Scaleway Instance Frozen Fix

Scaleway Instance Frozen: Troubleshooting and Recovery

Experiencing a frozen Scaleway instance can be frustrating, but with a systematic approach, you can often diagnose and resolve the issue. This guide outlines common causes and practical steps to get your instance back online.

Common Causes of a Frozen Instance

• Resource Exhaustion: The most frequent culprit is running out of memory (RAM), CPU, or disk space. High CPU utilization (consistently above 90%) or a full root partition can lead to instability.
• Kernel Panic: A critical error in the operating system kernel can halt the system. This can be triggered by driver issues, faulty software, or corrupted files.
• Network Issues: Intermittent network connectivity can sometimes appear as a frozen instance. This is less common, but still worth investigating.
• Software Bugs: A poorly written application consuming excessive resources or experiencing a deadlock can freeze the entire instance.

Troubleshooting Steps

Follow these steps to diagnose and potentially recover your frozen Scaleway instance. It's crucial to proceed cautiously and avoid actions that might worsen the situation.

1. Check Scaleway Console: Start by examining the Scaleway console for any error messages or alerts related to your instance. Look for events in the activity log that might indicate the cause of the freeze.
2. Attempt a Soft Reboot: From the Scaleway console, try a "soft reboot" (also known as a graceful reboot). This sends a signal to the operating system to shut down cleanly before restarting. This is the least disruptive option and often resolves temporary glitches. Wait at least 5 minutes after initiating the reboot.
3. Hard Reboot (Power Cycle): If a soft reboot fails, a "hard reboot" (power cycle) is the next step. This abruptly cuts power to the instance and restarts it. Note that this can potentially lead to data loss if the system was in the middle of writing data to disk.
4. Rescue Mode: If neither reboot option works, boot the instance into rescue mode. This allows you to mount the instance's root partition and examine logs, check disk space, and potentially fix configuration issues. To enter rescue mode, select "Rescue Mode" in the Scaleway console. The rescue system will provide SSH access. Look for error messages in system logs like /var/log/syslog or /var/log/kern.log.
5. Analyze Logs: Once in rescue mode, use tools like df -h to check disk space usage and top or htop to identify resource-intensive processes. Examine the system logs for clues about the cause of the freeze.
6. Consider Instance Rebuild (Last Resort): If all else fails, rebuilding the instance from a backup or snapshot is a viable option. However, be aware that this will erase all data on the instance unless you have backups in place.

Important: Regularly back up your instances to minimize data loss in case of unforeseen issues. Consider using Scaleway's snapshot feature or a third-party backup solution.