# Server lifecycle

The following are the states as they are defined by MetalSoft:

## Server states

**Available**

A server is healthy and ready to be used in a new provisioning operation. An admin will manually change a server to available from unavailable once the configuration of the server has been checked (Disks and Switch Interfaces). This is a manually set state.

**Available_reserved**

State available_reserved is automatically set on a server that is in the available state but is reserved under a subscription for a specific user. This is an automatically set state.

**Used**

A server is already used and cannot be used in a new provisioning process in the current state. A server cannot be manually changed to used and should not manually be changed to another state from used. This is an automatically set state.

**Registering**

When a new server is first added to the application, it will pass through a complex process so the system is aware of the servers hardware components, configuration etc. For this a live, lightweight and custom linux image is booted via the BMC and a series of scripts are run. This is an automatically set state.

**Cleaning**

A server under the cleaning state is in the middle of a de-provision operation. The same live linux image runs clean-up scripts during this stage, making the server ready for a new provisioning operation. This is an automatically set state.

**Defective**

When specific issues occur with a server or hardware faults are present, a server can be marked as defective, from the advanced page. When in defective state, a server cannot pass into the Used state. This is a manually set state.

**Used_registering**

A server is in the used_registering state when an already used server is passed through the registering process. Once the registration process completes, the server will re-enter used state. This is an automatically set state.

**Decommissioned**

The decommissioning state describes a server that has been removed from the application and cannot be used unless re-added again (going back through the first server cycle described below). This is an automatically set state.

**Removed from Rack**
When a server is no longer required, but the administrator needs to keep audit data, the server should be changed to removed_from_rack. This is a manually set state.

## Interact with the server states

All the servers in all their states, can be seen in the **Server type utilization report** page. 

![server lifecycle](/assets/general/server_status_list.png)

Administrators can interact with the server states. They can do so by accessing the server page, going to the **Server status** section and pressing the desired buttons.
From here, the server can be moved into **available**, **unavailable**, **defective** or **removed_from_rack** 
You should not, in normal circumstances move a server to Used or from Used to another state unless the server is defective or decommissioned.

![server lifecycle](/assets/general/server_status_buttons.png) 
 
The **registration** and **decommissioning** processes can be triggered from the specific section.

![server lifecycle](/assets/general/re-register_or_decomission.png) 

## Server cycles

**1. Adding a server and using it**

When a new server is first added into the application, it first passes through the **registering** process. If the registering processes succeeds, then it goes into the **unavailable** state. From here, it can be set manually in the **available** state. From here on, the server can be selected and **used** in a provision process.

![server lifecycle](/assets/general/server_lifecycle_1.svg)

**2. Modifying and re-registering a used server**

When modifications need to be done to a server in state, the re-register processes can be issued to an active server.

![server lifecycle](/assets/general/server_lifecycle_2.svg)

**3. Releasing a server and using it again**

The following diagram shows the states of a server from its release to its re-use.

![server lifecycle](/assets/general/server_lifecycle_3.svg)

**4. Marking a server as defective**

The process of marking a server as defective is manual. Once a server is diagnosed as unhealthy, the below button can be used to mark it as defective. Note that the server must not be in Used state when tagging it as defective.

![server lifecycle](/assets/general/defective.png)

During the server recovery, the notes section can be used to note down the fault, current status and other details. 

![server lifecycle](/assets/general/notes.png)

After the server is repaired, it can be set to available again using the Available button.

![server lifecycle](/assets/general/available.png)

The following diagram shows the states of a server from marking it as defective to setting it as available again and then being used.

![server lifecycle](/assets/general/server_lifecycle_4.svg)