When to Shut Down a System

The following table lists system administration tasks and the type of shutdown that is needed to initiate the task.

Table 8.1. Shutting Down a System

Reason for System Shutdown

Appropriate Run Level

For More Information

To turn off system power due to anticipated power outage

Run level 0, where it is safe to turn off power

Chapter 9, Shutting Down a System (Tasks)

To change kernel parameters in the /etc/system file

Run level 6 (reboot the system)

Chapter 9, Shutting Down a System (Tasks)

To perform file system maintenance, such as backing up or restoring system data

Run level S (single-user level)

Chapter 9, Shutting Down a System (Tasks)

To repair a system configuration file such as /etc/system

See When to Boot a System

N/A

To add or remove hardware from the system

Reconfiguration boot (also to turn off power when adding or removing hardware)

Adding a Peripheral Device to a System in System Administration Guide: Devices and File Systems

To repair an important system file that is causing system boot failure

See When to Boot a System

N/A

To boot the kernel debugger (kmdb) to track down a system problem

Run level 0, if possible

Chapter 9, Shutting Down a System (Tasks)

To recover from a hung system and force a crash dump

See When to Boot a System

N/A

Reboot the system by using the kernel debugger (kmdb), if the debugger can't be loaded at runtime.

Run level 6 (reboot the system)

How to Boot the System With the Kernel Debugger (kmdb), Solaris Express 6/05: How to Boot a System With the Kernel Debugger in the GRUB Based Boot Environment (kmdb) Solaris 10: How to Boot a System With the Kernel Debugger (kmdb)

For examples of shutting down a server or a stand-alone system, see Chapter 9, Shutting Down a System (Tasks).