Shut Down a Rackspace Cloud Server

A common use case for shutting down a server is determining whether the server is still in use. Sometimes shutting down a server is the quickest and easiest way to make this determination. This article describes how to shut down a Rackspace Cloud Server. Additionally, it includes instructions to shut down a Linux® server and a Windows® server.

WARNING: Because Cloud Server pricing depends on the hours that the server uses resources on the host machine, shutting down a server is not enough to stop billing. To completely prevent any further charges incurred from this server, you must delete it. As long as the server is using resources, it continues to accrue charges.

The following commands shut down the server, and the server no longer accepts connections. This enables you to determine if the server is still in use. After you execute the shutdown command, it takes a few minutes for the Cloud Control Panel to show that the instances are offline.

Shut Down a Server by Using the Control Panel

Use the following steps to shut down a Rackspace Cloud Server from the control panel:

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.
4. Click the action cog next to the server that you want to shut down and select Shutdown Server.
5. A box will pop up warning you that shutting the server down will not stop all charges, click Shutdown Server again to initiate the shut down.
6. Allow 3-5 minutes for the control panel to update the status of the server.

Shut Down a Linux Server by Using the Command Prompt

Use the following command to shut down a Linux server:

    shutdown -h now

    or

    systemctl poweroff

Shut Down a Windows Server by Using the Command Prompt

To shut down a Windows server, open a command prompt and run the following command:

    shutdown /s

Shut Down a Cloud Server by Using an API Call.

You can also use our Application Programmer Interface (API) by using a cURL® command via Pitchfork using these instructions

Next Steps

If the server is not in use, you can remove it. If you want to save the content on the server, you can use Cloud Images and Cloud Backups to back up your content into Cloud Files before removing the server from the account. To retain data for possible future needs, create a Cloud Server Image. For boot-from-volume servers, and servers where only specific files need to be saved, follow these instructions.

Both Cloud Server images and Cloud Backups are stored in Cloud Files with associated storage costs, but for individuals who want to minimize their costs, these two options are likely much cheaper than running an idle server.

If you determine that the server is in use, reboot the server by clicking the gear icon in the Cloud Control Panel and selecting reboot.

Starting a Server that is Shut Down

You can bring your server back online by rebooting the server from the Cloud Control Panel by using the following steps:

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.
4. Click the action cog next to the server that you want to reboot and select Reboot.

This brings your server back online.