AzerothCore-RealmMaster/scripts/CLEANUP.md

AzerothCore Cleanup Script

This script provides safe and comprehensive cleanup options for AzerothCore Docker resources with multiple levels of cleanup intensity.

Quick Reference

cd scripts

# Safe cleanup - stop containers only
./cleanup.sh --soft

# Moderate cleanup - remove containers and networks (preserves data)
./cleanup.sh --hard

# Complete cleanup - remove everything (DESTROYS ALL DATA)
./cleanup.sh --nuclear

# See what would happen without doing it
./cleanup.sh --hard --dry-run

Cleanup Levels

🟢 Soft Cleanup (--soft)

• What it does: Stops all AzerothCore containers
• What it preserves: Everything (data, networks, images)
• Use case: Temporary shutdown, reboot, or switching between deployments
• Recovery: Quick restart with deployment script

./cleanup.sh --soft

After soft cleanup:

• All your game data is safe
• Quick restart: ./deploy-and-check.sh --skip-deploy

🟡 Hard Cleanup (--hard)

• What it does: Removes containers and networks
• What it preserves: Data volumes and Docker images
• Use case: Clean slate deployment while keeping your data
• Recovery: Full deployment (but reuses existing data)

./cleanup.sh --hard

After hard cleanup:

• Your database and game data is preserved
• Fresh deployment: ./deploy-and-check.sh
• No need to re-download client data

🔴 Nuclear Cleanup (--nuclear)

• What it does: Removes EVERYTHING
• What it preserves: Nothing
• Use case: Complete fresh start or when troubleshooting major issues
• Recovery: Full deployment with fresh downloads

./cleanup.sh --nuclear

⚠️ WARNING: This permanently deletes ALL AzerothCore data including:

• Database schemas and characters
• Client data (15GB+ will need re-download)
• Configuration files
• Logs and backups
• All containers and images

Command Options

Option	Description
--soft	Stop containers only (safest)
--hard	Remove containers + networks (preserves data)
--nuclear	Complete removal (DESTROYS ALL DATA)
--dry-run	Show what would be done without actually doing it
--force	Skip confirmation prompts (useful for scripts)
--help	Show help message

Examples

Safe Exploration

# See what would be removed with hard cleanup
./cleanup.sh --hard --dry-run

# See what would be removed with nuclear cleanup
./cleanup.sh --nuclear --dry-run

Automated Scripts

# Force cleanup without prompts (for CI/CD)
./cleanup.sh --hard --force

# Dry run for validation
./cleanup.sh --nuclear --dry-run --force

Interactive Cleanup

# Standard cleanup with confirmation
./cleanup.sh --hard

# Will prompt: "Are you sure? (yes/no):"

What Gets Cleaned

Resources Identified

The script automatically identifies and shows:

• Containers: All ac-* containers (running and stopped)
• Networks: azerothcore and related networks
• Volumes: AzerothCore data volumes (if any named volumes exist)
• Images: AzerothCore server images and related tools

Cleanup Actions by Level

Resource Type	Soft	Hard	Nuclear
Containers	Stop	Remove	Remove
Networks	Keep	Remove	Remove
Volumes	Keep	Keep	DELETE
Images	Keep	Keep	DELETE
Local Data	Keep	Keep	DELETE

Recovery After Cleanup

After Soft Cleanup

# Quick restart (containers only)
./deploy-and-check.sh --skip-deploy

# Or restart specific layer
docker compose -f ../docker-compose-azerothcore-services.yml up -d

After Hard Cleanup

# Full deployment (reuses existing data)
./deploy-and-check.sh

After Nuclear Cleanup

# Complete fresh deployment
./deploy-and-check.sh

# This will:
# - Download ~15GB client data again
# - Import fresh database schemas
# - Create new containers and networks

Safety Features

Confirmation Prompts

• All destructive operations require confirmation
• Clear warnings about data loss
• Use --force to skip prompts for automation

Dry Run Mode

• See exactly what would be done
• No actual changes made
• Perfect for understanding impact

Resource Detection

• Shows current resources before cleanup
• Identifies exactly what will be affected
• Prevents unnecessary operations

Integration with Other Scripts

Combined Usage

# Complete refresh workflow
./cleanup.sh --hard --force
./deploy-and-check.sh

# Troubleshooting workflow
./cleanup.sh --nuclear --dry-run  # See what would be removed
./cleanup.sh --nuclear --force    # If needed
./deploy-and-check.sh              # Fresh start

CI/CD Usage

# Automated cleanup in pipelines
./cleanup.sh --hard --force
./deploy-and-check.sh --skip-deploy || ./deploy-and-check.sh

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Cleanup hangs or fails:

# Force remove stuck containers
docker kill $(docker ps -q --filter "name=ac-")
docker rm $(docker ps -aq --filter "name=ac-")

Permission errors:

# Some local directories might need sudo
sudo ./cleanup.sh --nuclear

Resources not found:

• This is normal if no AzerothCore deployment exists
• Script will show "No resources found" and exit safely

Manual Cleanup

If the script fails, you can manually clean up:

# Manual container removal
docker ps -a --format '{{.Names}}' | grep '^ac-' | xargs docker rm -f

# Manual network removal
docker network rm azerothcore

# Manual volume removal (DESTROYS DATA)
docker volume ls --format '{{.Name}}' | grep 'ac_' | xargs docker volume rm

# Manual image removal
docker images --format '{{.Repository}}:{{.Tag}}' | grep '^acore/' | xargs docker rmi

Exit Codes

• 0: Cleanup completed successfully
• 1: Error occurred or user cancelled operation

Use these exit codes in scripts to handle cleanup results appropriately.