DayZ Server Setup

Your first hour: from order to the first player online

A game server order is normally active within 20 minutes. Six moves then take you from a stock install to a server your group can find, join and trust.

1. Open the game panelSign in at cpdeluxe.com with your game panel login. Pick your DayZ server: its Start, Stop and More controls sit side by side.
2. Stop it before you editThe server reads its settings when it boots, so anything saved while it runs is ignored. Get into the habit early: stop, edit, save, start.
3. Give it a name and a passwordIn Configuration Files, open Config.cfg with the Easy Config Editor. Set hostname (the name in the browser), a password if only invited players should get in, and passwordAdmin, your key to admin rights. The config chapter covers every line.
4. Choose the mapFurther down the same editor is the Mission Template field. Choose Chernarus for the classic experience or another mission; community maps are installed from the Mod Manager first, as the maps chapter explains.
5. Start and be patientPress Start. For 30 to 60 seconds the panel may show zero CPU and memory while a safety clone of the server is taken. A mod list or a custom map can stretch the first boot to between 3 and 10 minutes.
6. Join, then share itClose DayZ and press Steam Connect in the panel: the game launches straight into your server. Friends paste the query address shown in the panel into Steam (View, Game Servers, Favorites, Add Server) and join from there.

A tour of the panel: which button does which job

Almost every DayZ task lands on one of a handful of buttons. Learn where they are once and the rest of this page can simply say where to click.

Want a co-admin without handing over your login? Create a panel sub user and tick only what they need. The first permission, access to the service, is compulsory, otherwise the server will not even appear for them. Our sub user walkthrough has screenshots.

serverDZ.cfg explained: the settings worth changing

In Bohemia's documentation the config file is serverDZ.cfg, yet the name itself means nothing: DayZ reads whatever file -config= names at launch. In our panel it is Config.cfg under Configuration Files. Always edit it with the server stopped.

Identity and who can join

How the game looks and feels

Day, night and the clock

Queue, ping and respawn

Lines to leave as they are

verifySignatures = 2 checks every mod file against its key, and 2 is the only value Bohemia supports. guaranteedUpdates = 1 is the network protocol, again with one valid value. forceSameBuild = 1 turns away players on a different game build, which is exactly what you want straight after a patch. storageAutoFix = 1 swaps a damaged save file for an empty one so the server still boots.

Picking a map: official terrains and community worlds

The map is the biggest single choice you make, because loot, mods and even who can join depend on it. A server runs one mission at a time, chosen by the config's template line and written as mission.terrain.

Seven community maps, one click each

Our Mod Manager installs Banov, BanovFrost, Bitterroot, Chiemsee, DeerIsle, Namalsk and TakistanPlus together with their missions and any framework they rely on. Chiemsee brings SpawnerBubaku for its custom infected spawns, TakistanPlus brings Dabs Framework, and Namalsk installs both the regular island and the hardcore Namalsk Survival mission; you swap between the two in the config while the server is stopped.

1. Start from vanillaPut the map on a clean server, ideally straight after a reinstall. Some Workshop mods clash with some maps, and a clean base tells you which one did it.
2. Install itStop the server, open Mod Manager, find the map under Community Maps and press Install.
3. Let it bootBoot the server and allow the first load a few minutes before you join.
4. Add mods one by oneBring the rest of your mod list back one mod at a time, testing as you go.

Keeping a community map current

A community map updates in two halves. The terrain is a Workshop mod, so the Steam Workshop button updates it like any other. The mission (spawns and loot) updates from Mod Manager: pressing Update writes a fresh copy beside yours with _UPDATED on the end of the folder name and your persistence copied in. No custom XML edits? Point the Mission Template at the new folder. Edited files? Merge your changes across first.

Want DayZ Expansion on top? The Expansion Bundle officially supports Chernarus, Livonia (Enoch), Chiemsee, Namalsk and TakistanPlus, and the panel adds the Expansion files for those missions automatically. Map first, Expansion second. On DeerIsle with Expansion, set EnableSpawnSelection to 0 in profiles/ExpansionMod/Settings/SpawnSettings.json, otherwise fresh spawns end up underwater.

Mods: the Workshop, client and server-side mods, keys and the launcher

Mods for DayZ live on the Steam Workshop, and a player can only join if they run the server's client mods too. There are two ways to get them onto your server here.

Client mods and server-only mods

The launch line keeps two lists. -mod= holds mods that every player must also run. -serverMod= holds mods that live only on the server and are never sent to players. Both take several entries separated by semicolons. In our panel, a server-side mod moves by cutting its @ID from the -mod= string and pasting it into the -servermod= string in the Workshop.mods editor.

