Server Management Best Practices

Effective server management is crucial for maintaining optimal performance, security, and reliability of your hosting environment.

Monitoring Fundamentals

Key Metrics to Track

Monitor these essential metrics regularly:

• CPU Usage - Track processor load and identify bottlenecks
• Memory Usage - Monitor RAM consumption and swap usage
• Disk I/O - Watch for storage performance issues
• Network Traffic - Monitor bandwidth usage and connection quality
• Response Times - Track application and database performance

Setting Up Alerts

Configure automated alerts for:

CPU usage > 80% for 5 minutes
Memory usage > 90% for 3 minutes
Disk space < 10% remaining
Service downtime detected

Resource Optimization

CPU Management

Optimize CPU performance by:

• Identifying resource-intensive processes
• Implementing process scheduling
• Using CPU affinity for critical applications
• Regular performance profiling

Memory Optimization

Effective memory management includes:

• Monitoring memory leaks
• Optimizing application memory usage
• Configuring appropriate swap settings
• Using memory caching strategies

Storage Management

Best practices for storage:

• Regular disk cleanup
• Monitoring disk health (SMART data)
• Implementing proper backup strategies
• Using SSD for high I/O applications

Security Management

Access Controls

Implement strict access controls:

• Use SSH keys instead of passwords
• Implement fail2ban for brute force protection
• Regular security audits
• Principle of least privilege

Software Updates

Keep your system secure:

# Regular system updates
apt update && apt upgrade -y

# Security-only updates
unattended-upgrades

# Kernel updates
apt install linux-generic-hwe-20.04

Firewall Configuration

Configure firewall rules:

# Basic UFW setup
ufw default deny incoming
ufw default allow outgoing
ufw allow ssh
ufw allow http
ufw allow https
ufw enable

Performance Tuning

Web Server Optimization

For Apache/Nginx optimization:

• Enable compression (gzip/brotli)
• Configure caching headers
• Optimize worker processes
• Use HTTP/2 and HTTP/3

Database Tuning

MySQL/PostgreSQL optimization:

• Configure appropriate buffer sizes
• Optimize query performance
• Regular index maintenance
• Connection pooling

Network Optimization

Improve network performance:

• TCP window scaling
• Network buffer tuning
• Connection limits optimization
• CDN implementation

Backup Strategies

Automated Backups

Set up automated backup schedules:

#!/bin/bash
# Daily backup script
BACKUP_DIR="/backup/$(date +%Y%m%d)"
mkdir -p $BACKUP_DIR

# Database backup
mysqldump --all-databases > $BACKUP_DIR/databases.sql

# File backup
tar -czf $BACKUP_DIR/files.tar.gz /var/www

# Cleanup old backups
find /backup -type d -mtime +30 -delete

Backup Verification

Always verify your backups:

• Test restore procedures regularly
• Verify backup integrity
• Document restoration steps
• Off-site backup storage

Troubleshooting Common Issues

High Load Issues

When experiencing high load:

1. Identify the source using htop or top
2. Check disk I/O with iotop
3. Review application logs
4. Scale resources if needed

Memory Issues

For memory problems:

1. Check for memory leaks
2. Review process memory usage
3. Optimize application configuration
4. Consider adding more RAM

Network Issues

Network troubleshooting steps:

1. Check network connectivity
2. Monitor bandwidth usage
3. Review firewall logs
4. Test DNS resolution

Automation and Scripting

Monitoring Scripts

Create custom monitoring scripts:

#!/bin/bash
# System health check
CPU_USAGE=$(top -bn1 | grep "Cpu(s)" | awk '{print $2}' | cut -d'%' -f1)
MEMORY_USAGE=$(free | grep Mem | awk '{printf "%.2f", $3/$2 * 100.0}')
DISK_USAGE=$(df -h / | awk 'NR==2 {print $5}' | cut -d'%' -f1)

# Send alerts if thresholds exceeded
if [ $CPU_USAGE -gt 80 ]; then
    echo "High CPU usage: $CPU_USAGE%" | mail -s "Server Alert" admin@axis-labs.net
fi

Maintenance Scripts

Automate routine tasks:

• Log rotation and cleanup
• Security updates
• Performance optimization
• Health checks

Scaling Considerations

Vertical Scaling

Upgrading existing resources:

• CPU upgrades
• Memory expansion
• Storage improvements
• Network optimization

Horizontal Scaling

Adding more servers:

• Load balancing
• Database clustering
• Content distribution
• Application scaling

Documentation and Procedures

Maintain comprehensive documentation:

• Server configurations
• Troubleshooting procedures
• Emergency contacts
• Recovery procedures

Regular server management ensures optimal performance, security, and reliability of your hosting environment.