Reboot Decision & Verification Checklist for a DirectAdmin VPS

This checklist determines whether a reboot is required and, if so, ensures it is performed safely and verified afterward. Reboots are conditional actions, not routine maintenance tasks.

When to run this checklist

• After operating system package updates
• After kernel or core system library updates
• Following provider maintenance notifications
• When troubleshooting low‑level system instability

Do not reboot solely because updates were applied.

Reboot decision checklist

1. Determine whether a reboot is required
   • Review update output for kernel or core component changes
   • Check distribution‑specific reboot indicators or notices
   • If no reboot is indicated, stop here
2. Confirm no high‑risk operations are running
   • No package managers executing
   • No DirectAdmin or CustomBuild updates in progress
   • No backups currently running
   • No long‑running administrative tasks active
3. Confirm service impact is acceptable
   • All services will restart during reboot
   • Web, mail, and database services will be briefly unavailable
   • Proceed only if this interruption is acceptable

Reboot execution checklist

1. Initiate a graceful system reboot using standard system commands
2. Avoid forced resets unless the system is unresponsive
3. Allow sufficient time for the VPS to restart fully

Post‑reboot verification checklist

1. Confirm system access
   • Verify SSH access is restored
   • Confirm expected login behavior
2. Confirm core services
   • DirectAdmin control panel is reachable
   • Web services respond as expected
   • Mail services are running if applicable
3. Review for anomalies
   • Check system messages or logs for boot‑time errors
   • Confirm no services failed to start silently

Operational notes

• Frequent reboot requirements indicate underlying issues
• Repeating reboots without diagnosis is not corrective action
• If a reboot does not resolve the triggering issue, investigate before proceeding

Next step: If this reboot followed updates, proceed to Post‑Update Verification Checklist. If no reboot was required, return to the maintenance task that triggered this check.