Server Maintenance
A server is basically a powerful computer that provides services to other computers over a network. These services can be anything from storing or managing data to hosting websites and running applications. If you’re a small or medium-sized business with some level of IT infrastructure, you’ve probably realized how important professional maintenance is, especially when it comes to servers. This guide highlights everything you need to know about server maintenance.
What Is Server Maintenance?
Server maintenance is an ongoing process of motoring, tuning up, repairing and securing the server to keep it running smoothly and ensure network security. It involves a number of tasks, such as diagnosing hardware failure, replacing parts, updating software and backing up data, tracking performance and monitoring the server for security threats.
Why Should You Maintain Your Server?
Today, businesses operate in a digitalized environment. Technology platforms have helped small businesses grow, outperform competition and survive challenges. However, these platforms need maintenance. For businesses with servers, maintenance is lifesaving because:
- It minimizes downtime: If your business relies on a server for daily operations, a server crash will stop services, leading to a loss of business. Regular maintenance prevents these unplanned downtimes, saving your business financial losses and even damage to brand reputation.
- It improves performance: Maintenance can boost and maintain a reliable server performance because experts frequently monitor and fix issues that may slow down operations.
- It improves security: Your servers are at the heart of your IT infrastructure, where you keep everything important concerning your business. Maintenance protects that investment from security breaches that could cripple your business. It also keeps data secure and backed up to prevent loss as a result of hardware and software failures.
What Are the Different Maintenance Approaches?
IT specialists use different approaches to maintain servers. The three most common approaches to server maintenance include:
1. Preventive Maintenance
Preventive maintenance is a key strategy that helps to identify and fix minor issues in the server before they snowball into bigger problems. This approach aims to minimize the risk of failure and disruptions rather than responding to issues when they occur. Technicians carry out maintenance according to specific criteria and predetermined schedules, often set by the equipment manufacturer.
2. Condition-Based Maintenance
As the name suggests, condition-based maintenance involves strategies that experts use to detect and correct problems in the server. The approach uses technology and data to monitor the server’s condition in real time and fix issues whenever they arise. For small businesses, this can be a cost-effective strategy. While it’s reactive, quick action helps to keep interruptions low.
3. Risk-Based Maintenance
In a risk-based approach, IT experts use data and analysis to prioritize resources and reduce risks. The aim is to maintain high performance and security by creating a maintenance program that focuses on high-risk areas. By assessing potential issues and prioritizing them based on severity, technicians are able to maintain a healthy server.
How to Maintain a Server
While the step-by-step process of maintaining servers varies, some of the procedures are universal because they impact server health. Here are things to expect when you bring in managed IT service experts to maintain your systems:
- Regular updates: One of the first things your technical service partner will address is firmware and software updates. To keep operations smooth, reliable and secure, they will establish regular updates and security patches.
- Monitoring: Ongoing monitoring is necessary to track performance and detect potential issues.
- Relevant functions: A key part of server maintenance is setting up new functionalities to match the needs of the business. This includes optimizing processes to improve server efficiency.
- Diagnostics: A server is a powerful computing device, and like any other machine, it’s vulnerable to errors and malfunctions. One of the main tasks in server maintenance is troubleshooting and resolving these issues.
- Data backup: Server maintenance also involves creating and implementing regular data backups and a plan to prevent data loss.
Server Maintenance Checklist
To give you an idea of the necessary checks involved in keeping servers in top shape, here’s a detailed server maintenance checklist:
Complete Hardware Checks
Server maintenance involves both software and hardware upkeep. Modern operating systems can help identify hardware issues because they log them under network failures. Here’s a list of key hardware checks to complete on a regular basis:
- Check the power supply for a secure connection.
- Confirm that the fans and air conditioning are working normally.
- Confirm that the cables are intact and secure with no signs of wear, damage and strain.
- Clean the server room and rack to prevent dust damage.
- Check logs for disk errors and network failures.
- Complete all driver and controller firmware updates and replace drives that show signs of failing.
- Check for system consistency.
Run System Checks
System checks involve everything related to the server software, which makes them critical to the stability of the server. Some of the common tasks to complete include:
- Backup checks: Confirm the integrity of the backup by automating regular backups, verifying schedule and location and running tests.
- Disaster recovery: Analyze potential risks to help renew and update the disaster recovery plan.
- OS update: Perform necessary updates of the operating system (OS) to ensure the latest versions of your applications.
- Space optimization: Ensure storage and optimize resources by checking the disk, central processing unit (CPU), random-access memory (RAM) and network usage.
- Remote management: Confirm that remote management tools are working properly.
Maintain Security Checks
Maintenance system checks are strictly about maintaining the security of the server. They involve key tasks like introducing and maintaining a robust firewall for network protection and performing scans for malware and system breaches. Other necessary security checks include:
- Reviewing access logs.
- Removing outdated software.
- Reviewing user accounts and admin access.
- Reinforcing security with strong passwords and multifactor (MFA) authentication.
- Running security updates and patches.
- Reviewing threat and vulnerability alerts.
What Is the Cost of Maintaining a Server?
So, how much does it cost to maintain a server? It’s hard to say because several factors affect the cost of server maintenance. These include:
- Server type and size: Maintenance for physical servers will be different from that for cloud servers due to hardware upkeep and additional expenses like electricity. You also have to consider the server’s complexity.
- Maintenance needs: You may be looking for basic support or regular hands-on service due to the needs of your operations.
- Service provider: Different providers will have different pricing models for ongoing server maintenance.
- Location: Costs may also vary based on your location.
Get Server Maintenance Services From Kirbtech
For many small and medium-sized businesses, keeping an in-house technical team to maintain servers is not a wise financial move. The best solution is to outsource server maintenance services from a reliable and well-established technology company.
If you own a server, you understand that keeping it in top shape is necessary to maintain operations. Kirbtech makes top-of-the-line network security and IT support accessible to smaller companies. Our expert team provides fast and comprehensive IT solutions across central Pennsylvania. Request a free consultation to learn more about our server management services!
