Which term refers to the act of releasing unused resources back to a server after use?

The term that refers to the act of releasing unused resources back to a server after use is "deprovisioned." In a computing context, deprovisioning involves taking resources that were previously allocated—such as CPU, memory, storage, or network bandwidth—and making them available again for other uses. This process is essential for efficient resource management, particularly in cloud environments where resources are often allocated and deallocated dynamically based on demand.

When a resource is deprovisioned, it ensures that the overall efficiency of the system is maintained, and it can help in optimizing costs, especially in usage-based billing models. By contrast, the other terms describe different aspects of resource management. For example, provisioning is the act of assigning or allocating resources, while retaining involves keeping resources assigned for future use, and allocating simply refers to the initial distribution of resources to a task or process. The focus on releasing or freeing resources distinguishes deprovisioning from these other concepts.