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Use a scheduled restart task that warns players, saves the world, creates a backup, and then stops and starts the Soulmask server. On a hosted panel, this is usually a built-in Scheduled Tasks action; on a self-hosted machine, use a server manager or an RCON-driven script supervised by Windows, systemd, or a container service. The critical details are the warning lead time, save-before-stop order, backup destination, and the clock used by the scheduler.
The procedure below covers both hosted and self-hosted servers, including timezone checks, recurring schedules, testing, security, and recovery when a restart does not complete cleanly.
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What an automatic warning restart must do
A restart is safe for players only when it is a controlled workflow rather than an abrupt process kill. The workflow should announce the maintenance window in game, give players enough time to leave dangerous activities, save the world, create or verify a backup, stop the process cleanly, and bring the service online again.
| Stage | Required result | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule | The task runs at the intended recurring time. | The panel or operating system timezone is the one you expect. |
| Warning | Players see an in-game countdown before shutdown. | The message appears in the Soulmask server, not only in a control-panel log. |
| Save | The current world state is written before the process exits. | The save step completes before the stop command is issued. |
| Backup | A separate copy is created in the configured destination. | The backup path, available space, and retention policy are known. |
| Restart | The old process exits and a new one starts. | The server accepts connections and the world loads normally. |
GTXGaming documents a combined “Backup and Restart with Messages” task that sends a 10-minute in-game countdown, saves the world, backs it up, and restarts the server. Treat that sequence as the model to reproduce when your own host does not provide a single combined action. The exact labels and defaults can change between panels, so confirm the action description shown in your account.
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Set up a hosted-panel restart
Hosted control panels are the quickest option because the scheduler, service supervisor, and (on some hosts) backup operation are already integrated. Host Havoc’s Soulmask instructions, updated June 10, 2026, place recurring restarts in Scheduled Tasks. GTXGaming uses a task named “Backup and Restart with Messages.” Your provider may use different wording.
1. Open Scheduled Tasks
- Sign in to the game-server control panel.
- Open Scheduled Tasks (or the panel’s equivalent task scheduler).
- Choose an action described as restart, or as stop followed by start. Do not select a process-kill action when a graceful restart is available.
If the panel offers a task specifically called Backup and Restart with Messages, select it. That action is preferable to creating separate warning, backup, and restart tasks because the provider can enforce the required order.
2. Enable a recurring schedule
- Enable the task rather than leaving it in a draft or disabled state.
- Select a daily or repeating schedule.
- Set the first run and the recurrence interval. Host Havoc documents a repeat-task interval for multiple restarts per day; GTXGaming’s example repeats every six hours.
- Choose a maintenance window when the fewest players are active. Change the six-hour example if your community needs fewer or more restarts.
A recurrence interval is not the same as “every six hours in my local timezone” unless the panel says so. Some schedulers calculate from the first run; others use fixed clock times. Read the resulting next-run time before saving.
3. Confirm the warning and backup behavior
Read the task description or help text. The GTXGaming action explicitly combines a 10-minute warning, world save, world backup, and restart. If your panel exposes separate checkboxes, enable player messaging, a graceful save or shutdown, and backup in that order. If no warning option exists, the panel alone cannot provide a player-facing countdown; use an RCON script or a manager described later.
4. Edit warning templates
- Open Service Settings or the equivalent server-configuration page.
- Locate the scheduled-restart message templates.
- Replace generic text with clear instructions: the restart time, the remaining minutes, and a reminder to leave combat or other activities.
- Save the settings and check that the task is configured to execute the edited templates.
Keep messages short enough to read in the game chat. State that the world will be saved and that players should reconnect after the server returns. Do not promise a precise downtime duration unless you have measured it for your own installation.
5. Verify the machine or panel clock
Schedules follow the clock configured by the host, not necessarily the timezone on your laptop. GTXGaming directs administrators to Server Details > Machine Local Time. Host Havoc likewise instructs customers to check the panel timezone. Compare that displayed time with a trusted clock, then convert your community’s preferred maintenance window to the machine’s local time. Recheck after daylight-saving changes or a host migration.
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6. Check backup destination and retention
Before enabling a recurring task, identify where the backup is stored, how much space it consumes, and how old backups are removed. The cited provider documentation does not establish one universal retention period. A panel may keep a fixed number of copies, use a storage quota, or require you to delete old archives manually. Confirm that a full backup can finish within the warning window and that the destination is not the same disk you are trying to protect from failure.
7. Test during a low-traffic window
- Announce a one-time test to anyone online.
- Watch for the first countdown message and confirm that it appears in-game.
