; they can launch duplicate processes or restart the server while an update or backup is still running.
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| Option | Control | Setup effort | Discord path | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Task Scheduler plus a PowerShell or batch wrapper | High | Medium | Webhook call from the script | You own backups, retries, logging, updates, and security. |
| Linux cron plus a shell wrapper | High | Medium | Webhook call from the script | Requires Linux service and shell/process knowledge. |
| BattleMetrics Scheduler | Medium | Low to medium | Hosted webhook integration | Depends on an external service and its access to your server. |
| Open-source server manager | Medium to high | Medium | Project-specific bot or webhook support | You remain responsible for maintenance, permissions, and security. |
For a self-hosted server, a wrapper under the operating system’s scheduler gives the clearest ownership and logs. A hosted scheduler is attractive when you do not want to maintain scripts, but verify that it supports your hosting arrangement and the exact restart and webhook actions you need.
Configure graceful shutdown in messages.xml
Locate the mission database directory used by your server and edit db/messages.xml. Make a backup before changing it. Bohemia Interactive Community documents these message properties:
deadlinecontrols when a countdown reaches zero.shutdownenables termination after that countdown.repeatcontrols whether a message recurs.#tminis replaced with the remaining minutes during a countdown.- Messages are limited to 160 characters.
The shutdown flag is ignored unless countdown behavior is enabled. Bohemia’s documentation recommends this graceful method to avoid negative effects on player characters and server storage saving.
Build a warning sequence
Use separate entries for the intervals you want players to see, then make the final entry the one that shuts the server down. A representative structure is:
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' standalone='yes'?>
<messages>
<message>
<deadline>600</deadline>
<shutdown>0</shutdown>
<repeat>0</repeat>
<text>Server restart in #tmin minutes. Please find a safe location.</text>
</message>
<message>
<deadline>60</deadline>
<shutdown>1</shutdown>
<repeat>0</repeat>
<text>Restart in #tmin minute. Log out safely now.</text>
</message>
</messages>The numbers above are an example schedule, not a universal preset. Keep each text under 160 characters and follow the schema shipped with your DayZ server version. Confirm whether your installed configuration interprets the deadline values in the way your schedule requires; the documentation defines what the field does, but your operational plan must determine the actual intervals.
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Make the schedule recurring
If you want the server to shut down repeatedly without an external stop command, configure the message entries’ repeat behavior according to the DayZ message schema. The wrapper should be running continuously so that every clean shutdown is followed by a new launch. If your host requires restarts at fixed wall-clock times rather than at a fixed uptime interval, use an external scheduler to request the stop and let the wrapper perform the relaunch.
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1. Prepare directories and permissions
- Keep the DayZ executable, profile directory, mission files, and persistence storage in known paths.
- Create a separate backup directory on storage that will survive a failed update or disk issue.
- Run the scheduled task under an account that can read and write the server, profile, log, and backup directories.
- Store the Discord webhook outside the script, preferably as a protected machine or user environment variable named
DAYZ_DISCORD_WEBHOOK.
2. Use a wrapper that waits for exit and relaunches
The wrapper below starts DayZ, waits for the process to exit, records the exit code, copies persistence while the process is stopped, and launches again. Replace the paths and arguments with those used by your installation. The backup and update commands are deliberately separate so you can insert the tooling appropriate to your host.
$ServerExe = 'C:DayZServerDayZServer_x64.exe'
$WorkingDir = 'C:DayZServer'
$Storage = 'C:DayZServermpmissionsdayzOffline.chernarusplusstorage_1'
$BackupRoot = 'D:DayZBackups'
$Log = 'C:DayZServerlogswrapper.log'
$Webhook = $env:DAYZ_DISCORD_WEBHOOK
function Write-Log {
param([string]$Message)
$line = "$(Get-Date -Format s) $Message"
Add-Content -Path $Log -Value $line
}
function Send-Discord {
param([string]$Message)
if ([string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($Webhook)) { return }
try {
$payload = @{ content = $Message } | ConvertTo-Json
Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $Webhook -Method Post -ContentType 'application/json' -Body $payload -ErrorAction Stop | Out-Null
} catch {
Write-Log "Discord delivery failed: $($_.Exception.Message)"
}
}
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path (Split-Path $Log), $BackupRoot | Out-Null
while ($true) {
Send-Discord 'DayZ server process starting.'
Write-Log 'Starting DayZ.'
$process = Start-Process -FilePath $ServerExe -WorkingDirectory $WorkingDir -ArgumentList '-config=serverDZ.cfg' -PassThru
$process.WaitForExit()
$exitCode = $process.ExitCode
Write-Log "DayZ exited with code $exitCode."
