Checklist for Server Maintenance
Dedicated servers are a vital element of any enterprise. Business continuity depends on servers running all the time, and every mistake ends up in a pricey period. That is why server maintenance is therefore vital.
Keeping a server running involves quite simply loading the newest patches and updates. Use our server maintenance listing to make sure the graceful operation of your server and avoid periods.
Here is our list of fifteen server maintenance tips to assist you higher manage your hardware and avoiding the foremost common problems.
1. Ensure & Verify Your Backups
If you’ve ever had to live through a harmful drive failure, you recognize however vital information is to the graceful operation of a business.
With an honest backup strategy, it’s higher to own them and not want them, than want them and not have them. Schedule some minutes weekly (or each day) to ascertain server backups. As an alternative, mirror the server surroundings to a virtual machine within the cloud and take a look at it frequently.
2. Check the RAID array
Many dedicated servers run a RAID array. In RAID, multiple hard drives act as united memory devices in the event of one disk failure.
Some kinds of RAID are designed for performance, others for redundancy. In most cases, trendy RAID arrays have advanced observance tools. A fast look at your RAID observance utility will warn you of potential drive failures. This allows you to arrange drive replacements and rebuilds in a manner that minimizes the period.
3. Verify Storage Utilization
Periodically check your servers’ disk drive usage. Servers generate plenty of log files, old emails, and out-of-date package packages.
If it’s vital to stay previous log files, think about archiving them to auxiliary storage. Previous emails may be archived or deleted. Some application updaters don’t take away previous files. As luck would have it, some package managers have inherent cleanup protocols that you simply will use. You'll be able to conjointly notice third-party utilities for managing previous package files.
Hard drives aren't simply used for storage. They conjointly use a swap space, that acts like physical memory. If disk utilization gets higher than the ninetieth, it will interfere with the swap space, which may severely degrade performance.
4. Review Server Resource Usage
In addition to reviewing disc space, it’s conjointly sensible to look at different server usages.
Memory and processor usage will show however heavily a server is getting used. If C.P.U. and memory usage square measure oftentimes close to 100%, it’s a symptom that your server could also be overtaxed. think about reducing the burden on your hardware by upgrading, or by adding further servers. different choices embrace reassigning bound workloads to cloud surroundings, so implementing a hybrid cloud answer.
5. Update Your panel
Control panel packages (such as cPanel) should be updated manually. once the change cPanel, solely the panel is updated. you continue ought to update the applications that it manages, like Apache and PHP.
6. Update package Applications
Depending on your server configuration, you will have many various package applications. Some systems have package managers which will mechanically update the package. For those who don’t, produce a schedule to review obtainable package updates.
This is very true for web-based applications, that account for the overwhelming majority of breaches. confine mind that some operating systems might specifically need older application versions. In cases wherever you want to use an older package during production surroundings, watch out to avoid exposing such a package to an open network.
Learn a lot of concerning automating the method of server management by relating our article Server Automation Guide.
7. Examine Remote Management Tools
Check remote management tools together with the remote console, remote boot, and rescue mode. These square measure particularly vital if you run cloud-based virtual server surroundings, or square measure managing your servers remotely. Secure remote access for your staff if remote work is practised by your organization.
Check-in on these utilities frequently to form certain they're useful. Rebooting will solve several issues on its own. a distant console permits you to log in to a server while not being physically gifted. Rescue mode may be a Red Hat answer, however, most server operating systems have management or “safe” mode you'll be able to remotely boot to form repairs.
8. Verify Network Utilization
Much like memory and C.P.U. usage, server hundreds have a network capability. If your server is obtaining on the brink of the utmost capability of the network hardware, think about putting in upgrades. In addition to the capability of the network, you would possibly think about using network observance tools. These tools will watch your network traffic for uncommon or problematic usage.
Monitoring traffic patterns will assist you to optimize your internet traffic. for instance, you would possibly migrate frequently-accessed resources to a quicker server. you would possibly conjointly track uncommon behaviour to spot intrusion tries and information breaches and manage them proactively.
9. Verify software package Updates
OS update is a tough field to navigate. On the one hand, patches, and updates will resolve security problems, expand practicality, and improve performance. Hackers usually arrange cybersecurity attacks around “zero-day” exploits. That is, they appear at the OS patches that are discharged, and attack those weaknesses before a business will patch the vulnerability.
On the opposite hand, custom packages will expertise conflicts and instability with package updates. Dedicate time frequently to review OS updates. If you have got a sensitive production surroundings, think about making a take a look at the surroundings to check updates before rolling them dead set production.
10. Physically Clean Server Hardware
Schedule time to physically clean and examine servers to stop hardware failure. This helps keep dirt and rubble out of the circuit boards and fans.
Dust buildup interferes with heat management, and warmth is the enemy of server performance. whereas you’re cleanup, and visually examining the servers and server surroundings. Ensure the cupboards have lots of airflows. Check for any uncommon wiring of connections. A sudden flash drive could be a security breach. An unauthorized network cable may produce an information privacy concern.
11. Check for Hardware Errors
Modern server operating systems maintain logs of hardware errors.
A computer error may well be a wise error on a failing disk drive, a driver error for a failing device, or random errors that might indicate a memory drawback. Checking your error logs will assist you to pinpoint and resolve a hardware drawback before it escalates to a system crash.
12. Review password Security
Evaluate your password policy frequently. If you're not mistreatment by an enterprise password management system, start now.
You should have a system that automates sensible password hygiene. If you don’t, this may be an honest time to instruct users to vary passwords manually.
13. Check User Accounts
Most businesses have some level of turnover, and it’s straightforward for user accounts to be unmarked.
Review the user account list sporadically, and take away any user accounts now not required. you'll be able to conjointly check account permissions, to form certain they're applicable for every user. whereas reviewing this information, you ought to conjointly examine consumer information and accounts. you will manually take away information for former purchasers to avoid legal or security complications
14. Think about Overall Server Security
Evaluate your server security policies to form certain that they're current and functioning. think about using a third-party network security tool to check your network from the skin. this may facilitate establishing areas that you’ve unmarked and assist you to stop breaches before they occur.
15. Check Server Logs frequently
Servers maintain logs that track access and errors on the server. These logs are intensive, however, some tools and procedures create them easier to manage.
Review your logs frequently to remain at home with the operation of your servers. A logged error may establish a hardware issue that you simply will fix before it fails. Anomalies in access logs may mean unauthorized usage by users or unauthorized access from a trespasser.
Regular Server Maintenance Reduces periods & Failures
With this listing, you ought to have a stronger understanding of a way to perform routine server maintenance.
Regular Server maintenance ensures that minor server problems don’t step up into a black system failure. Several server failures as a result of preventable things thanks to poor design.
