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RAT (RAT Server Manager) can administer a 7 Days to Die dedicated server locally or from another machine. The reliable setup is: install RAT, enable either Telnet or Webconsole in the game server’s serverconfig.xml, choose a reachable port and password, enter the identical method and credentials in RAT, install the required Bad Company Server Manager mod, and then connect. Add Alloc’s Server Fixes when you need RAT features such as the web map or private player messages.

What RAT Server Manager does

RAT is an administration layer for a running 7 Days to Die server. After it connects through the server’s Telnet or Webconsole interface, it can automate routine operations instead of requiring you to watch a console continuously.

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  • Start the game server automatically and restart it after a crash or on a schedule.
  • Watch memory use and restart when a configured RAM threshold is reached.
  • Create scheduled ZIP backups and restore a selected backup.
  • Write server configuration changes automatically.
  • Set a message of the day (MOTD), timed server messages and custom commands.
  • Control console and chat logging.

RAT is not a replacement for the game server executable. The game server still needs to be installed, configured and able to run under the account that RAT uses.

Requirements and planning

Windows capacity

The 7 Days to Die Help Center lists these Windows baselines (2026):

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These are Windows baselines for the game environment, not a guarantee for every player count, world size or mod set. A dedicated server consumes additional RAM and heavier CPU resources, so leave operating-system headroom rather than allocating all available memory to the game.

Decide where each component runs

RAT and the game server can share one Windows machine, or RAT can administer a server on another machine. Local operation is simpler because the connection stays on the host. Remote operation requires a route from the RAT machine to the server’s selected management port and gives you less control over the host’s firewall, updates and recovery if the server is rented.

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Collect the information before installing

  • The folder containing the target server and its serverconfig.xml.
  • An unused management port that the server can bind to.
  • A strong management password. The same password must be entered in both the XML file and RAT.
  • The address RAT should use: 127.0.0.1 when both programs run on the same machine, or the server’s reachable IP address when RAT is remote.
  • Permission to edit the server files, install mods and create firewall rules.

There is no single port or password that is correct for every installation. Choose a port that is free on your host and permitted by its firewall, then use that exact value consistently.

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Install RAT and its required server components

Install the manager

  1. Download and install the current RAT release you intend to use, then start the manager.
  2. Run RAT under an account that can read and write the server directory, launch the server process and write the backup destination.
  3. If the server is on another machine, install RAT on the administration machine rather than copying only a shortcut; RAT needs its own configuration and runtime files.

Install Bad Company Server Manager

RAT’s documentation states that the Bad Company Server Manager mod by StompyNZ is required for RAT to work. Install that dependency in the game server’s mod location using the package’s installation instructions, then restart the server after adding it. A connection attempt made before this dependency is loaded can fail even when the port and password are correct.

Add Alloc’s Server Fixes when RAT features need it

The official 7 Days to Die server wiki strongly recommends installing Alloc’s Server Fixes before setting up a server manager. RAT uses it for functions including the web map and private messages to players. Install a version appropriate for your server build, keep it with the other server mods, and restart after installation. Basic connection may work without every optional feature, but a missing or incompatible Fixes mod can make those features unavailable.

Do not confuse RAT with the discontinued manager

Older setup pages describe a different 7D2D Server Manager whose development has ceased. Use those pages only for general concepts such as editing serverconfig.xml; follow current RAT documentation and release notes for RAT-specific controls and compatibility.

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Configure the game server’s management endpoint

Back up the configuration first

  1. Stop the game server cleanly.
  2. Make a copy of serverconfig.xml outside the live directory. Give the copy a date so you can restore it if an edit prevents startup.
  3. Open the live file in a text editor that preserves XML syntax.

Enable Telnet or Webconsole

In serverconfig.xml, locate the settings for Telnet or Webconsole. Enable one management method, assign the port you selected and set a nontrivial password. The exact element names and available options can differ between server builds, so use the comments and keys present in your own file rather than pasting keys from an unrelated version. Keep the chosen method, port and password written down for the RAT step.

Use one interface consistently during initial setup. If you enable both, make sure each has a distinct port and understand which one RAT is configured to use; otherwise it is easy to test one endpoint while RAT is pointed at the other.

Save, start and verify the endpoint

  1. Save the XML and check that every opening tag still has a matching closing tag and that the password contains no accidental whitespace.
  2. Start the game server and wait until it reaches its normal ready state.
  3. On a local installation, confirm that the selected port is listening on the server host. On a remote installation, confirm that the host firewall and any upstream firewall permit the connection from the RAT machine.
  4. If the game server will be reached through a router, forward only the selected management port to the server’s private address and restrict the source addresses where your network setup allows it.

Connect RAT to the server

  1. Open RAT’s connection or server profile screen.
  2. Select the same method you enabled in serverconfig.xml: Telnet or Webconsole.
  3. For a local server, enter 127.0.0.1 as the host. Do not use a public address for a local loopback connection unless your network specifically requires it.
  4. For a remote server, enter the server host’s externally reachable IP address or resolvable host name. The address must route to the machine that is listening on the management port.
  5. Enter the identical port and password from serverconfig.xml.
  6. Enable RAT’s auto-reconnect option, then select Connect.

A successful connection should change RAT to its connected state and expose the management controls. If RAT repeatedly reconnects, treat it as a transport, credential or dependency problem rather than repeatedly changing unrelated server settings.

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Configure automation after the first connection

Make one change at a time and observe a complete stop/start cycle before adding another automation rule. This makes it clear which setting caused a failure.

