This checklist establishes safety conditions before making any change that could impact the infrastructure of a DirectAdmin-managed VPS. It applies to operating system, service, and control‑plane actions that may affect availability, data integrity, or recovery.
Scope and intent
- Reduce risk before infrastructure‑level changes
- Ensure backup and recovery paths are available
- Prevent avoidable outages and irreversible mistakes
- Promote deliberate, reversible operations
What this checklist applies to
- Operating system updates or configuration changes
- Service‑level changes (web, mail, firewall, backups)
- DirectAdmin or CustomBuild actions that alter system behavior
- Any maintenance activity with rollback implications
What this checklist does not apply to
- Editing or publishing documentation
- Application‑level configuration
- Routine read‑only inspections
Prerequisites
- Root or administrative access is confirmed
- The intended change is clearly understood
- You have authority to pause or abort the change
1. Define the change explicitly
- State exactly what will be changed
- Identify affected services or components
- Confirm the change is intentional and necessary
2. Confirm current system stability
- Verify no active incidents are in progress
- Confirm the system is operating normally
- Optionally validate baseline health using Core Service Health Check Routine
3. Verify backup readiness
- Confirm recent backups exist and completed successfully
- Identify the most recent known‑good backup
- If uncertain, validate using Backup Verification Routine
4. Confirm restore capability
- Ensure restore procedures are known and accessible
- Confirm restore tooling is available
- If required, validate using Non‑Destructive Restore Test Routine
5. Verify access and recovery paths
- Confirm SSH and console access are available
- Ensure credentials are current and tested
- Verify out‑of‑band access exists if applicable
6. Check resource headroom
- Confirm sufficient disk space exists
- Verify memory and load are within normal bounds
- Avoid changes during resource pressure
7. Define rollback criteria
- Define what failure looks like
- Decide in advance when to abort or revert
- Confirm rollback steps are understood
8. Schedule deliberately
- Choose a low‑impact window when possible
- Avoid overlapping maintenance activities
- Notify stakeholders if required
9. Final pause
- Reconfirm scope and intent
- Ensure no steps were skipped due to urgency
- Proceed only when all conditions are satisfied
Completion criteria
- The change is clearly defined
- Backups and restore paths are confirmed
- Risk is understood and accepted
Next step — based on your current state:
- If proceeding with the change, execute it deliberately and then validate using After Server Update Verification Checklist.
- If uncertainty remains, pause and consult When to Pause and Investigate vs Proceed.
- If conditions are not safe, delay the change and return to normal operations.