# Starting and Stopping Clusters

> Source: https://parallelworks.com/docs/compute/starting-stopping-clusters

# Starting and Stopping Clusters 

This page explains how to start, stop, and destroy clusters. For more information about these actions, please see [this page](/docs/compute/navigating-cloud-clusters#whats-the-difference-between-stopping-destroying-and-deleting-clusters).

## Starting Clusters

On your **Home** page, navigate to the **Compute** module. Click the power button  of the cluster you'd like to start.

![Screenshot of inactive cluster in Computing Resources module. The power button is grayed out and the stopped bubble on the right is red.](/content-images/docs/compute/starting-stopping-clusters/blank-idle-cluster.png)

You'll see the message _Starting [Cluster Name]_. While the cluster starts, the power button will flash green, and the **requested** status bubble will turn yellow.

![Screenshot of cluster starting up. The power button flashes green and the requested bubble on the right is yellow.](/content-images/docs/compute/starting-stopping-clusters/blank-starting-cluster.png)

When your cluster is provisioned, both the power button and the **active** status bubble will turn green. 

![Screenshot of active cluster. The power button is solid green and the active bubble on the right is green.](/content-images/docs/compute/starting-stopping-clusters/blank-running-cluster.png)

Alternatively, you can navigate to your cluster's page and click ** Start/Resume**. The cluster's **Status** will change to **provisioning**.

:::info Note

It may take up to 5 minutes for a cluster to start.

:::

### Monitoring Status 

While your cluster is starting, you can see its status in the provisioning logs. Go to **Clusters** > your cluster > **Details** and click the cluster's **Status**. 
- Steps that have completed are green with a checkmark  icon. 
- Ongoing steps are blue with a loading  icon. 
- Upcoming steps are gray with a clock  icon.
- If a cluster fails to start, the step at which it failed will be red with an error  icon.

![Screenshot of a cluster's logs while it is being provisioned.](/content-images/docs/compute/starting-stopping-clusters/blank-provision-logs-provisioning.png)

## Stopping Clusters

When the cluster's controller is stopped, you can resume it anytime by pressing **Start / Resume**. Please note that you cannot stop a cluster if there are any active compute nodes. 

To stop a cluster, navigate to its page and click ** Stop**.

## Destroying Clusters

When you're ready to deprovision a cluster, navigate to the **Home** page and click the power  button. A dialog box will appear with the message _Are you sure you want to turn off [Cluster Name]?_

Click **Turn Off** to stop the cluster. You'll see the message _Stopping [Cluster Name]_.

Alternatively, you can navigate to the cluster's page and click ** Destroy**.

When you destroy a cluster, any attached nodes and [ephemeral storage resources](/docs/storage/#storage-types) will also be terminated. Only the data in persistent storage resources will remain. It’s important to copy any data you’d like to keep to persistent storage or to a remote location.

:::info Note

It’s essential to destroy a cluster when you’ve finished your work. Clusters that run unmonitored continue to accrue additional charges, which will be subtracted from your organization’s allotment.

:::