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You have two ways to take an executor out of service. Revoke its API key is a quick, reversible cut: the executor can no longer reach Novacula and goes offline, but its row and history stay. Delete the executor is permanent and only works once the executor hosts no nodes. When in doubt, revoke the key. You can always issue a new one. A deleted executor is gone for good. Deactivated executors are hidden by default in the Executors list so the view stays focused on what’s in service. Turn on the explicit filter to show them again.

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Before you start

  • You need the owner or admin role.
  • To delete an executor, first delete every node it hosts.

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Revoke the API key

Use this when you want the executor to stop reaching Novacula right away — a compromised host, a colo you’re shutting down — without losing the executor or its history.
1

Open API keys

In the sidebar, open API keys.
2

Find the key

Locate the key the executor uses. The last used column helps you match it to the right executor.
3

Revoke it

Open the key’s menu and choose Revoke. Its status changes to Revoked.
What happens next:
  • The executor immediately reads as deactivated — it has no active credential, which is a different thing from an executor that merely stopped checking in. It’s hidden from the Executors list by default; turn on the explicit filter to see it.
  • It can no longer reach Novacula, and its next sync attempt is refused.
  • Its nodes stay in Novacula in their last reported state. They show as unreachable; any lifecycle action you queue applies only once the executor reconnects.
  • The processes on the host keep running — the executor doesn’t stop just because it can’t reach Novacula.
To bring the executor back later, issue a new key from API keys and apply it on the host. See Update an executor key for the no-downtime swap.

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Delete the executor

Use this when you’re decommissioning the host for good.

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1. Drain its nodes

You can’t delete an executor that still hosts nodes. For each node, stop it, then delete it — see the node lifecycle. Deleting a node removes its data, and there’s no automatic transfer to another executor. If you need to keep the data, copy the node’s data directory off the host before you delete it.

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2. Delete the row

Open Executors, select the executor, and choose Delete. The row is removed and the name frees up — you can reuse it for a new executor. The API key tied to the executor is revoked at the same time.

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3. Clean up your infrastructure

Novacula can’t reach into your infrastructure — the executor’s daemon and the node processes keep running until you remove them yourself. Run these on the host as root.

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Agent (systemd host)

1

Stop and disable the agent

2

Remove data, configs, binaries, and unit files

3

Stop and remove Caddy

4

Remove the node containers (Docker backend)

Only the nvcl node containers and networks — other containers on the host are left alone:
5

Verify it's clean

Should return nothing:

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Operator (Kubernetes host)

1

Uninstall the operator Helm release

2

Delete the namespace

Removes all its resources — pods, PVCs, services:
3

Remove configs and data

Removing the agent daemon or the operator Helm release doesn’t revoke the executor’s API key or notify Novacula — deleting the executor row (step 2) is what revokes the key. For the full install walkthrough, see the bare metal or Kubernetes recipe.