# Show-day workflow

This workflow is for operators and engineers running a production that has already been built and tested.

## Select the Production Context

The organization and environment switchers at the top of Studio control which production resources you can see and operate. Confirm both before starting work, especially if you support more than one customer or production environment.

![Organization and environment switchers on the CLOUDflex Studio Dashboard](../../../assets/img/user-guide-screenshots/dashboard.png)

- **Organization** sets the customer or company context. Select the organization name to move to another organization you belong to. The environments available in Studio change with the organization.
- **Environment** sets the active operating boundary within that organization. Select the environment name to view another environment. The Dashboard, applications, studios, machines, flows, feeds, and usage shown in Studio belong to the active environment.

![Open environment switcher showing available CLOUDflex environments](../../../assets/img/admin-guide-screenshots/environment-switcher.png)

After switching, check the organization and environment names again and allow the Dashboard to refresh before taking a show-impacting action. If an expected organization or environment is missing, confirm your membership and access with an administrator.

## Before You Begin

- Confirm the active organization, environment, and studio.
- Confirm your access window covers setup, rehearsal, the show, and likely overrun.
- Keep the production signal plan and recovery contacts available.

## Start the Production

1. Open the Dashboard and review machine, flow, and engine status.
2. Start only the machines required for the production.
3. Wait for each machine to report `running` before connecting.
4. Start the required flows and confirm their inputs and outputs agree with the expected state.
5. Open monitoring feeds and check picture and audio.

:::caution
Starting machines creates billable cloud usage. Do not start standby or spare resources until the production plan calls for them.  In a self-hosted environment starting machines will be subject to the availability of resources from your cloud provider.
:::

## Connect Operators

Use the web interface for quick access or NICE DCV for the best interactive performance and multi-monitor operation. If a new DCV session is not ready, wait before trying again.

[Connect to a machine](/operate-production/connect-to-instances/)

## Monitor the Production

- Watch the Dashboard for machine and flow state changes.
- Use available flow statistics such as uptime and bitrate.
- Treat a mismatch between a flow and its input or outputs as an item to investigate.
- Confirm the actual feed picture and audio; a configured online status is not an end-to-end signal test.

## Make a Change During Production

Before restarting, stopping, resizing, or rerouting anything, confirm its role in the live path and the expected interruption.
:::caution
Restarting a machine, flow, input, or output can interrupt an active production signal.
:::

## End the Production

1. Confirm recording and delivery have finished.
2. Stop signal outputs and flows that should not remain active.
3. Close operator sessions.
4. Stop production machines and wait for `stopped`.
5. Check every studio on the Dashboard for resources still running.
6. Review Usage after records update and investigate unexpected activity.

## Verify

The production is closed when all intended outputs have ended, unused machines report `stopped`, and no unexpected resource remains active.

## Troubleshooting

Use [Troubleshoot by symptom](/troubleshooting/) if a machine, connection, signal, or permission does not behave as expected.