Release It! - 14.3 Start-up and Shutdown

Try and get the system to verify every resource it needs is available before opening the doors for business.  There should be a way to communicate to operations if there is a problem.  A shutdown process should disallow new transactions but complete the one already being worked on.  Use Timeouts or the application may never get shutdown.  JavaEE servers do some of this but you'll probably have to fill in the missing pieces with your own code.