Servers are a core element within your IT infrastructure. They run applications, host websites, and store data. Keeping servers stable, secure, and efficient requires effective server management. It is a proactive process that requires the monitoring, maintenance, and optimisation of servers so that they can play their role in supporting business continuity.
This requires expertise, and many businesses find outsourcing server management to be the most efficient solution. After all, specialist server management makes for a reliable IT infrastructure and limits vulnerability to disruptions.
An Introduction to Server Management
Both your employees and your customers want servers to run smoothly. Nobody wants to deal with unplanned downtime. Incidents like these frustrate employees who cannot perform their functions effectively and create a bad impression among customers. To limit the chances of this happening, server management basics include:
- Monitoring server performance. This involves checking metrics that indicate server health. The aim is to spot signs of trouble before they become problematic.
- Installing patches and updates. To address vulnerabilities, it may be necessary to install patches and updates.
- Perform backups and undertake disaster recovery planning. Despite the best efforts, disasters beyond server management’s control can occur. Effective disaster recovery planning, including backups, gets you back on your feet quickly.
- Troubleshooting and maintenance: Prevention is always better than a cure. Scheduled maintenance helps to maintain performance and functionality.
Each of these points represents a substantial task in itself, and each element implies intricacies that call for technical skill. If your organisation does not have a dedicated internal IT team, equipped with the right tools for the task, outsourcing offers a practical alternative.
Server Hardware Components
These days, many organisations rely on cloud computing. However, in-house servers are still used in certain contexts. If you need full control over data and infrastructure, for example, you are in a highly-regulated industry, you will likely choose in-house servers. Their hardware components include:
- Central Processing Units (CPUs): Execute instructions and process data.
- Random Access Memory (RAM): Short-term storage that enables active processes.
- Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) and Solid State Drives (SSDs): To store databases and applications.
- Power Supplies and Cooling: To power servers and keep them from overheating.
- The Motherboard: A circuit board that connects and coordinates server components.
- Network Interface Cards (NICs): Servers must connect to networks. NICs make this possible.
Hardware monitoring is a key part of server management. It prevents unexpected breakdowns, helps optimise performance, and keeps systems healthy. Data from server hardware guides the IT team’s efforts to fulfil the overarching goals of performance, reliability, and security.
Service Components
Hardware is no use unless it does something for you, and the service components that do these things are the side of servers most people are best acquainted with: accessing databases? They’re on the server, and so are all kinds of other files, applications, and communication platforms you use as a matter of routine.
It’s safe to say that the whole purpose of server management and maintenance is to keep service components reliable, secure, and scalable so that your needs are met. On the flipside, server failures will interrupt all these services, leaving your organisation unable to function as it should.
Server-Side Software Components
For the sake of security, performance, and resource optimisations, you will not have full copies of every computer programme on each device your organisation uses. They are installed on servers instead. Examples include:
- Operating systems (OS)
- Middleware that connects applications
- Databases
- Security applications
Just as server hardware must be monitored, maintained, and updated, server-side software components require management to ensure they are secure and deliver optimal performance.
Common Server Management Tasks
With general information dealt with, you may be wondering about the specific activities that server management entails. Routine tasks include monitoring system logs for irregularities, ensuring that firmware is up to date and software patches are applied, managing user permissions, configuring and testing backups and restore procedures, and troubleshooting issues. However, there is more to server management, with security being yet another priority to address.
Server Security Components
Organisations face a constant onslaught from cybercriminals who use sophisticated tools to seek out vulnerabilities in their systems. Server security components are, therefore, extremely important and represent some of your strongest defences against intrusion. Here’s a quick look at what they are and what they do:
- Firewalls block unauthorised access.
- Encryption protects your sensitive data by making it indecipherable if intercepted.
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA) helps ensure that users logging into your systems are the authorised users and not someone else.
- Intrusion detection systems (IDS) scan your systems for suspicious activity.
- Vulnerability scans search for weaknesses to address.
Server security management is, therefore, yet another facet of server management nobody can afford to become lax about. It’s your first line of cyber security defence against the world of woe that comes with data breaches.
Web Server Configuration
If your organisation relies on an internal web server, you likely have particularly strong reasons why you need complete control over infrastructure and data privacy. In this type of context, web server configuration will be an important part of server management.
It will include tasks like:
- Server setup
- Configuring SSL/TLS to allow for secure connections
- Optimisations to handle fluctuations in traffic
- Load balancing and caching
Together, these elements of web server configuration directly impact user experience, a factor that search engines attempt to gauge when ranking sites.
Internal vs External Server Management
Organisations that choose internal server management must have in-house IT teams to get the job done. This means hiring specialised people and equipping them with the technological tools that make their work possible. In all, it is a costly choice, but it does allow for direct, internal control.
External server management means choosing a specialist team from outside your organisation to handle server management tasks. Look for a service provider with a strong background in server management and features like 24/7 monitoring and customer support. With the right partnerships, you remain in control without incurring the costs of having an in-house team. Your organisation benefits from:
- Access to expertise
- Potential cost reductions
- Enhanced security
- Continuous vigilance
- Scalability
Meanwhile, your organisation can focus on its core competencies, secure in the knowledge that your server management is being undertaken by specialists you can trust.
Why Choose Advantex?
Advantex specialises in network and IT infrastructure solutions across sectors, and server management services are part of what we do. We work to provide best-fit, tailored solutions across industries and are trusted by clients ranging from large manufacturing concerns to small charity initiatives.
From on-premises server management to cloud server management, we deliver the expertise you need to keep your systems running smoothly. Our team of IT specialists and guaranteed 24/7 support are within your reach. Call us today.
