Server Decommission Checklist

Step One: Identify and record server to be decommissioned. Locate it in the data center. Schedule it for decommissioning

Step Two: Identify and retain all software licenses associated with the server.

Step Three: Schedule the cancellation of any vendor maintenance contracts associated with the server or software.

Step Four: Backup and save any necessary data.

Step Five: Disconnect server from the network. Remove from ACLs, subnets, and firewalls.

Step Six: Turn the box of that’s being decommissioned.

Step Seven: Remove the server from the rack for physical destruction or data erasure sanitization with secure, certified, overwrite of all data

Step Eight: Erase the disks in the server using an approved data sanitization method. Data erasure ensures that the data is unrecoverable and is a more environmentally-friendly option.