- Observe the save and backup status in the panel logs.
- Confirm that the old process stops cleanly.
- Wait for the service to return online, then connect and inspect the world.
- Check that a new backup file has the expected timestamp and size.
This is an operator verification step, not a guarantee that every host behaves identically. If the test exposes a missing warning, wrong time, or incomplete backup, disable the recurring task until the configuration is corrected.
Choose a self-hosted implementation
Self-hosting gives you control over schedules and storage, but you must assemble the warning, save, backup, and process-supervision pieces. There are four practical patterns.
Windows: SoulMask Server Manager
SoulMask Server Manager advertises scheduled restarts with optional broadcast warnings, configurable grace periods, automatic backups, Discord webhooks, and SteamCMD installation and updates. In a manager-based setup, configure the schedule, warning lead time, backup location, and restart action in the manager’s own interface. Verify that the manager launches the server under its supervision; otherwise a scheduled stop may leave the world offline.
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RCON plus a restart script
An RCON-driven script is useful when you need custom messages or a scheduler that your host does not provide. The script should:
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- Calculate the next restart time using the server machine’s clock.
- Broadcast a warning at the chosen lead time.
- Send additional reminders according to your community’s needs.
- Issue the game’s save and close sequence through RCON.
- Wait for the process to exit instead of immediately killing it.
- Run or signal the service supervisor so the server starts again.
- Write timestamps and success or failure results to a log.
GTXGaming documents the StopCloseServer RCON command, with cancelclose and cc as aliases, for cancelling a pending shutdown countdown. That command is useful for an administrator aborting a restart after a warning has been sent. Test the exact command and permissions on your Soulmask build before relying on it in production.
Do not hard-code RCON credentials in a script that is readable by other users. Store them in a protected configuration or secret store, restrict file permissions, and limit the RCON port to trusted networks where possible.
Linux containers and Quadlet
The jsknnr container project documents persistent storage, RCON settings, backup intervals, and a Quadlet service using Restart=always. Persistent storage is essential: without a volume or bind mount, a recreated container can lose the world files. Configure the RCON variables and backup path explicitly, then verify that the backup files appear on storage that survives container replacement.
Restart=always provides process recovery. It does not create player-facing countdown text, save the world on a schedule, or guarantee that a backup completed before shutdown. Add an RCON warning-and-save script or another manager when players need advance notice.
Linux systemd
A systemd service can start Soulmask at boot and restart it after an unexpected exit. A self-hosting guide also describes automatic backup intervals. Stopping a systemd unit by itself does not provide a countdown; pair it with an RCON warning mechanism or manager. The unit should supervise the actual server process, and its logs should make it clear whether a restart was scheduled, a crash recovery, or a manual action.
Compare the available approaches
| Capability | Hosted panel task | Windows manager | RCON script plus supervisor | Container or systemd policy alone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warning customization | Available when the panel exposes message templates; otherwise not stated. | Advertised as configurable broadcast warnings. | Fully script-defined, subject to the RCON commands available. | Not provided by a restart policy. |
| Save and backup ordering | Combined task can enforce it; verify the provider’s description. | Advertised as automatic backups; verify ordering in your version. | You define the order and must handle failures. | Not provided by the policy itself. |
| Recurrence | Daily or repeating schedules; Host Havoc documents repeat intervals. | Depends on manager scheduler. | Depends on cron, a Windows scheduler, or another timer. | Designed for process recovery, not a player-facing schedule. |
| Timezone visibility | Panel or machine local time; check it explicitly. | Uses the Windows host clock unless the manager states otherwise. | Uses the scheduler host clock unless your script converts it. | Uses the operating system clock. |
| Crash recovery | Usually handled by the provider service; confirm in your plan. | Depends on manager supervision. | Provided by the service supervisor you configure. | Restart=always or an equivalent policy handles process recovery. |
| Discord or webhook support | Not stated in the cited panel guides. | Advertised Discord webhook support. | Possible if your script calls a webhook, but implementation is yours. | Not supplied by the restart policy. |
| Credential and firewall control | Provider-managed; customer controls vary. | Local administrator controls the installation. | You must protect RCON credentials and restrict the port. | You must protect RCON and server ports in the host firewall. |
| Logs and audit trail | Use the panel task and service logs. | Use manager and server logs. | Implement timestamped script logs plus service logs. | Use container or journal logs; add schedule logging separately. |
Design a warning sequence players can act on
The documented GTXGaming example uses a 10-minute countdown. That is a sensible starting point because it gives players time to travel to safety and finish a short activity, but the correct lead time depends on your server’s play style. Increase it for long-distance travel, scheduled events, or a large community. Decrease it only when players have agreed to a shorter maintenance window.
