Server Maintenance for Beginners: A Comprehensive Guide

What Is a Server?

Simply put, a server is a computing device connected to a network and it is responsible for managing the network’s resources. Servers are typically dedicated, which means that they perform specific tasks. However, single servers are capable of executing multiple programs at the same time when used with multiprocessing operating systems.

What Purpose Does a Server Have?

Different types of servers carry out varied tasks. For instance, while a file server is dedicated to storing files, a database server is responsible for processing data-related queries. Other common types of servers include:

• Print servers
• Application servers
• Cloud servers
• Blade servers
• Domain name servers
• Mail servers
• Proxy servers

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Server Monitoring

Server monitoring precedes all other types of support and you may look upon it as server preventive maintenance. The ideal starting point is to look for a single interface that gives you the ability to monitor all your servers from one place. Since you need real-time data surrounding the hardware and software your servers use, the server monitoring software you use should offer regularly updated information surrounding aspects such as disk space availability, memory utilization, and processor usage. In addition, you should also have an indication of which processes are running and the resources they use.

While manually monitoring the functioning of servers is always a good idea, you might want to consider using a server monitoring tool that provides alerts through live evaluation of data. The tool should come with the capability of flagging issues when there’s a need for human intervention. Notifications may come via text messages or email.

Server management service providers make it a point to stay on top of server utilization. For instance, if your business application is putting a heavy strain on your server, your service provider might suggest up-scaling capacity before any further increase in demand results in a poor user experience (UX) for your customers.

Alternatives for Server Monitoring

While monitoring your server’s infrastructure is crucial, you don’t need to burn a hole in your pocket to get an indication of how your servers operate. One easy way to stick to a budget is to combine your software requirements, to include network and application control.

A basic server monitoring software provides insight into aspects such as disk space utilization and processor usage. While these factors matter, they do not offer information surrounding user experience. If you limit your monitoring to no more than hardware statistics, you might fail to address other equally important aspects such as uptime or downtime of your cloud service provider as well as network performance.

Alternatives that provide complete system scans are the ideal way to go. This is because they give you a better indication of any changes you might need to make to keep your systems running at optimum levels.

Several server monitoring tools come with free trial periods, giving you the ability to run tests before making a decision. While the evaluation of different options might take time, it is worth the effort because selecting an alternative that suits you best is crucial. Some of the top server monitoring software that deserve your attention include:

• New Relic
• PRTG
• NinjaOne
• Site24x7
• Checkmk
• LogicMonitor
• Dynatrace

What Is Server Maintenance and Management?

You may think of server maintenance and management as taking your server for regular checkups and tune-ups. It’s an ongoing process of keeping software updated, hardware healthy, and security tight. This includes carrying out tasks like installing patches, monitoring performance, backing up data, and checking for vulnerabilities. Regular maintenance helps prevent server downtime, data loss, and security breaches, keeping your server running smoothly.

What Server Maintenance Support Do You Need?

The first step in effective server maintenance and management is to determine what kind of resources you need. Signing up for more capacity than you require is not the best way forward because you might end up paying for utilities and support you may never use. However, you need to account for any possible surges in demand down the line as well.

When accounting for computing requirements, you also need to take into consideration aspects such as your physical or virtual network, power supply, physical space, and dedicated employees. These factors, when put together, often create unique scenarios. This is why you need to address server maintenance with an outlook that is specific to your business.

System administrators use different server upkeep tools to keep an eye on automated alerts, patches that are due, expiration of licenses, and hardware availability.

What Happens During Server Maintenance?

If you wondering how to maintain a server, it might be worth your while to look at what the professionals do. No matter what type of server you use, some of the procedures that server management companies employ remain the same. So, how do you maintain a server system?

• Accessibility. Managing a server requires a server maintenance service, tool, or software that gives you access to the server in question.
• Monitoring. Server maintenance involves ongoing monitoring of performance and detecting anomalies.
• Updates. One of the basic functions of server maintenance companies is to identify, start, and install relevant firmware and software updates.
• Set up. Another important server maintenance aspect is being able to set up new software or functionalities.
• Planning capacity. Capacity planning gives you an indication of future server utilization, so you may determine when you need additional resources.
• Optimization. Some server maintenance services and tools come with optimization functionalities that aid in improving overall server efficiency.
• Alerts. No list of server maintenance best practices is complete without addressing this factor. This is because real-time alerts surrounding aspects such as errors and downtime play a crucial role in effective server management.

Server Maintenance Checklist

This server maintenance checklist addresses all the important aspects that need your attention.

• Determine if your backups are working.
• Check your disk usage and server utilization.
• Check system security.
• Check online management tools.
• Check for application updates.
• Test remote management tools.
• Monitor RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) controller alarms.
• Update your operating system and control panel.
• Identify hardware errors.
• Change passwords.
• Analyze user accounts.

