In the day-to-day management of a modern company, server maintenance is an essential element that should not be neglected. The smooth running of your business depends on it! This is to keep the server running and avoid total or partial failure of your network. Maintenance includes such tasks as:
- server performance review,
- check system monitoring utilities
- Identifying potential security risks
- Backing up data at regular intervals.
Computer server, what exactly is it?
The term server refers to two very different things in computing. It can be used to refer to a computer with various resources powering the network. It can also be a program running on the terminal. Here are the definitions of the word server.
1. Server as Hardware Device
It is a device integrated into a computer network consisting of an operating system and one or more software servers. This type of server may also be called a host. In general, any computer can act as a host when paired with the appropriate server software.
2. What is Software Server?
It is a program that provides a well defined service. This service can be used locally or by other programs called “clients” on the network. The communication is based on the client-server model. The exchange of data is done through dedicated transmission protocols.
Computer Server Maintenance: Why Is It Necessary?
server maintenance is an important step because it allows guess the breakdownthat harm your business operations.
It helps to optimize the status of your computer network. The technician should, in theory, schedule regular visits to complete the necessary updates. There is a need to set up an effective security system against cyber attacks. These tools protect you from technical problems and industrial espionage.
The technician must develop a computer maintenance plan to prevent outages and server problems. Server maintenance should be customized based on each company’s needs and goals.
It is necessary to define the periodicity of checks and maintenance. Then the need for repairs will be reduced and you will be protected from prolonged downtime that slows down the development of your activities.
you must have understood it, server maintenance Required for the entire computer network. The server needs proper attention and monitoring so that no malfunctions occur and prevent you from being productive.
1. Server Maintenance: Procedures Necessary for Proper Functioning of Computer Networks
Thanks to servers, multiple computers can be networked to facilitate the exchange of information. Regardless of the size, shape and power of the server, it is considered the backbone of a computer network.
Servers allow you to take advantage of a huge number of services: Internet connection, access to e-mail, printer sharing, etc. You also have data storage space.
Authentication and access control management becomes easy. without server maintenance, you expose yourself to total paralysis of computer networks. Therefore regular monitoring is recommended.
2. Preventive Maintenance to Work with Peace of Mind
Server maintenance allows you to anticipate and prevent breakdowns and technical problems that could damage your company’s reputation. This anticipation saves you from costly repairs, but also from costly hardware and software problems.
A complete audit should be carried out to detect defects, replace defective or obsolete elements, and make necessary updates. The specialist should also set up a monitoring system to assess server activity and promptly detect any abnormal activity.
3. Server Maintenance to Benefit from Protection Against Intrusion Risk
Implementation of monitoring as part of server maintenance will make it possible to quickly detect all kinds of threats: viruses, malware, attacks by cybercriminals, etc. Your business will be protected from professional data theft and industrial espionage.
The technician in charge of server maintenance will know how the various equipment should be defined for maximum security. Firewalls are needed to monitor and control data flows and applications.
You also need antivirus and antispam to protect your devices from getting infected. The proxy acts as a filter between your local computer network and the Internet. Thanks to all these elements, you will be able to work in complete safety.
4. Server maintenance to ensure data security and backup
The data backup component should not be neglected as part of server maintenance. It allows you to define backup media and schedule backups on a regular basis.
Maintenance professionals implement a disaster recovery plan and perform regular restore tests to verify that the backup system is effective. This system will allow the company to resume its activities as soon as possible after theft or loss of data, or even after a disaster.
Server Maintenance: 11 Tips for Success
Here are some tips on how to properly maintain your server.
1. Write a Standard Maintenance Procedure
The first advice that will come to all others: Start by writing a standard maintenance procedure that you will follow every time you intervene on your server.
Using a checklist that will guide you through the maintenance process will prevent you from skipping an essential step or neglecting something important.
2. Verify that your backups are working.
Before you touch anything, make sure you have a backup and that it is working properly. Make sure you have the correct backup, and in the correct location.
3. Check the logs.
Keep an eye on your server logs. They may have hardware issues that may go unnoticed until it’s too late. These may not be major problems yet, but they will show you what needs to be changed.
For example, if you have overheating warnings or disk read errors in your logs, it might be a good idea to schedule a hardware change.
4. Check Disk Usage.
Keep your data on a clean disk: Your server should not be used as a storage system. Remove old emails, logs and software that are no longer used. Less data means faster recovery.
Keep track of your disk usage, make sure the partition does not or does not reach 100%, in which case your server may stop working: your database tables and data may be corrupted and permanently lost .
5. Update your operating system.
If you use Linux, be aware that the versions of these operating systems are updated frequently. Keeping up with these updates can be difficult, but you can overcome the problem by using a patch management tool and setting up a monitoring system to alert you when the OS is out of date.
If you update your server manually, you may miss out on important security updates. If you can’t automate updates, create an update schedule for your system so that you don’t forget this important point. With this you can protect your system from being hacked.
6. Update your Control Panel.
If you use a utility like Cpanel, be sure to update that as well. This will fix any hosting issues. It’s always better when it’s up to date, isn’t it?
7. Update your apps.
If you use a CMS or another open source program for your website, especially popular programs like WordPress, you should update those as well.
Don’t forget, extensions and themes can also have vulnerabilities and should be updated too!
8. Check user accounts.
If you have had personnel changes, customer loss, or other user changes, you should remove those users from your system. Storing old users is both a legal risk and a security risk to your server.
And as we saw above, it allows you to reduce disk space, keep it clean and back up faster.
9. Change your password.
Maintaining security is a very important part of maintaining a server. You need to make sure that they are even more secure than other parts of your network.
In addition to protecting your system from malware and hackers, you need to protect it from internal bad actors:
- You should change passwords regularly: at least once every six months.
- You must also ensure that individual user accounts are only given the necessary access and privileges for the tasks for which they are responsible.
- Finally, if someone is fired or left out of the company, revoke their access immediately.
10. Error notifications must be enabled
When all notification systems are activated, you will be able to respond at the right time and thus avoid serious hardware problems. Notifications will inform you about any hard drive failure.
11. Effective Protection Against Cyber ​​Attacks
The technician in charge of server maintenance should be able to determine all the security tools needed to ensure the security of the computer network. The system must be protected from viruses, malware, industrial espionage and malicious software.
Our tips for successful maintenance of your server
Server maintenance is a very technical task that requires specialized knowledge. It should be entrusted to a qualified technician who is able to conduct a complete diagnosis of your computer equipment.
He or she should be able to advise you about the daily use of your equipment. If some elements are obsolete, they should be replaced for more efficient and upgradeable equipment.
If an employee within your company is not qualified to maintain your server, it does not mean that you can do without it!
Find an Experienced Technician Quickly with Codeur.com: Post an ad online to receive offers from freelancers ready to assist you. You can choose the suitable professional for you: he will intervene on a regular basis for the maintenance of your server. make one quote request If you have more specific projects.