A graceful shutdown lets the guest stop applications and flush writes. A forced power-off stops the virtual machine abruptly and should be reserved for a system that cannot be shut down normally or an urgent operational requirement.
IN THIS ARTICLE
What you need before you begin
Confirm which VPS will stop and why. Notify users, finish important database transactions and coordinate backups. Check that someone can restart or recover the server after the planned work.
01 Shut down a SolusVM VPS without unnecessary data loss
- If guest administration is available, use the operating system shutdown method. On systemd Linux,
sudo systemctl poweroffrequests an orderly shutdown; the command itself is not the same as removing virtual power. - From the SolusVM server controls, choose the graceful shutdown or stop action offered by your installation.
- Watch the console and task state while the guest stops. Do not assume an active shutdown is hung solely because remote connections have already closed.
- If the guest is genuinely unresponsive, assess whether a forced Power Off is necessary. Confirm the action only after accepting the risk to pending writes.
- Wait for a stopped state before storage maintenance, device changes or a new power-on request.
How do I verify the VPS shut down cleanly?
Confirm the VPS is stopped. After a forced shutdown and subsequent boot, review filesystem and database recovery messages and test the application data, not only the login screen.
Troubleshoot unexpected results
If graceful shutdown repeatedly fails, ask support to check the supported guest tools and virtual power configuration. If the platform shows a pending task, avoid competing commands. A stopped server, a suspended service and a failed host are different conditions and may require different recovery steps.