How to Move a DayZ Server to a New Host (Keep Bases)

Q: Where are DayZ server saves stored?

In mpmissions/ /storage1/: players.db for characters and data/ for bases, vehicles and loot.

To move a DayZ server to a new host, stop it fully, then download the whole mission folder from mpmissions/, for example mpmissions/dayzOffline.chernarusplus/. Inside it, storage_1/ holds players.db (every character) and data/ (bases, tents, vehicles, loot). Also take serverDZ.cfg, the profiles/ folder with mod settings, and your mod list. Upload the mission folder to the same place, keep the same instanceId and map template, load the same mods, and your survivors and bases carry over.

What you can and cannot move

What	Can it move?
Characters, bases, tents, stashes, vehicles on the same map	Yes, in `storage_1` inside the mission folder
Custom loot (`types.xml`), events and gameplay rules	Yes, they are in the mission folder
Mod settings (traders, Expansion, admin tools)	Yes, from `profiles/`
Mods themselves	Download them fresh from the Workshop on the new server
A PC server's world to an Xbox or PlayStation server	No. Console servers are separate
Persistence from one map to another (Chernarus to Livonia)	No. Each mission has its own storage

Before you start

Write down the mod list and load order. Export it from the DayZ Launcher or copy the -mod= line from the old server.
Note instanceId and template from serverDZ.cfg.
Match the game version. The new server should be on the current DayZ build, like the old one.
Stop the old server and wait until it has fully shut down before downloading.

What goes where

File or folder	What it holds	Where it goes
`mpmissions/<mission>/storage_1/players.db`	Every character: health, gear, position, alive or dead	Same path on the new server
`mpmissions/<mission>/storage_1/data/`	`.bin` files with bases, tents, barrels, vehicles, dropped loot	Same path
`mpmissions/<mission>/db/` and the `cfg*.xml` / `.json` files	Loot (`types.xml`), events, spawns, `cfggameplay.json`	Same path
`serverDZ.cfg` (server root)	Name, passwords, `instanceId`, mission template, time and persistence settings	Copy values across, do not overwrite ports
`profiles/` (or the folder in `-profiles=`)	Mod configs, admin tool settings, logs	Same folder name on the new server
`keys/`	`.bikey` files for every mod	Same folder, or let the new host copy them
`ban.txt`, `whitelist.txt`	Banned and allowed Steam64 IDs	The same place they sat on the old server (root or profiles folder)

The mission folder name depends on the map: dayzOffline.chernarusplus for Chernarus, dayzOffline.enoch for Livonia, dayzOffline.sakhal for Sakhal, and the map mod's own folder for community maps.

Step 1: Stop the old server completely

DayZ holds players.db open and writes the whole storage_1 folder when it shuts down. Copy it while the server runs and you get a half written database or a world several minutes old. Stop it, wait for the process to exit, then download.

Step 2: Download the files

Use the old host's file manager, a backup download or SFTP with FileZilla or WinSCP. Download the whole mission folder rather than picking files out of it. Zip it on the server first if you can, since data/ contains many files. Grab profiles/ and serverDZ.cfg too.

Step 3: Set up the new server

Create the server with the same map and start it once, so it builds its folders and mission files. Then stop it.
Add the same mods in the same order. Their .bikey files must be in keys/ or players are kicked for signatures.
Copy your values into the new serverDZ.cfg: hostname, passwords, instanceId, time settings and the template in class Missions. Keep the new host's ports.

Step 4: Upload and start

Upload your mission folder into mpmissions/, replacing the generated one with the same name. Upload profiles/ contents into the new server's profiles folder. Start the server, wait for "Mission read" in the console, then join through the DayZ Launcher and check your base and gear.

DayZ survivor in Chernarus, whose gear lives in players.db in the mission folder

The trap: instanceId picks the storage folder

The 1 in storage_1 is not fixed. It comes from instanceId in serverDZ.cfg, which defaults to 1. A server with instanceId = 2; reads and writes storage_2. If your old host used a different value, or your new server has a different one, the new server looks for a storage folder that does not exist and starts a fresh world: everyone spawns on the coast with a flashlight and the bases are gone, even though your storage_1 folder sits right there.

Check both config files. Either set instanceId on the new server to match the old one, or rename the storage folder to match the new value. The same applies to the mission folder: the template in class Missions must name exactly the folder you uploaded. The Bohemia server configuration docs list every serverDZ.cfg key.

The other trap: missing mods delete items

If the world loads without a mod it used, everything from that mod is removed from persistence on load: modded walls, vehicles, guns and clothing. That damage is saved on the next autosave and cannot be undone. Add every mod before the first start, and keep your downloaded copy until you have checked a modded base in game.

Common problems

Fresh world, everyone on the coast: instanceId or the mission template does not match the folders you uploaded.
Bases missing modded parts: a mod was missing or failed to load on the first start. Restore your copy, fix the mod list, start again.
Kicked for signature check: a mod's .bikey is missing from keys/, or players have a different mod version.
Traders or admin tools reset to defaults: the profiles/ folder was not copied, or the new server uses a different -profiles= name.
Players kicked with "bad version": server and game are on different DayZ builds. Update both.

Moving your DayZ server to GamezServers

On a DayZ server from GamezServers, set Map to your mission folder name and add your mods as Workshop IDs (like @1559212036;) or upload a launcher modlist. We download them and copy their keys on every start. Press Stop, upload your mission folder into mpmissions/ and your mod configs into profiles/ from Files or over the SFTP login in Settings, check instanceId in serverDZ.cfg, and press Start. Press Backup first so you can roll back. For mods, see how to install mods on a DayZ server.

FAQ

Where are DayZ server saves stored?

In mpmissions/<mission>/storage_1/: players.db for characters and data/ for bases, vehicles and loot.

Will players keep their characters when I move?

Yes, if you copy the whole storage folder and the new server uses the same instanceId and mission.

Do I need to copy the mods?

No, download them again from the Workshop on the new server, but load exactly the same mods before the first start.

Can I move my DayZ server to a different map?

No. Persistence belongs to one mission, so a new map starts a new world.