Description

Juniper switches running Junos OS provide two distinct commands to shut down the system: request system power-off and request system halt.

While both commands perform a graceful shutdown of the Junos OS, they differ in what happens to the hardware after the OS stops.

Symptoms

  • Both commands require confirmation before execution unless the at option is used to schedule the action.

  • In a Virtual Chassis (VC) environment, use the member or all-members option to target specific members or the entire stack.

  • Neither command is equivalent to request system reboot — a reboot gracefully restarts the OS without requiring manual intervention.

  • For Mist-managed switches, consider using the Mist UI to perform power operations when available, as referenced in MIST-178587: Request to add POWER OFF button to shutdown the switch from MIST UIOpen.

Solution

request system power-off

Command: request system power-off

  • Performs a graceful shutdown of the Junos OS (stops all processes, syncs disks).

  • Powers off the hardware completely — the power supply stops delivering power to the device.

  • The device is fully turned off and draws no power.

  • To recover: The device must be physically powered on again (e.g., by toggling the power switch or re-connecting the power source).

  • Use case: When you need to completely power down the switch for hardware maintenance, relocation, or extended downtime where the device should not consume power.

 

Example:

root@switch> request system power-off Power Off the system ? [yes, no] (no) yes

For Virtual Chassis or multi-member setups:

 
 
root@switch> request system power-off member <member-id> root@switch> request system power-off all-members

request system halt

Command: request system halt

  • Performs a graceful shutdown of the Junos OS (stops all processes, syncs disks).

  • The OS is stopped, but the hardware remains powered on — the power supply continues to deliver power.

  • The device stays in a halted state with power still applied.

  • To recover: A manual power cycle (unplug/replug) or pressing the reset button is required to bring the device back up.

  • Use case: When you need to stop the OS cleanly but want to keep the hardware energized — for example, to preserve PoE power delivery to connected devices briefly, or when preparing for a console-based recovery.

 

Example:

 
root@switch> request system halt Halt the system ?

For Virtual Chassis or multi-member setups:

root@switch> request system halt member <member-id> root@switch> request system halt all-members

Key Differences at a Glance

Aspect

request system power-off

request system halt

Graceful OS shutdown

✅ Yes

✅ Yes

Hardware power state

Powered off (no power draw)

Remains powered on (halted state)

PoE to connected devices

Stopped

Stopped (OS not running)

Recovery method

Power on physically

Power cycle (unplug/replug or reset)

Typical use case

Hardware maintenance, relocation

OS-level shutdown, console recovery prep



Modification History

2024-01-21 : Article Created
2026-05-20 : Article Modified