> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.exavault.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.exavault.com/administration-tasks/restarting-the-appliance.md).

# Restarting the Appliance

A hard reboot (for example, a "hard restart" in VMware) can leave services unable to restart correctly. Use the graceful procedure below so the appliance shuts down cleanly and your data stays consistent across reboots.

Connect to the appliance over SSH on port 10022, or through the virtual console provided by your VM environment.

To connect over SSH, open a Terminal or Command Prompt and run:

```
ssh user_name@domain_name:10022
```

For Virtual Console access, refer to the documentation for your virtual environment.

Log in. If you do not know the username and password, [contact Support](mailto:support@smartfile.com). Then run:

```
sudo exavaultctl -o restart
```

The restart can take up to 10 minutes.