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Automatic start and restart

Set RAT to start the game server when RAT itself launches if the machine is dedicated to the server. Configure automatic restart for planned intervals or crash recovery, and ensure the restart command points to the correct server instance. If another service, task or hosting panel also starts the game, disable the duplicate trigger so two processes cannot compete for the same world files and port.

RAM-threshold restarts

RAT can monitor memory and restart when usage crosses a threshold. Choose a threshold that leaves enough memory for Windows and RAT; setting it too close to total physical RAM can make the host unstable before RAT can act. A threshold restart is a mitigation for gradual growth, not a substitute for finding a mod or configuration that leaks memory.

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Backups and restore

  1. Choose a backup directory with enough free space and preferably on a different volume or machine from the live world.
  2. Schedule ZIP backups at an interval that matches how much progress players can afford to lose.
  3. Confirm that a ZIP is actually created and contains the expected save data before relying on the schedule.
  4. For a restore, stop the game server, select the intended archive, restore it to the correct world location, and start the server only after the file operation completes.

A backup on the same failed disk is not a disaster-recovery copy. For a remote host, verify whether you can download or independently copy the archives; the hosting provider’s snapshot policy may not include RAT’s files.

MOTD and timed messages

Use the MOTD for information players should see on joining, such as rules or a scheduled maintenance window. Use timed messages for recurring reminders. Keep messages short and test their timing with a connected player so they do not obscure gameplay or overlap with other announcement systems.

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Custom commands and logging

Add custom commands only after testing them manually from the server console. Enable console and chat logging when you need an audit trail or troubleshooting evidence, and set a retention policy so logs do not consume the server volume indefinitely. Logs can contain player names, chat and administrative data; protect their directory accordingly.

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Local versus remote RAT operation

Consideration RAT and server on one machine RAT on another machine
Network reachability Use 127.0.0.1; no external route is needed. Use the server’s reachable address; firewall and, where applicable, router forwarding must allow the selected port.
RAT feature availability Local operation provides the broadest access to local files and processes. RAT supports remote administration, but its documentation warns that some features cannot work when the game server is remotely hosted.
Hardware and operating-system cost You supply and maintain the Windows machine, CPU, RAM, storage and power. A hosting service supplies the server environment; compare its resources and administrative limits with your needs.
Backups and restore You control the backup path and can attach separate storage. Confirm where RAT can write archives and whether you can retrieve them independently from the host.
Patching and recovery You perform Windows, game, mod and RAT updates and recover the machine after failure. The provider may handle host maintenance, but you still own compatible game/mod updates and must understand its recovery process.

Remote administration is therefore a supported operating model, not a promise that every local RAT function will be available across a hosting boundary. Check the current RAT documentation for the specific feature you need before moving the server.

Troubleshoot a failed connection

Symptom Likely cause What to check
Connection is refused immediately The endpoint is disabled, the server is stopped, or the port is blocked. Confirm the game server reached ready state, the selected Telnet or Webconsole setting is enabled, the port is listening, and host or router firewall rules allow it.
RAT connects then drops Wrong method, unstable route, or a server restart. Match RAT’s method to the enabled endpoint, test from the RAT machine, and inspect server and RAT logs around the disconnect. Keep auto-reconnect enabled only after the endpoint works reliably.
Authentication fails The password or port differs between files. Re-enter the value in both places, remove trailing spaces, save the XML, restart the server and try again.
Basic connection works but web map or private messages do not Alloc’s Server Fixes is missing or incompatible. Install the appropriate Fixes version, restart the server and review its load messages.
RAT reports missing functionality on a hosted server The feature depends on local files or process access. Compare the feature with RAT’s remote-operation limitations; move RAT to the server host if that is acceptable, or use the host’s own control for the unavailable operation.
The server will not start after editing XML Malformed XML or an unsupported key/value. Restore the dated copy, validate the edit, and change one setting at a time using the keys already present in that build’s file.

Security and maintenance practices

  • Use a long, unique management password and do not reuse a player, operating-system or hosting password.
  • Expose the management port only to the administrators who need it. A public management endpoint is a larger attack surface than a local loopback connection.
  • Keep RAT, the Bad Company Server Manager dependency, Alloc’s Server Fixes and the game server on versions that the current RAT release notes support.
  • Before updating, make a verified world backup and record the currently working versions.
  • Test a restore periodically on a spare world or maintenance window; an untested archive is not proof of recoverability.
  • Watch disk space for ZIP backups and logs, and remove old archives according to a retention rule rather than allowing the volume to fill.

Version and compatibility caution

A 2026 announcement for RAT 5 is available, but a complete current compatibility matrix and licensing terms are not established in the available documentation. Do not assume that a particular 7 Days to Die build, mod revision or hosting environment is supported merely because an older guide works. Check the RAT release notes and the dependency’s release information for the exact game build before upgrading a live server, and stage the update with a backup first.

First-day verification checklist

  • The server starts without XML errors and reaches its ready state.
  • RAT uses the intended Telnet or Webconsole method.
  • Host, port and password match exactly; local profiles use 127.0.0.1.
  • Bad Company Server Manager is installed and loaded.
  • Alloc’s Server Fixes is installed when web-map or private-message functions are required.
  • Auto-start, restart and RAM-threshold behavior has been tested during a maintenance window.
  • A scheduled ZIP backup exists, can be opened and has a known restore procedure.
  • MOTD, timed messages, custom commands and logging are enabled only where needed.
  • Remote firewall and routing rules expose no more than the required management access.

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