Overview
You can reload or restart your Managed VPS from the DreamHost panel. Reloading keeps the server running while it re-reads any configuration file updates, which is safer than restarting.
Restart Server briefly restarts the operating system on the server. It does not reprovision the server or erase any data on it. To reprovision the server instead — for example, to recover from a lost SSH key or root password, or to start over with a different image — see Reset a VPS.
Should I reload or restart the server?
The steps described in this article are applicable for both VPS and Managed VPS products.
It's recommended that you first try reloading, as it keeps the server running while re-reading any configuration file updates. This is safer than restarting because if a syntax error is noticed in a config file, it will not proceed with the reload, allowing your server to remain running.
If you restart with a syntax error, your server may potentially not restart correctly.
How do I reload or restart my Managed VPS?
To reload or restart your Managed VPS:
Navigate to the Servers & Usage page.
To the right of your Managed VPS, click the vertical three-dot menu.
Select either Reload HTTP or Restart Server.
If you selected Restart Server, please allow a few moments for the server to restart. During this process, your websites may experience brief downtime.
