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8 Tips to Improve Your Server Management

Despite having state-of-the-art servers, their efficiency can decrease over time. The key to optimizing your business operations is to manage them effectively.

Servers are used by many organizations to run their applications, emails, host websites, and store data.

Although many companies have switched to cloud-based services using remote data centers, many enterprises still rely on in-house servers. As such, they need to ensure their devices remain in tip-top condition.

That’s where server management comes into play.

Optimizing server management can enhance your team’s efficiency, enabling them to perform intricate tasks more quickly. It also detects issues early, avoiding potential disruption to your business. This results in a reduced risk of operational failures.

This article will provide eight tips to improve your server management and maximize its potential.

The Eight Tips

1 – Mount your Servers Properly

Small businesses face challenges in balancing short-term needs with long-term planning, especially when managing servers on limited budgets.

When you first set up your servers, it might seem convenient to connect them near your workstations. However, over time, this can harm your hardware.

Instead, invest in a server rack as a much better solution. These shield your servers from accidents in high-traffic areas, tripping hazards, or spills and dirt.

A server rack also helps keep the hardware safe by organizing it in an accessible area that makes it easier to manage and clean

In addition to considering your current needs, you’ll need to plan for the future when setting up your servers.

When selecting a rack mount, make sure there’s enough space to accommodate your hardware growth. Unless your office is very small, it’s preferable to have racks that are half-full rather than having them torn down and redesigned later on.

2 – Separate Your Servers from Your Working Area

Servers can generate a lot of noise when in use, and they often comprise important hardware. So, you’ll want to keep them separate from the working area so that they don’t disturb anyone.

If you can’t afford to have a dedicated server room, consider investing in secure rack mounts that include sound reduction features.

3 – Look After Your Hardware

Server maintenance is essential for maintaining productivity. Without dependable hardware, you could suffer major setbacks in your work.

In order to prevent this situation, you need to keep track of the essential aspects of your server:

CPU (Central Processing Unit) – Your CPU is the center of your servers, carrying out all processing for running programs. You need to keep an eye on it so that it doesn’t get overworked. If it’s using a lot of power, other team members can’t carry out additional tasks because of slowdown. This may necessitate upgrading or tuning the chip(s).

RAM (Random Access Memory) – This is the memory on your server that helps it run faster than hard drives. The more RAM you have, the better your device will perform. Be sure to keep an eye on its usage and add more when necessary in order to maintain a high level of performance.

Hard drive – The hard drive is the permanent storage for your servers. It can suffer from decreased performance with excessive use, so it’s important to manage its size by tracking space availability, deleting unnecessary files when necessary, and installing new drives as needed. Alternatively, you could consider using cloud-based solutions to help manage this process more efficiently.

4 – Keep them Cool

You need to take into account the fact that your servers will be handling a lot of traffic quickly, so you need to focus on cooling them down. Excess heat can have a major impact on their lifespan and performance.

To ensure the best possible cooling experience, make sure that your cooling device operates outside your building.

In addition to having a backup plan for power outages, you should also have a cooling solution that can run on battery power in the event of an outage.

5 – Keep your Software Up To Date

It is important to regularly update your software in order to keep your server running smoothly. This can be done by downloading new updates and deleting old software, which will help improve performance. Your servers will work better this way, as well as reducing the chances that cybercriminals will exploit vulnerabilities on them.

6 – Keep the Wires Tidy

Overwhelming server wiring can be confusing, especially if you don’t have any technical experience.

When you’re removing, reorganizing, or installing your cables, be sure to label and group them neatly. This will help prevent clutter.

7 – Keep them Secure

As we’ve stated before, servers are especially vulnerable to cyberattacks. That’s why it is important to maintain a secure system. Here’s what you should do:

  • Install and update antivirus software.
  • Repel unauthorized traffic with firewalls.
  • Use robust access control software or sound password policies and instruct your users to change them regularly.
  • Encrypt external networks and data storage.
  • Incorporate SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) tools.
  • Analyze and implement security logging measures to understand potential threats.

8 – Back up Your Data

The most important step in effective server management is regularly backing up your data. After all, if you lose important information, it can have a serious impact on your reputation and business dealings.

In addition to backing up your software and hardware, you should also have a backup power supply in case of outages.

You can also integrate various tools to make the process easier and faster.

Be sure to look for software that is capable of covering both your IT architecture and operating system. It should work with systems you currently have or plan on using, as well as being effective at identifying server issues. Additionally, it needs to provide powerful analytics so you can quickly identify problems

Server Management at Its Finest

Ensuring effective server management involves taking several important factors into account, such as monitoring system temperature and updates. Even though this can be a time-consuming process, it’s necessary to ensure optimal performance and safeguard against security risks.

If you need assistance managing your business’ servers in an optimal way, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d be happy to chat with you about this topic and provide any advice that we can.

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