Send-Discord "DayZ process exited with code $exitCode."
if (Test-Path $Storage) {
$stamp = Get-Date -Format 'yyyyMMdd-HHmmss'
Copy-Item -Path $Storage -Destination (Join-Path $BackupRoot $stamp) -Recurse -Force
Write-Log 'Persistence backup completed.'
}
if ($exitCode -ne 0) {
Send-Discord 'DayZ stopped unexpectedly; waiting before recovery launch.'
Start-Sleep -Seconds 60
} else {
Send-Discord 'DayZ shut down cleanly; relaunching.'
Start-Sleep -Seconds 15
}
}Do not let a webhook outage stop the server. The try/catch records a delivery failure and continues. In production, add your update command between the backup and the next launch, and make that command fail closed: if an update cannot be verified, wait for operator attention instead of entering a rapid restart loop.
3. Register the wrapper in Task Scheduler
- Open Task Scheduler and choose Create Task, not the simplified Basic Task wizard.
- On General, give the task a name such as
DayZ Server Supervisor, select Run whether user is logged on or not, and enable Run with highest privileges only if the server requires it. - On Triggers, create an At startup trigger. A startup trigger is appropriate because the wrapper remains active and relaunches after each DayZ exit.
- On Actions, choose Start a program. Set the program to
powershell.exeand add arguments such as-NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File 'C:DayZServerdayz-supervisor.ps1'. - On Conditions, clear power-related restrictions that would stop a dedicated host when running on battery or a nonstandard power profile.
- On Settings, enable Restart the task if it fails, set a sensible restart delay, and prevent multiple instances. The wrapper itself is the process supervisor, so a second copy must never be allowed.
- Run the task manually once and inspect the wrapper log before leaving it unattended.
If you instead want fixed wall-clock restarts, create a separate trigger that invokes a controlled stop operation supplied by your server manager or RCON tooling. Do not start a second DayZ process from that trigger; let the one wrapper own the process.
Linux: shell supervisor and cron
1. Create a single-process wrapper
On Linux, cron is best used to start the supervisor at boot or to invoke a deliberate stop action. The supervisor below keeps one DayZ process alive, backs up persistence after exit, and sends Discord events with curl.
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#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -u
SERVER_DIR='/opt/dayz'
SERVER_BIN="$SERVER_DIR/DayZServer"
STORAGE="$SERVER_DIR/mpmissions/dayzOffline.chernarusplus/storage_1"
BACKUPS='/var/backups/dayz'
LOG='/var/log/dayz-supervisor.log'
WEBHOOK="${DAYZ_DISCORD_WEBHOOK:-}"
log() { printf '%s %sn' "$(date -Is)" "$1" >> "$LOG"; }
send_discord() {
[ -z "$WEBHOOK" ] && return 0
curl --fail --silent --show-error -H 'Content-Type: application/json'
-d "$(printf '{"content":"%s"}' "$1")" "$WEBHOOK" >/dev/null
|| log 'Discord delivery failed'
}
mkdir -p "$BACKUPS" "$(dirname "$LOG")"
while true; do
send_discord 'DayZ server process starting.'
"$SERVER_BIN" -config=serverDZ.cfg >> "$LOG" 2>&1
code=$?
log "DayZ exited with code $code"
send_discord "DayZ process exited with code $code."
stamp=$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)
if [ -d "$STORAGE" ]; then
cp -a "$STORAGE" "$BACKUPS/$stamp"
log 'Persistence backup completed.'
fi
if [ "$code" -ne 0 ]; then
send_discord 'DayZ stopped unexpectedly; waiting before recovery launch.'
sleep 60
else
send_discord 'DayZ shut down cleanly; relaunching.'
sleep 15
fi
doneMake the file executable, test it interactively, and ensure the account can write the log and backup directories. If you run an update command, execute it only while DayZ is stopped and check its exit status before relaunching.
2. Start it with cron or a service manager
A minimal crontab entry starts the supervisor after reboot:
@reboot /usr/local/bin/dayz-supervisor.sh >> /var/log/dayz-cron.log 2>&1For long-running production servers, a service manager is generally easier to monitor than cron because it can enforce one instance, restart the supervisor itself, and expose status logs. If cron is your available option, verify that the environment variable containing the webhook is available to cron; cron often runs with a much smaller environment than an interactive shell.
Send restart events to Discord
Create and protect a webhook
- In Discord, open the target channel’s settings and choose Integrations, then Webhooks.
- Create a webhook, choose the channel, and copy its URL.
