What is Server Management?
Server Management is the management of servers and critical applications (HTTP, DNS, SMTP & POP, FTP and Database) that runs on it, to ensure maximum up-time.
What do we get out of server management?
Proper and regular server management service will guarantee that your servers are secure and stable throughout their lifespan on the net. A server management company will work on your server’s OS and Critical applications like Web server, FTP server, Email Server, DNS server and Database server to ensure that these core applications are in accord with the latest patches, to ensure that the servers stay hack free and offers maximum up-time.
With server management service in place, you can expect utmost up-time for your servers and the applications running on it. So the key word here is “Max Up-time”.
Ingredients of Server management
Server management includes services like
* Proactive Maintenance which includes Security audits and its implementation
*Reactive Maintenance which includes fixing of issues that chance upon while the server is live on the net
You can opt for either proactive or reactive or both. I would say, if you have a greater tolerance for downtime then reactive option may be suitable but if you do not have any tolerance for down time then the best way is to pick both, i.e. an approach where both proactive and reactive services are included, which is the Server Management Service.
Proactive Maintenance
Proactive Maintenance is maintenance program which aims to ensure that the server bugs/vulnerabilities are identified and rectified before a hacker/cracker finds it. Here the main focus will be on thorough or long-term fixes to the recurring or anticipated problems. In short, proactive approach is about predicting what could happen and its remedy. Proactive maintenance is done through regular server audits which will be achieved by focusing on server health and its performance.
Some of the common services included in this domain (Proactive Maintenance) are:
* 24/7 Server Monitoring and management
*Software patching and upgrades
*Proactive Server Administration and Optimization
* Backup configuration and audit
Reactive Maintenance
Reactive maintenance is the kind of maintenance work we all end up doing. We are fire fighting to solve our day to day issues. Similarly, reactive maintenance means tackling the day to day issues/bugs that bob up in the server from OS or any critical application like web server, database server, dns server, mail server and ftp server. In reactive maintenance the focus will be to respond well and promptly to the problem at hand.
Some of the common services included in this domain (Reactive maintenance) are
*Incident management (Trouble shooting)
*Disaster recovery / hack recovery
How to choose a server management company?
The important things that you need to look for in a server management company are
*Industry experience of the company
*Client testimonials (Should be able to produce minimum 3 testimonials)
* Customer reference with phone number and email id
*Company reviews in public forums
*International certifications for the company to ensure customer focus and data security like ISO 9001:2000 and BS / ISO 27001
*Service level agreements and NDA in place to bind the contract legally
*Company Phone number to call in case of emergency
*Physical address to check if the company actually exist or not
*Partnerships with key companies in the same industry.
*Provision to try the service through paid/free trial.
If you still find it tough to chose the correct vendor/server management company then follow the simple selection method outlined below.
Steps:
1) Firstly, rank the 10 points listed above on a priority basis.
2) On the basis of importance, assign marks out of 10 for each company under consideration, corresponding to each of these points. The total marks of a company not to exceed 100.
Marks should be assigned on a definite criterion. For example, consider the point “Industry experience for the company”. The marks for this point will be awarded based on the below criteria.
0 to 2 years of experience – 1 mark 2.1 to 5 years of experience – 2mark 5.1 to 8 years of experience – 5marks 8.1 to 10 years of experience – 8marks 10 + years of experience – 10marks
So if the server management company in question has 9 years of experience then the company is marked 8 for this point.
3) Research over the web to find the answers to the above points or ask the company in question directly.
4) Based on the answers collected assign marks for each point and add them up. Total mark will be out of 100. 5) Select the company that has the highest total score. That will help in identifying the best server management company. If in the selection process situation is encountered where more than one company has same total mark then head for the one that has scored the highest, for the higher priority point.
The above process will help you decide on the best server management company to proceed with.
Conclusion:
If implemented properly with the right mix of tools, processes & industry best practices, the proactive monitoring & management approach to servers will reduce the effort of managing and maintaining the servers by more than 50%, for sure.
Making the proverb true, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, regular server maintenance through a good server management company will keep hackers and crackers away, which in-turn will offer the customers on the server with better server performance and up-time.
Author – Blessen Cherian
www.bobcares.com
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