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Server Management

The document provides an overview of server management, detailing its importance in ensuring optimal performance and security of servers. It outlines key tasks involved in server management, including hardware and software maintenance, monitoring, security measures, and backup strategies. The document emphasizes the need for regular updates and proactive management to prevent issues and maintain efficient operations.

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11 views24 pages

Server Management

The document provides an overview of server management, detailing its importance in ensuring optimal performance and security of servers. It outlines key tasks involved in server management, including hardware and software maintenance, monitoring, security measures, and backup strategies. The document emphasizes the need for regular updates and proactive management to prevent issues and maintain efficient operations.

Uploaded by

aldwinkarlo.angcaya
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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e 1

M od ul i on
t r o d uct
In

ITEC66 – INFORMATION ASSURANCE AND SECURITY 2


Module 1
Introducti
on
Module 1
Introduction
Module 1
Introduction
 Introduction
 Learning Objective
 What is Server
Management
 Overview of the
Server Management
 Server Management
Tasks
 Setup and
Configuration
 Hardware Management
 Software Management
 Server Monitoring
 Server Security
 Back up and
Recovery
Introduction
Learning Objective
What is Server Management
Overview of the Server
Management
Server Management Tasks
Setup and Configuration
Hardware Management
Software Management
Introduction
What is server Management?
Server management is the process
of administering a server to ensure
optimal and safe performance. The
main objective of this IT activity is to
keep the server and its associated
systems in a desired, consistent
Managing a server requires various
administrative and maintenance tasks. The staff
needs to:

 Minimize server slowdowns and downtime.


 Maintain server hardware and address technical problems.
 Keep software up to date.
 Design and implement system structures.
 Monitor apps running on the server by tracking status, uptime, and
recurring issues.
 Perform troubleshooting.
 Run fault management tests.
 Implement robust backup and cybersecurity solutions.
 Monitor server traffic for suspicious activity.
 Ensure servers keep up with requirements as business needs evolve.
Both servers within data centers and in the cloud require some form
of management. The most common types of servers a team can
manage are:

 FTP (File Transfer Protocol) servers that handle to-and-fro data


transfers between a server and devices.
 Web servers that host websites.
 Virtual servers that run on VMs.
 Proxy servers that initiate and manage communication between a
client and an external server.
 Database servers that store large amounts of data.
 Application servers that store and run web apps and plug-ins.
Server Management Tasks
The goal of server management is to
improve efficiency and performance
while ensuring the safety of IT
operations. Below are the main tasks a
team needs to account for in their
server management strategy.
Server Management Tasks
Software Management

Hardware maintenance

12 3
Set up and Configuration
Server Management Task

Ensuring safe operations

4 5
Server Monitoring
Setup and Configuration
The setup process varies for different server
types. An admin must know how to set up a
server with physical components and one
running on a VM in a third-party cloud.
The configuration is also not the same for all
server types and use cases. For example, a
server that hosts a blog needs a different
platform than a website that offers e-commerce
 Set up user configuration (credentials, privileges, access levels,
etc.).
 Set up network configuration and communications.
 Work on package management.
 Update the installation and patch potential vulnerabilities.
 Prevent clock drift via NTP configuration.
 Set up a firewall and iptables to minimize external footprint.
 Set up SSH to protect remote sessions.
 Work on daemon configuration to reduce the attack surface.
 Protect the kernel and apps with SELinux.
 Set up a logging system.
Hardware Management
Keeping hardware in good health is
a vital aspect of in-house server
management. Without reliable
hardware, all systems and
operations that rely on the server
can run into issues. A server admin
Hardware Managemen
Hard drive. The hard drive acts as a
server’s permanent storage for programs, data, and
backups. Performance can take a hit when a hard drive
works at maximum capacity, so admins must add drives
Random-access memory (RAM)-
or delete unnecessary data when disks fill up.
RAM is a
server’s working memory that operates faster than a hard

1 2 3 drive. The more RAM a server has, the better its potential
performance. Admins must monitor RAM usage and determine
when the system requires more running memory.
The central processing unit(CPU)-Overusing
the CPU can lead to various problems. A CPU running close to 100% utilization
overtaxes the device, leaves no capacity for extra tasks, and slows down the
server. Admins typically upgrade the chip, add more CPUs, or stop
unnecessary programs to handle an overused CPU.
Software Management
Just like hardware, server software requires regular
monitoring and maintenance. An admin must:
 Understand software dependencies within the
infrastructure.
 Keep software, firmware, and the operating
system up to date with the latest patches.
 Know how to search for software vulnerabilities
that could lead to a potential data breach.
 Uninstall old and inactive programs the team no
longer uses.
Server Monitoring
Constant monitoring helps an admin keep a server
safe and working at peak performance. Metric tracking
and analysis allow the team to identify and prevent
issues before they affect business-critical systems.

Monitoring hardware is vital. An admin needs live data


evaluation that provides real-time feedback in terms
of:
 Processor usage.
 Memory utilization.
 Disk space availability.
Server Monitoring
Hardware monitoring aside, an admin should
monitor processes running on the server and
track how much resources each process
consumes. The team must also keep track of the
following parameters to guarantee top
performance:
Page load time.
Database lags
Service up-time.
Server Security
Maintaining a secure network also falls under server
management. While security policies and
requirements differ between industries, an average
admin needs to:
 Install, optimize, use, and keep an antivirus solution
up to date.
 Set up a firewall to filter unauthorized traffic.
 Create a credentials policy that ensures users have
strong passwords.
 Run regular vulnerability assessments.
 Initiate and participate in penetration testing.
Server Security
 Set up access control software and
enforce zero-trust security.
 Use encryption to protect sensitive data.
 Choose and implement SIEM tools.
 Promote cybersecurity best practices
across different teams and departments.
Backup and recovery
Regular data backups are essential to the
security of servers and the information they
host. Backups can either run on an in-house
physical infrastructure or in the cloud. In
both scenarios, an admin should use an
immutable backup to ensure data remains
safe even if intruders breach the server.
Backup and recovery
 Back up data multiple times a day.
 Use network segmentation to separate the backup
from other systems.
 Provide limited access to the backup.
 Limit editing permissions.
 Regularly scan backups for malicious data.
 Optimize RTO (Recovery Time Objective) and RPO
(Recovery Point Objective) to ensure a smooth
user experience during backup.

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