What are the most important server administration policies and procedures for maintenance?

TEST your backups! You need to not only know the exact restore procedure, but that your supposed backups are anything more than decorative. There’s nothing worse than trying to explain to stake holders that the backup system they’ve been paying handsomely for wasn’t configured correctly and there’s no recovery path in an already massively stressful time. Leave no question. If you’re storing on network, make sure you’ve got at least one full backup on immutable storage. Alternatively, offsite. Ask one of the many recent ransomware victims why.

When I first started working on servers (Windows NT 4.0) in the early 2000s, we lived by the two R's: Restore and Resume. One of them better worked. This essentially sums up the importance of ensuring your backups are working properly. There can be several issues, such as corrupt files, bad backups, or even files that are not marked for backup. You would be shocked at how often I walk into an environment, do an assessment on their backups, and find critical folders are not even marked for backup. So, it is essential not just to test the restore but also to test the integrity of the overall process.

Server administration involves various policies and procedures to ensure the smooth operation, security, and maintenance of servers. Like Regular backups Patch management Security policies monitoring Documentation planning change management DR Regular audits IR

To maintain the server systems and applications, some of the key policies and procedures are: Documenting the server’s details, backup, and recovery plan. Housing the server in a secure and controlled data center, and using virtualization or standard hardware. Monitoring and checking the server’s performance, resource utilization, security, and logs regularly. Following a formal and documented process for making any changes to the server’s configuration, software, or applications. These policies and procedures may vary depending on the server and the organization’s needs and requirements.

Embrace the digital safety net! A robust backup and restore plan is your server's superhero cape, ready to swoop in and save the day in the face of hardware havoc, malware mayhem, or the occasional human oopsie. Craft a backup policy that's your security sidekick, specifying how often you're creating these data snapshots, where you're stashing them, and for how long. Don't forget the script for restores – your fail-safe escape route. With a well-defined plan, you'll be the IT hero your server deserves!

Enterprises thrive on stability, and that begins with a solid foundation in server administration. Considering automated backups, routine patch management and strict access controls not only prevent potential disasters but also contribute to a more productive and secure working environment. Regardless of the scale of your organization, be it a startup or an established enterprise, the significance of robust server administration remains unchanged. The cost of downtime and potential data breaches transcends company size. A well-maintained server infrastructure not only enhances operational efficiency but also fortifies the organization against evolving cyber threats.

Whether you're a nimble startup or an established giant, the importance of robust server administration is universal. Downtime and data breaches don't discriminate by company size. A meticulously maintained server infrastructure not only boosts operational efficiency but also acts as a stalwart shield against the ever-evolving cyber threats. In the digital arena, the significance of a well-architected server transcends scale, safeguarding the heartbeat of your organization.

What type of updates will you apply and at which cadence? - Quality updates - Cumulative updates - Feature updates - Security updates - Driver updates - Servicing stack updates

Have a patch management solution just like what Antivirus companies offer. Or Microsoft SCCM Witch updating you need to have a very good understanding of the apps l, services and DBs that are running on top of the OS. I would never update a particular modules of my OS without having application owner noticed and available. For major updates there should always be an instantaneous snapshot or backup available.

Consider logs as the heartbeat of your network. Monitoring them not only reveals the normal rhythm but can also detect irregularities signaling potential threats. It's akin to listening to your body for signs of health or distress. Make log analysis a routine practice to identify performance bottlenecks, security breaches, or even opportunities for optimization. Your network's health is in its logs; pay attention and act accordingly to keep it thriving.

As a general suggestion, more data your infra generates, more will be added to the business value. This means create and send logs everytime. And use proper protocols in this manner. Have strict policies for Mo storing protocols like SNMP, or syslog

Spot on! Encryption and authentication indeed form the bedrock of server security. Expanding on firewall deployment and antivirus adaptability could enhance the article. Additionally, a brief on balancing stringent security with operational efficiency would add valuable insights. Great piece overall!

To build a zero trust network you need to assign identity to everything. Once it’s been done by the help of softwares such as Cisco ISE you can simply outsmart 80 percent of hackers this simple. If you are using a vulnerability assessment tool, consider having the proper compliance for its active and passive searches.

O one likes downtime. So what we always measure is to lessen the maintenance window and have a redundancy solution ( clustering, replication, HA, FT, ) in order to minimize the downtime. For migration purposes always do it from the application layer and in 2 phases.

Efficient documentation has significantly enhanced our operational efficiency, simplifying the retrieval of procedures, consulting the logs, documents, and contacts during incidents for faster issue resolution. Reflecting on my initial year with the company, comprehensive documentation would have accelerated my onboarding considerably. I'm confident that future team members will benefit from this streamlined approach, ensuring a smoother onboarding process and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. In conclusion : Document as much as you can and it's never too late to start !

Change management is an important procedure to ensure changes are tested and applied while reducing unexpected downtimes or availability issues. Configuration management is also important to ensure baselines are managed and configuration is documented and/or stored. Some companies uses Configuration Management Databases (CMDB) to manage all hardware and software related to assets including servers.

Capacity Planning: Implement policies for monitoring server capacity, predicting resource needs, and planning upgrades to ensure optimal performance and prevent potential issues.