Backup Service Implementation Summary

What Was Created

Core Components

1. BackupConfiguration Model (MCBDS.API\Models\BackupConfiguration.cs)

   • FrequencyMinutes - Backup interval
   • BackupDirectory - Where backups are stored
   • MaxBackupsToKeep - Retention policy

2. BackupHostedService (MCBDS.API\Background\BackupHostedService.cs)

   • Background service running on a timer
   • Executes Minecraft backup commands
   • Parses file lists from server responses
   • Copies files to timestamped directories
   • Manages backup retention

3. BackupController (MCBDS.API\Controllers\BackupController.cs)

   • GET /api/backup/config - View configuration
   • GET /api/backup/list - List all backups
   • DELETE /api/backup/{name} - Delete specific backup

Configuration

4. appsettings.json - Updated with backup settings
5. Program.cs - Registered services in DI container

Documentation

6. BACKUP_SERVICE_DOCUMENTATION.md - Complete technical documentation
7. BACKUP_QUICK_START.md - Quick setup guide

Backup Process Flow

Timer Triggers
    
Send "save hold"
    
Wait 2 seconds
    
Send "save query"
    
Parse file list from response
    
Create timestamped backup directory
    
Copy each file
    
Send "save resume"
    
Clean up old backups
    
Wait for next interval

Minecraft Commands Used

1. save hold - Pauses world saving

   Response: [INFO] Saving...
   

2. save query - Lists files to backup

   Response: [INFO] Data saved. Files are now ready to be copied.
   Bedrock level/db/000011.ldb:455, Bedrock level/db/CURRENT:16, ...
   

3. save resume - Resumes world saving

   Response: [INFO] Changes to the world are resumed.
   

Default Configuration

{
  "Backup": {
    "FrequencyMinutes": 30,
    "BackupDirectory": "C:\\Backups\\Minecraft",
    "MaxBackupsToKeep": 10
  }
}

Backup Structure

C:\Backups\Minecraft\
 backup_2025-01-15_14-00-00\
    level\
        db\
           000011.ldb
           CURRENT
           MANIFEST-000053
        level.dat
        level.dat_old
        levelname.txt
 backup_2025-01-15_14-30-00\
 backup_2025-01-15_15-00-00\

Features

Automatic Scheduled Backups

• Runs every N minutes (configurable)
• Starts 30 seconds after server starts
• No manual intervention needed

Data Consistency

• Uses Minecraft's official backup commands
• Ensures data integrity during backup
• Automatically resumes saving after backup

File Management

• Timestamped backup directories
• Preserves directory structure
• Automatic cleanup of old backups

API Management

• List all backups with size/date
• Delete individual backups
• View current configuration

Robust Error Handling

• Comprehensive logging
• Graceful failure recovery
• Automatic save resume on errors

Getting Started

Quick Setup

1. Edit appsettings.json:

   "BackupDirectory": "C:\\Backups\\Minecraft"
   

2. Create the directory:

   mkdir C:\Backups\Minecraft
   

3. Run the API:

   dotnet run --project MCBDS.API
   

4. Verify in logs:

   [BackupHostedService] BackupHostedService started
   [BackupHostedService] Backup frequency set to 30 minutes
   

Test API Endpoints

# List backups
curl http://localhost:5000/api/backup/list

# View config
curl http://localhost:5000/api/backup/config

# Delete backup
curl -X DELETE http://localhost:5000/api/backup/backup_2025-01-15_14-00-00

Monitoring

Log Messages

Successful Backup:

[BackupHostedService] Starting backup process...
[BackupHostedService] Sending 'save hold' command...
[BackupHostedService] Sending 'save query' command...
[BackupHostedService] Created backup directory: C:\Backups\Minecraft\backup_2025-01-15_14-30-00
[BackupHostedService] Backup completed. Copied 42 files to ...
[BackupHostedService] World saving resumed
[BackupHostedService] Cleaned up 3 old backup(s)

Service Disabled:

[BackupHostedService] Backup directory not configured. Backup service will not run.

Common Issues

Backups Not Running

• Check BackupDirectory is set in appsettings.json
• Verify directory exists and has write permissions
• Ensure FrequencyMinutes >= 1

Files Not Copied

• Verify Bedrock server is running
• Check server responds to commands
• Ensure sufficient disk space

Old Backups Not Deleted

• Check MaxBackupsToKeep setting
• Set to 0 to keep all backups
• Verify directory permissions

Future Enhancements

Potential additions:

• Manual backup trigger endpoint
• Backup compression (ZIP files)
• Cloud storage integration
• Backup restoration API
• Email/webhook notifications
• Backup integrity verification
• Pre-restart automatic backup

Documentation Files

1. BACKUP_SERVICE_DOCUMENTATION.md - Full technical docs
2. BACKUP_QUICK_START.md - Quick setup guide
3. This file - Implementation summary

Testing Checklist

• Service builds successfully
• Service starts without errors
• First backup completes successfully
• Files are copied correctly
• Old backups are cleaned up
• API endpoints return correct data
• Backup restoration works
• Service handles server restart
• Disk space monitoring in place

Status

Build Status: Successful

Services Registered:

• BackupConfiguration (Options)
• BackupHostedService (Background Service)
• BackupController (API Endpoints)

Ready for Testing: Yes

Summary

The automatic backup service is fully implemented and integrated with the MCBDS.API. It uses the official Minecraft Bedrock commands (save hold, save query, save resume) to perform consistent backups at configurable intervals. The service includes robust error handling, automatic cleanup, and API management endpoints.

Simply configure the backup directory and frequency in appsettings.json, and the service will automatically handle all backups!