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Do not reinstall a working machine in advance. Record its configuration, preserve necessary data and agree on a separate test environment with a clear restoration procedure.
Pilot preparation begins by describing the current state. The aim is to test inference suitability while preserving the ability to resume previous work. This is especially important in laboratories where one machine may contain dependencies for several projects.
Take an inventory
Record GPU, CPU, RAM, storage, operating system and driver version. Note existing services and who needs them. Agree on a test window: unknown background load makes results difficult to compare.
For NVIDIA, you can use diagnostic tools from the official nvidia-smi guide. Review diagnostic output before publishing it: it may contain information an external operator does not need.
Preserve data and a recovery path
Identify files to keep and who checks the backup. “There is a copy” is insufficient: establish where it is and how to restore the working environment.
Do not delete research data, change drivers or format disks merely because an onboarding discussion has begun. Agree on the need for each change first. A record of original versions and launch parameters is useful.
Allocate a test environment
Discuss a separate user, directory, resources and launch method. A container can improve reproducibility but does not resolve every isolation or host-access concern by itself.
The pilot does not need secrets from other systems. Permissions should match specific actions, have an owner and be revoked when finished. The security guide covers the process in more detail.
Check infrastructure before benchmarking
Confirm space for the model, file downloads, stable power and cooling access. Record network restrictions. If maintenance is planned, postpone measurement rather than mixing technical faults with external interruptions.
After testing, check recovery as well as speed: process restart, model loading and the API returning to service. Results should be reproducible from the saved configuration.
Close the pilot explicitly
Prepare a short report: what changed, what was measured, which problems appeared and which access remains open. If onboarding does not continue, perform the agreed rollback and revoke permissions.
Before making changes, consult the pilot plan.