In many ways, the path to success for your startup is built on proper management. You need to manage your staff, of course, and, eventually, some investors. Along the way, you’ll have to manage a number of expectations too. There are plenty of other factors that need managing as well and, should you ever neglect to do so, your startup will immediately suffer.
Server management is definitely worth referencing here. No modern business can survive without an online presence, which is where the server comes in. However, proper server management for your startup doesn’t need to be a huge challenge if you apply these simple strategies.
Server Setup
The initial server setup is incredibly important. Obviously, if you don’t do this step correctly, the rest of your server management strategy will suffer and you could even spend a lot of money correcting missteps later on.
To begin with, unzip the necessary setup files and run them through your chosen web host platform. Then install and configure your control panel. There should be a user guide that came with your setup files for this. Add the firewall next and any anti-spam and anti-virus software your startup will be using.
Set up the email accounts for your servers and then take care of DNS settings and configurations and you’re done with this first phase.
Server Monitoring
Next, you have to integrate an accurate monitoring system for your server or you’ll have no way of keeping tabs on its performance. The importance of this step can’t be overstated.
Your system should consist of the following features:
- Security status
- Uptime notifications
- Downtime notifications
- Storage allocations
With at least these four features, you’ll have a much easier time monitoring your server – an extremely important part of server management.
Security
Speaking of important steps in the process, it should go without saying that your server’s security is vital. Otherwise, it’s only going to be a matter of time before it’s compromised and your startup runs into serious trouble.
Install whichever security software you’ve decided to go with, but don’t stop there. A lot of startups do and then go on to become victims of savvy hackers. You’ll also want to initiate ongoing security audits to ensure your server hasn’t been compromised without your software noticing.
Another important security step along the same lines is to make sure protocols are in place for automatically updating kernel, security and software. This is an easy way to make sure you’re always using the most updated version of these important components. Besides the obvious benefits of doing so, this will also increase the security of your server. That’s because many hackers wait for software to become outdated as this gives them the opportunity to launch a successful attack.
Preventive Services or Measures
Another safety measure we recommend for your startup’s server management strategy is preventative measures for those unforeseen eventualities that you simply can’t plan for. This would include initiating:
- A backup and restoration process for your server
- Migration measures for your server
- Software support
- Disaster recovery support
Again, it’s important that you know nothing is infallible – not even this strategy we recommend. If it’s not hackers, it will be some act of God you simply can’t foresee. However, this last step in the strategy is a pretty good measure. It’s those who become too confident in their strategies that eventually find out the price of this confidence.
As you can see, a high-quality server management strategy for your startup doesn’t need to be overly-complicated or even costly. While you may wish to customize it to your company’s unique needs, most startups should find the above perfectly satisfactorily.