> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://experience-digital-transform.gitbook.io/experience-digital-transformation/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://experience-digital-transform.gitbook.io/experience-digital-transformation/cloud-for-dpi/chapter-5/8-retire-an-environment.md).

# 8. Retire an environment

We retain both workload Spokes for Chapter 6. When an environment is no longer needed, its retirement begins with the applications and their data. We decide what must be retained, take and test the required backup, and stop application delivery. We then remove its shared route so that incoming requests are no longer sent to that destination.

The deployment repository preserves the review history of this change. Its Spoke ApplicationSet is configured to retain infrastructure when a directory disappears. The explicit teardown therefore remains a separate operation: it identifies this Spoke's owned resources, removes its infrastructure, verifies their absence and revokes its cloud identity. We check that the retained Spoke and shared LoadBalancer still serve their destinations. [\[9\]](https://git.vanillacore.net/govstack/govstack-bootstrap/src/commit/1195f539afe5a1018be07d2e1865824c225ee407/docs/spoke-lifecycle.md)

<figure><img src="https://1406653965-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FkZFMZ3jCMUwHtTN0sL4J%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-c5639a967377b1d876b985840a2069129e756e66%2Ffinal.png?alt=media" alt="The retirement sequence targets example-workloads, with a data decision, removal of its route and declaration, followed by separately authorized infrastructure teardown and credential revocation. LoadBalancer and information-mediator remain."><figcaption><p>Figure 12. Retirement follows application, routing, infrastructure and identity dependencies for the selected Spoke.</p></figcaption></figure>

At the lab's pinned revision, the explicit teardown does not yet cover all rendered foundation destinations. The companion stops that operation pending a reviewed correction. The [retirement walkthrough](https://git.vanillacore.net/giga/content/src/branch/main/chapter-5/lab/walkthroughs/08-cleanup.md) records the stop and the resource checks needed to complete the sequence. [\[9\]](https://git.vanillacore.net/govstack/govstack-bootstrap/src/commit/1195f539afe5a1018be07d2e1865824c225ee407/docs/spoke-lifecycle.md)


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