If you're running a public Fediverse server, it's really important you plan how you will shut it down gracefully, even if you have no intention of ever shutting down.
Graceful shutdowns mean your members can move accounts elsewhere, and don't lose their follows and followers. The absolute worst thing a server can do is suddenly disappear without warning.
Here's more info about how to plan a graceful Mastodon server closure:
鉃★笍 https://fedi.tips/closing-your-mastodon-server-gracefully
@homegrown Thanks for the article. There are some good tips there. I must admit that the fear of shutting down is one of the things that is preventing me from opening the server. It is a PITA for everyone if at some moment I cannot affor to maintain all the infra.
A) Have an ability for someone else to take over and run this shut down process. IE have access and instructions.
Life has ways of being unexpected, health, accidents etc, which could see you not being able to control the instance.
B)
Ask for help. Tell people your problems. People have stepped in and taken over instances. The instance I am on the owner didn't want to run anymore and initially gave 7 days notice of shutdown. The current admin offered to take over, transfered to their own data centre and run it. They have also done the same to another instance. Others have recently publicly offered to do the same for instances in danger of shutting.
"Life has ways of being unexpected"
That's why it's so important that every instance plans for its shutdown from the very beginning, so that the plan is in place BEFORE the unexpected happens.
If there's already a pre-written shutdown plan they can follow, the unexpected is a lot easier to cope with.
It's analogous to pilots' pre-written checklists for emergencies, they greatly reduce the workload when there's an emergency actually happening and make a good outcome more likely.
