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You can reboot a server in one of two ways. A soft reboot uses the operating system’s reboot process so that applications shut down gracefully. A hard reboot halts the instance and then restarts it, similar to turning a computer off and then on.

We recommend attempting a soft reboot of a server whenever possible, using a hard reboot only when the server is unresponsive.

Note: You should ensure that critical services start at reboot and that there are no tasks pending that could slow the reboot process.

Perform a soft reboot#

To perform a soft reboot of a server, you must be logged in to the server using an account with superuser or administrator permissions. For information about logging in to a cloud server, see Connect to a cloud server.

For the command you should use to soft reboot your server, see the appropriate section for your server operating system:

Linux#

sudo reboot

Windows#

Select the method that matches your installation:

  • Open Settings in the Charms Bar. Click Power > Restart.

  • Click Start. Click the arrow next to Shut down and select Restart from the menu.

Alternatively, you can initiate a soft reboot from the command line by entering the following command:

shutdown /r

If a dialog box appears, select Restart from the drop-down menu. Click OK.

Perform a hard reboot#

If your server is not responding or was shut down manually, perform a hard reboot by using the Cloud Control Panel to simulate power cycling the server.

Warning: A hard reboot does not shut down applications gracefully and can result in data loss.

  1. Log in to the Cloud Control Panel.

  2. In the top navigation bar, click Select a Product > Rackspace Cloud.

  3. Select Servers > Cloud Servers, and then click the gear icon next to the server that you want to reboot.

  4. Select Reboot.

  5. In the pop-up dialog box, click Reboot Server.

The server status on the Servers page updates while the server is rebooting. When the reboot is complete, check your server to confirm that everything is functioning as expected.

Halt a server#

You can also shut down a server to put it in a halted state, in which no operating systems or applications are running. Restoring a halted server to operation requires you to perform a hard reboot using the Cloud Control Panel.

To halt a server, you need remote access to the server using an account with superuser or administrator permissions. For information about logging in to a cloud server, see Connect to a cloud server.

Note: Shutting down a server does not stop billing for the server because the server still has resources allocated to the server instance. Billing for a server stops only when someone deletes the server.

Linux#

Log in as a sudo-enabled user via SSH and enter the following command:

sudo shutdown -h now

The command shuts down the server, and you must perform a hard reboot to restart the server.

Windows#

Log in to your server and issue a shutdown request by clicking Start > Shut down.

Alternatively, you can issue a shutdown from the command line by entering the following command:

shutdown /s

Using API#

You can also use an API to stop a cloud server.

Next section: Rescue mode