Lifecycle, extension and closure

A lab lasts 3 months maximum. The end-of-life schedule is the same on Azure and Proxmox. Only the resource-saving mechanisms differ.

The schedule

Step	What happens
D-14	First notification that the end of life is approaching.
D-7	Second notification, last reminder before deletion.
D0	Deletion by the administrators: Resource Group (Azure) or Pool, VLAN and VMs/LXCs (Proxmox).

Saving resources during the lab’s life

• Azure: virtual machines shut down automatically at 7 p.m. on weekdays and over the weekend.
• Proxmox: snapshots serve a temporary need and are deleted after use, at the latest 7 days after they were created.

Close the lab

The default option once the need is over.

1. Document, export or version any important work outside the lab. No backup is guaranteed after deletion.
2. Delete sensitive or costly resources yourself. On Azure, deleting your Resource Group stops billing immediately.
3. The lab is deleted at D0 in any case.
4. Also deal with the Entra ID objects and SharePoint spaces created for this need. They don’t disappear with the lab, and nothing will make them expire. See Entra ID and SharePoint.

Request an extension

If the need is still valid, write to lab@qiminfo.ch before the expiry date. Without explicit approval, going beyond 3 months means the usage has become long-term, and therefore outside the lab scope.

Plan ahead for the expiry date

A request sent after D0 arrives too late: the lab has already been deleted. Remember to update the expirationDate tag (Azure) once the extension is approved. See naming and tags.

Applicable rules

VM auto-shutdown

Technically enforced

VMs shut down automatically at 7 pm on weekdays and over the weekend.

MandatoryPR-GOVCLOUDLAB-A-01

Snapshot cleanup

My responsibility

Delete snapshots after use, and never keep them longer than 7 days.

MandatoryPR-GOVLABONPREM-A-01

Resource Group expiry and deletion

Handled by administrators

Administrators send the expiry notice, then delete the Resource Group.

MandatoryPR-GOVCLOUDLAB-A-01

Clean up and document

My responsibility

Stop or delete unused resources, and document the lab as you go.

Not blockingPR-GOVCLOUDLAB-A-01