Keys and signatures

With verifySignatures = 2 the server accepts only mod files signed by a key it holds. Every mod ships a .bikey, and the Workshop installer copies it into the keys folder on the server for you. The exception is a mod whose key folder has an unusual name; if a fresh mod stops players getting in, check that its key actually arrived.

Updating without nasty surprises

• Refresh everything at once with the Workshop Update button and its update all option, or let a Workshop Update task check on a timer and restart with warnings only when a mod changed.
• Before a big DayZ patch, look at each mod's last update date on the Workshop. Abandoned mods are the most common reason a server will not boot on patch day.
• Frameworks count too: a mod that needs CF or Dabs Framework will not load without them. The Mod Manager handles this for you; with the Workshop button, check the mod's required items.

The DZSA Launcher

Many modded communities join through the DayZ SA Launcher, which fetches the server's mods for each player. On current servers, install DZSA from the Mods section, then tick the DayZ launcher Sync option in the start.bat Easy Config Editor. Give the launcher up to an hour to notice changes; its server check page takes your IP and query port if you want to confirm it can see you.

Admin rights, BattlEye RCon and keeping order

Control on a DayZ server comes in three layers: the admin password in the config, BattlEye's remote console, and an admin tool mod for the jobs the vanilla game cannot do.

BattlEye RCon

BattlEye reads its own file, BEServer_x64.cfg, kept in the same folder as BEServer_x64.dll; the -BEpath and -profiles launch parameters decide where that folder is. Two lines matter:

Admin tool mods

VPPAdminTools is the one-click route: the Mod Manager installs it with CF and asks for a super admin password plus your Steam64 ID (steamid.io finds it). Extra admins go one Steam ID per line, with no spaces before or after. Older servers may still run Zomberry Admin Tools, which reads its admins from an admins.cfg file in the profiles folder.

Who gets in, and who gets logged

• Whitelist: enableWhitelist = 1 keeps the server to listed players only.
• Bans: the server keeps its bans in ban.txt; disableBanlist = true stops it using that file.
• Priority queue: list Steam IDs in priority.txt in the server root, separated by semicolons, and those players skip ahead in the login queue.
• Admin log: the -adminLog launch parameter writes one; adminLogPlacement, adminLogBuildActions and adminLogPlayerList add trap and tent placement, base building, and a player list with positions every five minutes.

The Central Economy: how loot, infected and events spawn

Everything that spawns, from tins of beans to cars and crash sites, is governed by the Central Economy files in your mission folder (mpmissions/<mission>/). Bohemia publishes the stock files for every official map on GitHub, a handy reference once yours have been edited a few times.

<type name="AKM">
    <nominal>3</nominal>
    <lifetime>7200</lifetime>
    <restock>3600</restock>
    <min>2</min>
    ...
</type>

Read it as: a target of three AKMs on the map, a minimum of two, and two hours (7,200 seconds) before one left lying on the ground is cleaned up.

Patch days and edited files

An update can add entries to these files or change their layout, and a server still running your old copies may refuse to start. The routine our team uses: download your edited files, delete them on the server, run Advanced Steam Update with Force Steam Update ticked to pull fresh defaults, then reapply your changes with a diff tool.

Player saves sit in a storage_<number> folder inside the mission, named after the instanceId setting. Copy that folder somewhere safe before any big change.

Memory, player slots and server FPS on our DayZ plans

Our DayZ plans differ by player slots and memory; the hardware options are the same on every one. These figures come straight from the order form, checked on 14 October 2026.

• Slots: 10 to 127 players, in steps of ten up to 120 and then 127.
• Memory: our plans pair memory with slots, from 8GB on the smallest plan up to 32GB on the biggest. On the order form you can also pick any tier (12GB, 16GB, 20GB, 24GB and 32GB) with any slot count.
• CPU: 5.0GHz included, with 5.2GHz+ and 5.6GHz+ upgrades, plus High or Realtime CPU priority.
• Storage: NVMe at 7,500MB/s with up to 100GB included; a 14,000MB/s option and up to 200GB if a big mod list needs the room.

Measure before you upgrade

Players, mods and custom maps all add to the load, so the reliable way to size memory is to watch it. Activity and Stats graphs usage live and for earlier days, and Bohemia's logMemory, logAverageFps and logPlayers settings write memory, server FPS and player counts into the log as often as you choose, as long as the server runs with -doLogs. If memory sits at the ceiling, or server FPS sags as the server fills up, move up one tier.

Changes happen in the client area: Services, My Services, your server, then Upgrade/Downgrade options. An upgrade raises an invoice for the difference; restart the server once it is paid. Slots and CPU priority change the same way.

