Document backup and archive procedure in CLAUDE.md

CLAUDE.md

@@ -292,5 +292,60 @@ foundation — see docs/roadmap.md.
 
 ---
 
+## Backup and Archive Procedure
+
+Backups are vzdump snapshots of LXC 1105 taken on srv-a (the Proxmox host).
+Every backup must be documented in docs/archives.md immediately after it is taken.
+Never take a backup without documenting it. Never document a backup that was not taken.
+
+### When to take a backup
+
+Take a backup at these moments, in this order:
+1. Before starting any new release (e.g. before OTIVM-II work begins)
+2. After completing and confirming a release milestone
+3. Any time the human requests one explicitly
+
+### How to take a backup (root shell on srv-a)
+
+```bash
+vzdump 1105 --compress zstd --storage local --mode snapshot
+```
+
+Wait for it to complete. Note the filename from the output — it follows the pattern:
+`vzdump-lxc-1105-YYYY_MM_DD-HH_MM_SS.tar.zst`
+
+Copy the archive to USB immediately after. The human does this manually.
+
+### How to document a backup
+
+After the backup is taken and confirmed, append a new entry to docs/archives.md.
+The entry must follow the exact format of existing entries in that file.
+Each entry must include:
+
+- Filename, date, size, container, host, storage locations
+- Exact state of the container at time of archive — what is installed, what is
+  committed, what is NOT yet present
+- What the archive is good for — what a restoring agent would need to do after restore
+- The exact pct restore command
+
+### How Claude Code handles this
+
+Claude chat produces the docs/archives.md append as a downloadable file.
+The file header instructs Claude Code to append to docs/archives.md.
+Claude Code appends exactly the content given, commits, and pushes.
+
+### Restore (root shell on srv-a)
+
+```bash
+pct restore 1105 /var/lib/vz/dump/FILENAME.tar.zst --force
+```
+
+After restore: pull latest from Gitea, run npm install, npm run build,
+pm2 restart otivm, pm2 save. The game will be live again.
+
+Full archive inventory and restore notes: docs/archives.md
+
+---
+
 *CLAUDE.md — OTIVM — TheRON*
 *Claude Code implements. Claude chat designs. The human decides.*