meopill/ark-server

ARK: Survival Evolved Docker Server

A comprehensive, production-ready Docker setup for running ARK: Survival Evolved dedicated servers with automated monitoring, backup system, and cluster support.

Features

• Multi-map cluster support - Run multiple ARK maps as a connected cluster
• Automated health monitoring - Self-healing server with automatic restart capabilities
• Automated backup system - Periodic world saves with configurable retention
• SSH remote access - Secure administration access to containers
• Resource monitoring - Memory usage alerts and system monitoring
• Graceful shutdown - Proper server shutdown handling to prevent data loss
• Production ready - Comprehensive logging, health checks, and error handling

Architecture

The setup consists of two main containers:

1. ARK Server Container (ark-server) - Runs the ARK dedicated servers
2. Health Watcher Container (ark-health-watcher) - Monitors and manages server health

Prerequisites

• Docker Engine 20.10+
• Docker Compose 2.0+
• At least 16GB RAM (32GB+ recommended for multiple maps)
• (number of maps) CPU cores recommended
• Sufficient disk space for game files (~20GB) and world saves

Quick Start

1. Pull from Docker Hub (Recommended)

bash
# Pull the latest image from Docker Hub
docker pull meopill/ark-server:latest

# Or clone repository for docker-compose files
git clone https://github.com/meo-pill/ark-server.git
cd ark-server

2. Prepare Host Directories

bash
# Create persistent data directories
sudo mkdir -p <PathToPersistentData>/config
sudo mkdir -p <PathToPersistentData>/saves

# Set proper permissions
sudo chown -R 5000:5000 <PathToPersistentData>/

3. Configure SSH Access (Optional)

bash
# Add your SSH public key for remote access
echo "your-ssh-public-key-here" > <PathToPersistentData>/config/authorized_keys

4. Configure Docker Compose

bash
# Copy example configuration
cp docker-compose.example.yml docker-compose.yml

# Edit the configuration file
nano docker-compose.yml

# Update the image name and volume paths:
# - Change image: to your-dockerhub-username/ark-server:latest
# - Change volume paths to your actual host paths

5. Start the Servers

bash
# Start the complete stack
docker-compose up -d

# Check container status
docker-compose ps

# View logs
docker-compose logs -f ark

Configuration

Environment Variables

The following environment variables can be configured in docker-compose.yml:

ARK Server Container

Health Watcher Container

Volume Mounts

Network Ports

First-Time Setup Tutorial

Step 1: System Preparation

1. Install Docker and Docker Compose:

   bash
   # Ubuntu/Debian
   curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
   sudo sh get-docker.sh
   sudo apt-get install docker-compose-plugin
   
   # Add your user to docker group (optional)
   sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
   

2. Create directory structure:

   bash
   sudo mkdir -p <PathToPersistentData>/{config,saves}
   sudo chown -R 5000:5000 <PathToPersistentData>/
   

Step 2: Project Setup

1. Download project files:

   bash
   mkdir ark-server && cd ark-server
   # Copy all project files to this directory
   

2. Build the Docker image:

   bash
   docker build -t ark:latest .
   

Step 3: Server Configuration

1. Create cluster configuration:

   bash
   # Connect to the running container to configure
   docker-compose up -d
   docker exec -it ark-server bash
   
   # Inside container - configure your cluster
   launch.sh config
   

2. Configure your cluster settings:

   • Enter a unique cluster ID (e.g., MyARKCluster)
   • Set cluster display name (e.g., My ARK Server)
   • Set server password (optional)
   • Set admin password
   • Set max players per server
   • Select maps to run

Step 4: SSH Access Setup (Optional)

1. Generate SSH key pair (if you don't have one):

   bash
   ssh-keygen -C "your_email@example.com"
   

2. Add your public key:

   bash
   cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub > <PathToPersistentData>/config/authorized_keys
   

3. Connect via SSH:

   bash
   ssh -p 7722 root@your-server-ip
   

Step 5: Server Management

1. Start your ARK cluster:

   bash
   # Inside container or via SSH
   launch.sh start (normally not needed, as it starts automatically)
   