- Put the URL in an environment variable or protected secret store. A webhook URL grants permission to post into that channel; do not commit it to a public repository or paste it into a server log.
- Send a harmless test message before connecting it to the restart loop.
Use separate event messages
A useful minimum set is:
- Start: process launch time and server identity.
- Warning: the same countdown players see in-game, if your external scheduler can emit a warning before the stop.
- Shutdown: clean exit, exit code, and the time persistence backup began.
- Recovery: successful relaunch or a failed update requiring intervention.
Keep Discord delivery non-blocking. A rejected, rate-limited, or deleted webhook must be logged without preventing DayZ from shutting down or restarting. For high-volume communities, send only state changes rather than every wrapper log line.
Using BattleMetrics Scheduler instead of custom scripts
BattleMetrics documents three recurring schedule types:
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- Basic schedules run fixed messages or commands at intervals.
- Warning schedules are intended to alert players before an event, including a planned restart.
- Advanced schedules support custom timing.
Its documentation gives a restart warning as a common use case and also describes webhook triggers for sending server events to Discord. This can reduce the amount of code you maintain, but it does not remove the need to verify the underlying server behavior. Confirm that the service can reach your host, that its command actually causes a graceful DayZ shutdown, and that your local process supervisor relaunches the executable afterward. Hosted scheduling is a control plane, not a substitute for persistence backups or crash recovery.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Backups, updates, and failed-process recovery
A restart that merely kills and starts the executable is not enough for a dependable server. Build these safeguards into the relaunch layer:
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match- Persistence backup: copy the storage data only after the DayZ process has stopped. Keep timestamped copies and monitor available disk space.
- Update ordering: stop DayZ, back up persistence, apply and verify server or mod updates, then launch. Never update files while the process is writing them.
- Crash backoff: wait before relaunching after a nonzero exit. A broken configuration or incompatible mod can otherwise create a tight restart loop.
- Single-instance protection: configure Task Scheduler, cron, or your service manager so only one wrapper and one DayZ process can run.
- Independent logging: retain the wrapper log, DayZ log, update output, and webhook errors with timestamps.
- Disk and account checks: alert when backups cannot be written, the executable is missing, or the service account loses access.
A failed Discord request should not be treated as a failed DayZ restart. Conversely, a successful Discord post does not prove the server is reachable; send the recovery event only after the process has actually launched and passed your health check.
Test the complete restart path
Test during a maintenance window with a second administrator watching the host and Discord channel.
- Start the wrapper manually and verify that exactly one DayZ process appears.
- Confirm that players receive each configured in-game warning and that
#tmindisplays the remaining minutes as expected. - Allow the deadline to reach zero. Confirm that DayZ exits gracefully rather than being force-killed.
- Check that the persistence directory is readable and that the timestamped backup exists.
- Verify the wrapper relaunches DayZ and posts the recovery event.
- Temporarily make the webhook invalid. Confirm that the server still shuts down and restarts while the wrapper records the delivery error.
- Simulate a failed update or missing executable in a controlled copy. Confirm that the wrapper backs off and alerts instead of restarting indefinitely.
- Reboot the host and verify that the scheduler starts one supervisor automatically.
Troubleshooting common failures
Players see no countdown
Check that the edited messages.xml is the file used by the active mission, that the XML remains well formed, and that the message text is within the 160-character limit. Confirm that the countdown is enabled; the shutdown flag alone is ignored when countdown behavior is disabled.
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The server shuts down but never returns
Read the wrapper or Task Scheduler history first. Verify the executable path, working directory, service-account permissions, and required startup arguments. If an update step runs between exit and launch, inspect its exit code and logs.
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The server restarts repeatedly
Look for a nonzero DayZ exit code, a bad configuration, a missing mod, or an update that partially completed. Increase the backoff, stop automatic relaunch temporarily, restore the last known-good files, and start the server manually to see the first error.
Discord messages fail
Regenerate or retest the webhook, confirm the URL is available to the scheduled task’s environment, and inspect HTTP errors from the script. Keep webhook calls wrapped in error handling so delivery problems cannot block the server process.
Two DayZ servers start
Disable duplicate startup entries, overlapping cron jobs, old wrappers, and management panels that also launch the executable. Use one supervisor and configure the scheduler to prevent multiple instances.
Recommended design for most self-hosted servers
Use messages.xml for the player-facing countdown and graceful stop, then run one PowerShell or shell supervisor from the host’s startup scheduler. Let that supervisor own the process, perform a persistence backup after exit, apply updates only while stopped, post non-blocking Discord events, and relaunch with a delay. Choose a hosted scheduler only when its command, webhook, and access model match your server and you are comfortable with the external dependency.
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