diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 28b16d723af623737641f1d6a970899b7dde41ff..be680c42df7b5b29db90980cd24749633afa6304 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -43,20 +43,13 @@ prep-deploy:
            export prod_instance_id=$(openstack floating ip show $prod_floating_ip -c port_details -f value | awk -F', ' '{print $2}' | awk -F"'" '{print $2}')
            export prod_volume=$(openstack server show $prod_instance_id -c volumes_attached -f value | awk -F"'" '{print $4}')
            echo "Detaching prod_volume=${prod_volume} from prod_instance_id=${prod_instance_id} and creating a snapshot"
-           eval $(ssh-agent -s)
-           chmod 400 "${SSH_PRIV_KEY}"
-           ssh-add "${SSH_PRIV_KEY}"
-           mkdir ~/.ssh
-           chmod 700 ~/.ssh
-           ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no $SSH_USERNAME@$prod_floating_ip sudo systemctl stop mariadb
-           ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no $SSH_USERNAME@$prod_floating_ip sudo umount /var/lib/mysql && df -h
+           openstack server stop $prod_instance_id
            openstack server remove volume $prod_instance_id $prod_volume
            openstack volume snapshot create --volume $prod_volume xdmod-prod-vol-snapshot-$BUILD_DATE
 
            echo "Reattach the prod_volume=${prod_volume} to prod_instance_id=${prod_instance_id} after snapshot is created"
+           openstack server start $prod_instance_id
            openstack server add volume $prod_instance_id $prod_volume --device /dev/vdb
-           ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no $SSH_USERNAME@$prod_floating_ip sudo mount /dev/vdb1 /var/lib/mysql && df -h
-           ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no $SSH_USERNAME@$prod_floating_ip sudo systemctl start mariadb
 
            echo "Make a copy of prod volume $prod_volume to be used in tf-apply"
            TF_VAR_data_volume="xdmod-prod-vol-$BUILD_DATE"