# A Change Register for GPU Drivers and Server Settings

Track GPU server changes with a baseline, reason, approval, exact versions, verification result and a documented recovery path.

Author: Retrivium team
Updated: 2026-11-01
Canonical URL: https://retrivium.ai/journal/gpu-maintenance-change-register/
Language: en

A GPU server change register links each driver, container or configuration change to a reason, responsible person and verification result. It should help reconstruct what changed before a failure and whether the previous working state can be restored.

For equipment owners, the register provides visibility into operation without exposing credentials or user workload contents.

## Preserve the baseline

Before the first change, record GPU configuration, driver version, runtime and image identifier. Timestamp the observation. A later configuration is not the same evidence, even when the machine keeps its name.

NVIDIA's driver installation guidance supports checking the selected version and environment. A newer release alone is not evidence that an update is necessary for today's pilot. Document the compatibility need or defect being addressed.

## Use one reviewable change card

| Field | Weak entry | Useful entry |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reason | Updated everything | Required compatibility for a named image |
| Baseline | Old driver | Exact version and dated record |
| Approval | Discussed online | Named approver and time |
| Boundary | Server | Host, container or specific service |
| Verification | Works | Named check and saved result |
| Recovery | Investigate later | Available prior state and stop condition |

A small pool can use a simple sequential register. The important property is a preserved decision history, not the complexity of the tracking tool.

## Separate the host from containers

Updating a container is different from changing the host driver. Their dependencies and recovery routes differ. Record an exact image reference rather than relying only on a moving tag.

Docker's build guidance discusses pinned base images and update management. For the register, preserve which version was tested and why the next update is accepted. Keep model and data compatibility questions visible when they affect restoration.

## Define verification before starting

Agree on GPU visibility, relevant storage, environment startup and a control request. Specify which failure stops the change. A general no errors observation is difficult to assess without a list of what was examined.

Use an agreed window and handle active work first. Check recovery prerequisites before changing the machine: an old image is insufficient if the required configuration or compatible data state is unavailable. Record failed changes too, including why the previous state was restored.

These limits help assess a pilot before access is handed over and make future maintenance decisions easier to review.

Continue with [Build a GPU Inventory CSV with nvidia-smi](/journal/gpu-inventory-csv-from-nvidia-smi/) and [Scheduling Maintenance for a Vast.ai Host](/journal/vast-host-maintenance-window/).

## Official references

- [NVIDIA — introduction](https://docs.nvidia.com/datacenter/tesla/driver-installation-guide/introduction.html)
- [Docker — best practices](https://docs.docker.com/build/building/best-practices/)