Server Schedules
Save time and keep your server fresh by automating restarts, backups, and custom commands.
1 Work Smarter, Not Harder
Every server owner knows the importance of regular restarts and backups. Instead of doing it manually, you can use the Schedules feature in the Deduck panel to automate these tasks at specific times.
Common Automated tasks:
- Daily Restarts: Keeps the RAM usage low and ensures the server stays responsive. Recommended once every 24 hours.
- Automated Backups: Schedule a backup at 3:00 AM every Sunday to protect against world corruption.
- Broadcast Messages: Send a "Happy Weekend from Deduck!" message to all players every Friday.
2 Creating your First Schedule
- Open your server in the Deduck Dashboard.
- Go to the Schedules tab and click Create Schedule.
- Give it a name (e.g.,
Daily Restart). - Set the Minute/Hour/Day of Month/Day of Week fields (uses standard Cron syntax). Leave them blank to run every minute/hour/day.
- Once created, click on the schedule to add Tasks. These are the specific commands the panel will run (e.g.,
Power Action -> Restart).
3 Understanding "Cron" Syntax
Cron expressions control when a task runs. Here are some cheat-sheet examples:
0 * * * *
Every Hour
0 0 * * *
Every Midnight
*/30 * * * *
Every 30min
Expert Move: Use a schedule to send a 5-minute warning message like say Server Restarting in 5 minutes before the actual restart task occurs. This gives players time to finish their builds and save their progress.
4 Mastering Advanced "Cron" Syntax
The Deduck panel uses a standard Crontab implementation. A cron expression consists of five fields representing different time units. Understanding these allows for surgical precision in your automation.
* * * * *┬ ┬ ┬ ┬ ┬│ │ │ │ └─ Day of Week (0-6) (0=Sunday)│ │ │ └──── Month (1-12)│ │ └─────── Day of Month (1-31)│ └────────── Hour (0-23)└───────────── Minute (0-59)
Complex Examples:
• 0 3 * * 1: Runs every Monday at 3:00 AM.
• 0 0 1,15 * *: Runs on the 1st and 15th of every month at midnight.
• */15 9-17 * * *: Runs every 15 minutes between 9 AM and 5 PM.
5 Task Chaining and Graceful Restarts
A common mistake is scheduling a "Power Action: Restart" without warning players. This can lead to lost building progress or frustrated users. The professional solution is Task Chaining within a single schedule.
The "Perfect Restart" Sequence:
- Task 1:
say Server restarting in 5 minutes! Save your builds.(Offset: 0s) - Task 2:
say Server restarting in 1 minute!(Offset: 240s) - Task 3:
save-all(Offset: 290s) - Task 4:
Power Action -> Restart(Offset: 300s)
6 Optimizing Backup Schedules
Backups consume significant Disk I/O. If you schedule a backup during peak player hours, users may experience "Rubber-banding" or lag spikes.
- The "Low-Tide" Strategy: Analyze your server statistics to find your lowest player count (usually between 3:00 AM and 5:00 AM local time) and schedule your heavy tasks then.
- Retention: Use tasks to not only create backups but to clean up old files after a week to prevent your disk from filling up.