2. Monitor server status:

   bash
   
   # Monitor system resources
   launch.sh monitor
   

3. Manage maps:

   bash
   # Add a new map
   launch.sh add
   
   # Remove a map
   launch.sh remove
   
   # List configured maps
   launch.sh list
   

Management Commands

Container Management

bash
# Start the stack
docker-compose up -d

# Stop the stack
docker-compose down

# Restart ARK server only
docker-compose restart ark

# View logs
docker-compose logs -f ark
docker-compose logs -f health-watcher

# Execute commands in ARK container
docker exec -it ark-server bash

ARK Server Management (Inside Container)

bash
# Configure cluster settings
launch.sh config

# Start all configured maps
launch.sh start

# Stop all servers
launch.sh stop

# Auto-start (for container startup)
launch.sh auto

# Add a map to cluster
launch.sh add <MapName>

# Remove a map from cluster
launch.sh remove <MapName>

# List configured maps
launch.sh list

# Show server status
launch.sh status

# Monitor system resources
launch.sh monitor

# Start specific map
launch.sh start <MapName>

# Stop specific map
launch.sh stop <MapName>

Available Maps

• TheIsland
• TheCenter
• ScorchedEarth_P
• Ragnarok
• Aberration_P
• Extinction
• Valguero_P
• Genesis
• CrystalIsles
• Gen2
• LostIsland
• Fjordur

Backup System

The automated backup system creates compressed archives of your world saves:

• Location: /ark-config/backup-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.tar.gz
• Frequency: Configurable via BACKUP_INTERVAL (default: 1 hour)
• Retention: Configurable via MAX_BACKUPS (default: 24 backups)
• Automatic cleanup: Old backups are automatically removed

Manual Backup

bash
# Create immediate backup
docker exec ark-server tar -czf /ark-config/manual-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).tar.gz /root/arkGame/ShooterGame/Saved

Restore from Backup

bash
# Stop servers first
docker exec ark-server launch.sh stop

# Restore from backup
docker exec ark-server tar -xzf /ark-config/backup-20240621-120000.tar.gz -C /

# Start servers
docker exec ark-server launch.sh start

Monitoring and Troubleshooting

Health Checks

The system includes comprehensive health monitoring:

1. Container health check: Verifies server processes and network ports
2. Health watcher: Monitors container health and performs automatic recovery
3. Memory monitoring: Alerts when memory usage exceeds threshold

Log Locations

bash
# Container logs
docker-compose logs ark
docker-compose logs health-watcher

# ARK server logs (inside container)
tail -f /root/arkGame/ShooterGame/Saved/Logs/ShooterGame.log

Common Issues

1. Container won't start:

   • Check directory permissions: sudo chown -R 5000:5000 /mnt/donnee/conf/ark/
   • Verify sufficient disk space and memory

2. Can't connect to servers:

   • Check firewall rules for ports 7777-7800 and 27015-27019
   • Verify cluster configuration with launch.sh list

3. High memory usage:

   • Reduce number of active maps
   • Increase host memory or adjust container memory limits

4. SSH connection refused:

   • Verify authorized_keys file exists and has correct permissions
   • Check if SSH service is running: docker exec ark-server /etc/init.d/ssh status

Security ***ations

• SSH Access: Uses key-based authentication only (passwords disabled)
• Firewall: Only necessary ports are exposed
• Container Security: Runs with specific user/group permissions
• Data Isolation: Game data stored in mounted volumes

Performance Tuning

Memory Optimization

yaml
# In docker-compose.yml
deploy:
  resources:
    limits:
      memory: 64G      # Adjust based on available RAM
    reservations:
      memory: 8G       # Minimum guaranteed RAM

CPU Optimization

yaml
# In docker-compose.yml
deploy:
  resources:
    limits:
      cpus: '8'        # Adjust based on available CPU cores

Support

For issues and questions:

1. Check container logs: docker-compose logs
2. Monitor resources: docker exec ark-server launch.sh monitor

License

This project is provided as-is for educational and personal use. ARK: Survival Evolved is a trademark of Studio Wildcard.

Docker Hub

This image is available on Docker Hub:

Image: meopill/ark-server:latest

Supported Tags

• latest - Latest stable release
• 1.0.0 - Specific version tags
• dev - Development builds (unstable)

Platform Support

• linux/amd64 - x86_64 architecture
• linux/arm64 - ARM64 architecture (if built)

Building from Source

If you prefer to build the image yourself:

bash
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/meo-pill/ark-server.git
cd ark-server

# Build the image
docker build -t ark-server:latest .

# Or use the build script
chmod +x build-and-push.sh
./build-and-push.sh