Shutting one down properly.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH FIRST
What is actually on it.
HOW
Check for sites, databases, mail, scheduled tasks and anything listening.
WHY THIS TAKES LONGER THAN EXPECTED
Servers accumulate things nobody remembers.
WHAT TO CHECK FOR
DNS records pointing at it Other systems connecting to it Scheduled tasks elsewhere that reference it Monitoring configured against it
WHAT TO DO BEFORE ANYTHING
Take a final backup, and verify it restores.
WHAT TO KEEP
That backup, for longer than feels necessary.
WHY
Something forgotten always surfaces later.
WHAT THE SEQUENCE IS
Move what is still needed Redirect traffic Watch for anything still arriving Stop services Shut down, but do not destroy Wait Destroy
WHY THE WAITING PERIOD
It surfaces dependencies nobody documented, while recovery is still possible.
HOW LONG
Weeks, where cost allows.
WHAT TO MONITOR DURING IT
Whether anything still contacts the machine.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT DATA
Ensure it is removed securely, particularly on shared infrastructure.
WHAT TO UPDATE
Documentation, monitoring, and any inventory.
WHAT TO CANCEL
The billing.
