Delete a server

A server is deleted either when a service is moving to a new server (create the new server, first), or when a service is being retired.

As with other deployment tasks, do the setup tasks before (and the cleanup tasks after) the steps below.

1. If appropriate, notify relevant users of the change

2. Remove the server from salt/prometheus/files/conf-prometheus.yml

3. Deploy the Prometheus service

4. Shutdown the server via the host’s interface

5. Remove all occurrences of the server’s FQDN and IP address from this repository

If the service is being retired:

1. Remove its configuration from this repository

2. Remove its DNS entries from GoDaddy

3. Remove its error monitor from Sentry

4. Remove its web analytics from Fathom Analytics

5. Remove its project from Google Cloud Platform, if used

6. Remove its resources from Amazon Web Services, if used

7. Archive its repository on GitHub

8. Archive its row in the Health of software products and services spreadsheet

9. Remove its managed passwords, if appropriate

Finally:

1. Securely erase data:

   1. Request a Rescue system via the host’s interface and connect as root

   2. Connect to the server, and open a session in tmux

   3. Securely erase data from the relevant device(s), for example:

      shred -z -n 1 -v /dev/sda
      

2. Cancel the server via the host’s interface