1. Server Installation
Server installation covers planning, physical setup, system configuration, and validation.
1.1 Planning and Preparation
Requirement analysis: Workload type, users, performance, storage, scalability, compliance.
Server selection: Rack, tower, or blade; CPU, RAM, storage (HDD/SSD/NVMe), RAID level.
Environment readiness: Power capacity, UPS, cooling, rack space, grounding, network ports.
Security planning: Physical access control, network segmentation, firewall rules.
1.2 Physical Installation
Rack mounting and cable management.
Power connections (dual power supplies if available).
Network cabling (NIC bonding if required).
Peripheral connections for initial setup (monitor, keyboard, or remote management).
1.3 Software Installation
Firmware/BIOS updates
Operating system installation: Windows Server, Linux (RHEL, Ubuntu, etc.), or hypervisors (VMware ESXi, Hyper-V).
Storage configuration: RAID setup, partitioning, file systems.
Network configuration: IP addressing, VLANs, DNS, gateway.
Role and service setup: Web server, database server, file server, application server, virtualization host.
1.4 Validation and Handover
Performance and stress testing.
Security hardening verification.
Backup configuration check.
Documentation and operational handover.
2. Server Maintenance
Maintenance ensures reliability, security, and performance throughout the server’s lifecycle.
2.1 Preventive Maintenance
Regular OS and application patching.
Firmware and driver updates.
Disk health checks (SMART status).
Log review and housekeeping.
Resource utilization monitoring (CPU, RAM, storage).
2.2 Corrective Maintenance
Troubleshooting hardware failures (disks, power supplies, fans).
Resolving OS or application crashes.
Network fault isolation.
Data restoration from backups when required.
2.3 Performance and Capacity Management
Load analysis and optimization.
Storage expansion or cleanup.
Memory or CPU upgrades.
Virtual machine tuning (if virtualized).
2.4 Security Maintenance
Antivirus/EDR updates.
Vulnerability scanning and remediation.
Access control review.
Audit and compliance checks.
2.5 Backup and Disaster Recovery
Scheduled full and incremental backups.
Backup integrity testing.
Disaster recovery drills.
Offsite or cloud replication.
3. Best Practices
Maintain detailed configuration and change documentation.
Use monitoring tools (Nagios, Zabbix, Prometheus, etc.).
Implement redundancy (RAID, clustering, failover).
Follow change management procedures.
Schedule maintenance during low-usage windows.
4. Common Tools
Monitoring: Zabbix, Nagios, SolarWinds
Configuration: Ansible, Puppet, Chef
Backup: Veeam, Acronis, Bacula
Remote management: iLO, iDRAC, IPMI