The Bench Lifecycle defines how LGF manages the full operational state of a bench, from startup to destruction. A bench is treated as the primary unit of operation, similar to a virtual machine.

Overview

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Bench Details page

Lifecycle management controls:

  • Startup and shutdown of services
  • State validation and enforcement
  • Recovery and reconciliation
  • Updates and platform changes
  • Full destruction when required

LGF treats a bench as a complete system. All lifecycle operations act on the entire bench, not individual components.

Lifecycle Actions

Start

The Start action initializes the bench.

  • Runs Verify before starting
  • If Verify fails, the bench will refuse to start
  • Starts networks, images, volumes, and container services
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Start operation output

Stop

The Stop action halts the bench.

  • Stops networks, images, volumes, and container services
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Stop operation output

Verify

The Verify action checks whether the bench configuration is valid and compliant.

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Verify output

Verify Operational

The Verify Operational action checks whether the bench is running and accessible.

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Verify Operational output

Repair

The Repair action performs a reconciliation process to bring the bench back to the known-good state defined in the platform library.

  • Used when Verify fails or the bench is not operational

Update

The Update action applies the latest approved platform and image updates.

  • Updates platform sources
  • Updates container images

Nuke

The Nuke action completely destroys the bench.

  • Removes all data, configuration, and runtime state
  • This action is irreversible

Warning: Nuke permanently deletes the bench. Ensure backups exist before proceeding.

Lifecycle Model

LGF treats a bench as a complete system lifecycle unit:

  • Creation → Operation → Validation → Recovery → Destruction

All lifecycle actions operate at the bench level, not individual services.

Expected Behavior

  • Start will refuse to run if Verify fails
  • Repair restores the declared system state
  • Update applies only authorized changes
  • Nuke removes the bench entirely

Common Notes

  • Verify is enforced before starting a bench
  • Repair can be run multiple times until convergence
  • Lifecycle operations are deterministic and controlled by the framework

Next Steps

  • Use Repair for failure recovery
  • Use Support Bundles for diagnostics
  • Use Backup / Restore for data recovery scenarios