Whenever possible, save application data and use the operating system's normal restart command. If the server is unresponsive, use the reboot or power-control option in the server management panel.
A forced power cycle can risk filesystem or database damage and should be a last resort. After restart, confirm that networking, websites, databases, email, firewalls, and other required services are running. If the server does not return online, open a support ticket with its IP address and the actions already attempted.