Raising server FPS

Server FPS counts the simulation frames the server finishes per second. Bohemia's config warns at serverFpsWarning = 15, and 11 is the lowest value it accepts. The -limitFPS launch parameter caps it (200 at most) to save CPU on a quiet server, while -cpuCount sets how many logical cores parallel tasks may use. When a busy server struggles, these are the levers to pull:

• Trim the loot: lower nominal and min values in types.xml, starting with whatever piles up unused.
• Drop unused mods: each one adds scripts and objects to simulate.
• Shrink the network bubbles: networkRangeNear (150 m by default) and networkRangeFar (1,000 m) set how far away items and objects are streamed to players.
• Clean up sooner: the CleanupLifetime values in globals.xml decide how long bodies and ruined items linger.
• Restart on a rhythm: at least twice a day; for most modded servers we recommend a four-hour cycle.
• Give the process priority: High or Realtime CPU priority from the client area hands the server a bigger share of the CPU.
• Cap per-frame simulation: simulatedPlayersBatch (20 by default) limits how many players are simulated in each frame.

Restarts, updates, backups and wipes on autopilot

DayZ saves cleanly when it is shut down properly, and Bohemia advises a graceful shutdown over pulling the plug. Our scheduled tasks follow that pattern: warn, lock, kick, save, then act.

Warnings in Discord

Service Settings accepts a Discord webhook (in Discord: Edit Channel, Integrations, Create Webhook, Copy Webhook URL). Scheduled restarts, Workshop updates and Steam updates can then post to that channel with your logo (a 100 by 100 pixel image suits it), colour and wording, and {num_mods} shows how many mods are waiting. Set the Scheduled Restart Interval to match your schedule so the next restart time shown is right.

Patch day on a modded server

1. Stop and update the gameStop the server and run Steam Update. If it fails, Steam is usually just swamped: try again in five minutes, or open Advanced Steam Update and pick a different update server.
2. Update mods and the mapUpdate every mod that needs it from the installed Workshop list, and a community map from Mod Manager.
3. Check your editsLook over any custom XML files, because an update can reset them.
4. Start and verifyStart the server, wait at least five minutes, then check Activity and Stats or look it up in Steam's favourites by its query address.

Backups, restores and wipes

Backup Server takes a copy on demand (stop the server first) and Restore Server rolls back to the date you choose. Backup Manager lets you download copies, using the password shown on its button. Wipe Server clears whichever progress you select. A Reinstall resets the server files to default but leaves your backups untouched, which makes it a safe last resort when a modded install is beyond saving.

When it breaks: the fixes we reach for first

Most DayZ tickets we see fall into a short list. Start here before you reinstall anything.

• The server is missing from the in-game listAllow 3 to 10 minutes after a start when you run mods or a custom map. Then add the query address from the panel to Steam's favourites. If it answers there, the server is up and the list simply has not caught up.
• It does not show in the DZSA LauncherThe launcher can take up to an hour to sync. Make sure the DayZ launcher Sync option is ticked in start.bat, then run the launcher's server check with your IP and query port.
• It will not start after a DayZ updateUsually one of four things: a failed Steam update (force one from Advanced Steam Update), a mod that has not been updated yet, a mod whose own config files changed, or outdated mission XML files. Check the Web Console first, then the server_console and script logs in Log Viewer; between them they often name the culprit.
• Players get BattlEye kicks for an unstable connectionOn modded servers this is tied to speedhack detection. With the server stopped, set speedhackDetection = 10 in Config.cfg; Bohemia's scale runs from 1 (strict) to 10 (lenient).
• New players spawn underwater on DeerIsleExpansion's spawn selection is the cause. Set EnableSpawnSelection to 0 in profiles/ExpansionMod/Settings/SpawnSettings.json.
• Config changes have no effectThey were saved while the server was running. Stop it, save again, start it.
• Players keep getting kicked for pingMaxPing (300 ms by default) is doing that. Raise it a little, or move the server nearer your players; a location change is one support ticket away.
• Zero CPU and memory right after StartNormal for 30 to 60 seconds while the panel takes its safety clone.
• A .dll, .exe or .bat upload is refusedThose file types are blocked for security. Send them to support and the team will put them in place.
• Nothing works and the save mattersDownload the mission's storage folder, reinstall the server, add your mods back and test, then upload the storage files again.

Self-host or rent: weighing it up honestly

You can run DayZ's dedicated server on your own machine, and Bohemia documents how. Whether that is the better deal depends on the hardware you have and how often your group plays without you.

Self-hosting means installing the server through SteamCMD (app 223350 for the stable branch, 1042420 for experimental) on Windows or Linux, signing SteamCMD in with a Steam account, downloading each Workshop mod by its ID and linking its key, then keeping the machine on and patched. Bohemia's Linux guide also warns never to run the server as root.

If your group plays a few evenings a week, all together, a home server is a fine place to start. Once people log in while you are offline, or the mod list starts to grow, renting buys back the evenings you would otherwise spend on upkeep. Plans and locations are on our DayZ Server Hosting page.