Keep ‘Em Cool: A Five Point Guide to Server Maintenance

It is estimated that Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Microsoft host 1.2 million terabytes of data. While you probably don’t have to deal with that much data, server maintenance is an important skill for any business. 

Maintaining your servers keeps everything running smoothly. If your servers go down, your business goes down. Luckily, we’re here to help you. 

Ready to check out our server maintenance checklist and stay on top of your game? Then read on!

1. Keep Backups Up to Date and Have a Failover

Your servers could go down at any time, no matter how rigorous your server maintenance routine is. If they do go down, losing data could be catastrophic. 

You need to make sure that everything on your servers is backed up on a different system. This will not only protect data but help you get back up and running in no time.

You should also have a failover system set up. This way, if a server goes down for any reason, your business will keep running. While this will increase your costs, it will cut down on any losses you will incur if your servers go down.

2. Keep Your OS Updated

No matter what OS your server runs on, you must keep it updated. Just as you should update other PCs regularly, your servers deserve a strict update schedule. At a minimum, update your OS once per week, ideally, you should check twice or three times per week.

Updating your OS patches any security holes that may be present in your servers. It is an essential part of server maintenance. 

3. Consider Colocation

Colocation is where your server is maintained offsite by another company. Attractive colocation pricing means that it’s a great option for businesses that want to streamline their operations. 

You need to ensure that the colocation service looks after your servers to the same standard that you would. You should also check their security and server maintenance procedures.

4. Review Your Logs

Keep an eye on your server logs. They can record hardware problems that could otherwise go unnoticed until they become serious issues. Some of these problems are overheating notices or disk read errors. 

These might not be huge problems just yet, but they will show you what needs to be replaced. 

5. Keep Your Security Tight

Maintaining operational security is a hugely important part of server maintenance. You should ensure that your servers are kept even more secure than other parts of your network.

In addition to defending your system from malware and hackers, you need to defend it from internal bad actors. You should change the passwords regularly: at least once every six months, optimally once every 28 days.

You should also make sure that user accounts are only given as much access as is required. If someone has been fired or left the business, revoke their access immediately.

Server Maintenance: An Essential Task

Server maintenance is an essential part of running a modern business. By following the tips we’ve outlined, you’ll be able to keep everything running smoothly. 

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