The Importance of Server Support and Maintenance

If you are part of a mid-sized or large business, there is a good chance that your business relies on multiple servers. No matter what type of servers you use, it is not out of place to compare them with any other piece of mechanical or electronic equipment. This is because all need ongoing maintenance to keep running at optimum levels.

Effective server upkeep ensures that your servers keep running as they should, as does your website. For instance, do you know that when a server that hosts a website stops running, it results in a 404 error message? Not only does regular server maintenance result in increased lifespan, but it also boosts overall business productivity by minimizing system downtime.

Efficient server management also provides peace of mind. Consider this – in the unfortunate event of a server crash, you will be able to recover much of your data because your backups are up to date.

Server Administration Roles

The size of your business and the number of people it employs play a role in the flexibility you get when assigning server administration roles. The top management is typically responsible when it comes to infrastructure management. On the other hand, regular maintenance is usually the responsibility of junior staff or assigned to automated server maintenance support tools.

When it comes to large business servers, one might assign specific roles to different individuals, in which case providing or restricting access to management functions becomes important. Large businesses might also require access to remote administration tools and different types of server management software.

A small business might make do with single user accounts and associated user roles to handle its server upkeep. Even in such a scenario, senior management can get direct access to the reports it needs.

Selecting the Right Server Maintenance Support Tools

There is a good chance you will keep using the server maintenance support tools you select for a long time. As a result, consider your alternatives carefully, while keeping these factors in mind.

• Compatibility with vendors. While your existing hardware provider might fulfill all your existing needs, you might end up dealing with multiple providers as you upgrade your machines. This requires you to steer clear of server management tools that restrict you to any particular server management company.
• Size matters. All types of software use resources to varying degrees. In most cases, server maintenance providers offer tools that fit clients of different sizes. For instance, some server maintenance support tools work well for big businesses and others work better for small to mid-sized businesses. What’s important is to avoid getting tools that slow down your website and ones that generate excessive traffic on your network. After all, great web design will not serve the purpose if your website takes a long time to load.
• Determine server administration requirements. Different server upkeep tools come with distinct features, which is why you need to determine your company’s server administration requirements at the onset. For instance, you might consider opting for a comprehensive small business server maintenance plan, but it is important that you do not pay for tools you might never use. However, a large business might benefit by getting a tool that comes with group-management functionality.
• The need to scale up. It is not uncommon for computing requirements to change with time. Small to mid-sized businesses should consider investing in scaled-down alternatives designed for large businesses. This is because when the time comes to scale up, you do not have to worry about extensive retraining. A server maintenance support tool designed for smaller environments might fulfill your business requirements now, but you need to account for the learning curve if you need to switch service providers in the future.
• Automation. When it comes to modern-day server maintenance, simply running regular checks no longer makes the cut. Given the time-consuming nature of running standard server administration and maintenance procedures, you must think about automating the process. With access to good software, you can reduce a significant portion of server management tasks to no more than checking logs. This, in turn, gives system administrators and others involved in the process more free time.

What a Server Maintenance Company Can Do for You

Several companies provide professional server maintenance support across platforms such as Windows, Linux, and UNIX to large companies, data centers, and internet service providers (ISPs). While the services on offer might vary from one server maintenance services company to the next, some offerings remain the same. Depending on your requirements, you may expect to find:

• Secure infrastructure.
• Round-the-clock server monitoring and management.
• Management of server performance.
• Management and optimization of server security.
• Data backup.
• Data recovery.
• Server migration.
• Customized database replication.
• Diagnosis and troubleshooting of problems.
• Proactive and regular updates.
• Round-the-clock customer support.

Do You Need Professional Server Maintenance Services?

Using a server maintenance support tool to take care of server maintenance requirements might work well for some. However, the individual or team operating the tool needs to have complete knowledge about how it functions. In the absence of technical know-how, turning to a professional server maintenance company might be the way to go. Benefits can come in the form of:

• Skills/experience. You don’t have to worry about hiring a system administrator or training an existing employee. The server support company you select provides the skill set you require.
• The monthly or annual server maintenance cost for professional services might end up being lower than the cost you would incur in ramping up internal capabilities.
• Scaling up. All good server maintenance providers are efficient when it comes to meeting their clients’ needs to scale up their server requirements.
• Support. All leading companies that look after the maintenance of servers provide 24/7 over-the-phone support with guaranteed response times.

Conclusion

Any business that uses servers for its computing requirements needs to ensure that it stays on top of server maintenance. While large companies often have in-house administrators, small and mid-sized businesses typically look for server maintenance support tools or professional server maintenance providers. Making the right decision eventually boils down to your specific requirements, which you need to determine at the onset. If you’re still unsure about which path might work best for you, consider asking the web design company you partner with for guidance.