7 Tasks to Keep Your Server Up-to-Date

If you have leased a high-quality dedicated server with full management, there are still some things that need be done to ensure its good performance and protection. Here are seven monthly tasks for server maintenance that should turn into your habits.

1. Take backups. When it comes to your data, you should always be proactive. Happily, there are convenient tools for monthly backups, such as cPanel. To activate it, open your Web Hosting Manager account, select “Backup Configuration” and enable “Backup Status” settings.

In your account, you may always specify the settings and select between daily, weekly, or monthly backup, or even combine these options. It is highly recommended to save backups on some destination different from the local one. It will save you in case of hardware failure, data stealing and other errors.

WHM has various “Scheduling and Retention” settings that let you specify when the backup process runs. Choose between daily, weekly, or monthly backups, or a combination of the three settings. Your system then creates a backup on the day you choose.

2. Use the latest CMS installations. No matter what CMS you choose - WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, or something else – make sure you have the most current installment. This way, you will have all security improvements. As a rule, update patches are offered automatically. Don’t forget to perform backup before updating.

3. Update all plugins and themes and delete the ones you don’t need any more. Besides, get rid of third party plugins, because they bloat and slow down your site dramatically. 

4. Check RAID alarms and do not miss notes about any kind of disc failure, because sometimes only a single disc failure is accepted before it stops functioning.

5. Eliminate old and unnecessary content. Remove all databases, scripts, and files that are no longer used.

6. Clean your e-mail. If you don’t delete messages immediately, get the habit to check and delete them at least once a month. Thus, you make sure your account won’t reach the limit. To boost security, remove email addresses that are no longer used (for instance, “Info@”, “test@”, and “admin@”) to reduce the chances of crack down on spam, because these addresses are often targeted by hackers.

7. Change old passwords. Alter your password for at least every few months, and do not use the same password for different logins.