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A practical sequence is to announce the restart at the chosen lead time, repeat the remaining time at intervals that are easy to notice, and send a final message immediately before the save-and-close action. Keep the schedule’s timezone and the message’s stated clock time consistent. If an administrator cancels the restart, send a cancellation notice so players do not continue preparing for an outage that will not happen.
Use the message body to answer three questions: what is happening, when will the server stop, and what should the player do? For example, a message can state that the server will save and restart in 10 minutes, ask players to leave combat, and say that the world will be available again after startup. Avoid claiming that the restart will take exactly a particular number of minutes unless your own logs support that estimate.
Protect saves and backups
Save before stop
A backup made while the world is still changing may capture an inconsistent state. The restart workflow should therefore issue the game’s save operation, wait for it to complete, and only then begin the close or stop phase. A combined provider task may handle this internally; a custom script must make the waits and error handling explicit.
Verify the backup, not just the task status
- Check that a new archive or snapshot has the current timestamp.
- Check that its size is plausible rather than zero bytes or unexpectedly tiny.
- Confirm that the destination remains mounted and has free space.
- Periodically perform a test restore on a separate location.
- Document how many copies are retained and when older copies are removed.
Neither the provider guides nor the container and systemd notes establish a universal retention period. Set retention according to your storage capacity and recovery needs, and write the policy down so an automatic cleanup job does not remove the only usable copy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Prevent overlapping jobs
Recurring restarts, game updates, backups, and crash-recovery policies can collide. For example, an update task that starts while a scheduled backup is running can interrupt the backup; a crash supervisor can start a second process while the first one is still shutting down.
- Keep update windows separate from restart windows unless the manager explicitly sequences them.
- Use a lock, mutex, or manager-provided single-instance control in custom scripts.
- Have the script check whether the server process is already stopping or starting before issuing another action.
- Record start and finish times for warnings, saves, backups, and restarts.
- After a failed run, stop the repeating task until you know why it failed.
The cited documentation does not define one universal lock mechanism. The administrator must inspect the selected panel, manager, or script and implement the protection appropriate to that environment.
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Secure RCON and server access
RCON is powerful enough to save, close, and control the server, so treat its credentials like an administrator password. Use a long unique password, keep it out of public repositories and chat, restrict the RCON port to trusted addresses where practical, and review firewall rules after a host or container migration. The container documentation exposes RCON configuration variables; the self-hosting guidance also warns administrators to account for server ports. Exact firewall rules depend on your operating system, router, and hosting layout.
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Troubleshoot common failures
The restart happened at the wrong hour
Compare the scheduled time with the panel’s displayed timezone or Machine Local Time. Correct the task or convert your desired local time to the machine clock. Check again after daylight-saving changes and after moving the server to another host.
Players saw no warning
Confirm that you selected a warning-enabled task rather than a plain restart. Check the message templates in Service Settings and verify that the task is configured to execute them. On self-hosted systems, test the RCON connection and permissions. A systemd or container restart policy alone will not broadcast an in-game countdown.
The world restarted without a fresh backup
Inspect the task log and backup destination. Look for a full disk, an unavailable mount, a permission error, or a backup process that was still running when the server stopped. Do not re-enable the recurrence until a manual low-traffic test produces a readable backup.
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Check whether the process actually exited, whether the supervisor is watching the correct executable, and whether a second instance or locked files prevented startup. Review service, manager, and game logs in chronological order. If a custom script waits indefinitely for shutdown, add a bounded timeout and an administrator alert rather than silently proceeding.
A restart loop began
Disable the recurring task and crash-recovery policy temporarily, then determine whether the server fails during startup, the supervisor is launching duplicate processes, or a scheduled update is colliding with the restart. Restore one control mechanism at a time and watch a complete start-and-stop cycle.
Choose the right setup for your server
- Use a hosted warning-enabled task when your provider offers a combined backup, message, and restart action and you do not need custom automation.
- Use a Windows manager when you want configurable broadcasts, grace periods, backups, Discord notifications, and SteamCMD management in one interface.
- Use RCON plus a script when you need custom timing, message logic, cancellation, or integration with an existing service supervisor.
- Use a container or systemd supervisor with an added warning layer when process recovery and infrastructure automation are priorities. The supervisor must be paired with RCON or a manager for player-facing countdowns.
Whichever method you select, make the machine-local clock visible, save before stopping, verify the backup itself, prevent overlapping jobs, and test the full cycle before enabling a long-running recurrence.
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