What Are Server Management Services?

Server management services are the ongoing administration of servers by a specialist team: initial setup and hardening, operating system and software patching, security monitoring, performance and capacity monitoring, backups, user and access management, troubleshooting and incident response. They keep Linux and cloud servers secure, stable and available without you needing an in-house system administrator.

Codersarts provides server management services for Linux cloud servers, virtual private servers and dedicated servers on AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, DigitalOcean, Hetzner, Lightsail, Linode and other providers. Our engineers manage Ubuntu, Debian, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, Amazon Linux and similar systems, and the web, application and database software that runs on them. Servers stay in your company's account, and we manage them through access you control.

Server Management at a Glance

Managed vs Unmanaged Servers

Cloud and hosting providers usually sell servers unmanaged: they keep the hardware and network running, and everything inside the server is your responsibility.

Why Servers Need Active Management

• Constant attacks. Internet-facing servers receive automated login attempts and vulnerability scans every day

• Security updates. Operating systems and server software publish security fixes frequently, and some need reboots

• End-of-life operating systems. Each Linux release has a support window; older versions stop receiving security updates

• Disks fill up. Logs, uploads, backups and temporary files grow until services fail

• Services stop. Web servers, databases and workers can crash after updates or resource exhaustion

• Configuration drift. Changes made by hand over years leave servers that nobody fully understands

What Our Server Management Services Include

Server Security Hardening Checklist

Every server we manage is checked against a hardening baseline:

1. SSH access with keys only, password login disabled and root login disabled.

2. A host firewall allowing only the ports your services need.

3. Intrusion prevention, such as Fail2ban, blocking repeated failed logins.

4. Automatic installation of security updates, with reboots planned when kernels change.

5. Unused services and packages removed.

6. Named user accounts with sudo access only where needed, and no shared logins.

7. Time synchronisation, secure file permissions and protected configuration files.

8. Services running as dedicated, non-root users.

9. Audit logging of administrative actions.

10. Cloud provider firewall or security group rules matching the host firewall.

For servers handling sensitive data, we can align hardening with recognised benchmarks such as those published by the Center for Internet Security (CIS).

Linux Distributions and Support Lifecycles

Each Linux distribution publishes how long a release receives security updates. Ubuntu LTS releases, for example, receive five years of standard security maintenance, and Red Hat-compatible distributions such as Rocky Linux and AlmaLinux are supported for around ten years per major version. We track the support dates for every server we manage and plan upgrades or rebuilds before support ends, so servers never run unpatched operating systems.

Server Monitoring and Alerting

Alerts go to our engineers, who respond within agreed times. For full application-level monitoring, see Application Monitoring.

Troubleshooting and Incident Response

When a server slows down or stops responding, our engineers investigate logs, processes, resource usage and recent changes, restore service through a fix, restart or rollback, and explain the cause in plain language. After critical incidents, you receive a short root-cause note with steps to prevent a repeat.

Out-of-hours critical incidents are covered with Critical Incident Cover.

Server Management vs Application Support

Server management keeps the operating system and server software healthy. It does not, on its own, fix bugs in your application code. Many clients need both, so our monthly service covers the server and the application together, with fair-use engineering hours for code fixes. For application-level work, see Application Maintenance and Support.

Server Migrations and Rebuilds

Older servers configured by hand over many years are risky to patch and hard to recover. Rather than upgrading them in place, we often recommend building a clean, documented replacement server, moving the services and data across with a tested cutover, and retiring the old one. This also removes forgotten software and accounts. Larger moves follow our Application Migration process.

Web Server and Stack Configuration

Most servers we manage run a web or application stack, and small configuration mistakes cause many outages and security gaps. We maintain:

Server Documentation

Every server we manage has a written record: what it runs, how services are configured, which ports are open, where backups go, which scheduled jobs run, who has access and how to rebuild it. This removes dependence on any single person's memory, makes audits and security questionnaires easier, and means another team could take over if you ever change provider.

Control Panels and Bare Servers

Some servers use control panels such as cPanel, Plesk or open-source alternatives, while others are managed directly from the command line. We work with both, keep control panels updated and secured, and can help you move away from a panel when its licence costs or limitations outweigh its benefits.

What Your Monthly Server Report Shows

• Updates applied, including any reboots and their timing

• Uptime and incidents, with causes and fixes

• Security events, such as blocked login attempts and changes to user access

• Resource trends for CPU, memory and disk, with warnings before limits are reached

• Backup results and the monthly restore test

• Upcoming end-of-life dates for the operating system and key software

Who Server Management Services Are For

• Businesses with servers nobody has patched since they were set up

• Companies whose system administrator or developer has left

• Startups running their app on a VPS without operations experience

• Agencies hosting client sites and apps on their own servers

• Teams running end-of-life Linux versions that need upgrades or rebuilds

How We Take Over Server Management

1. Access. You create a named administrator account for our engineers, or add us to your cloud account with a suitable role.

2. Audit. We review the operating system, installed software, open ports, users, cron jobs, disk usage, backups and security settings.

3. Report. You receive a plain-language report of risks and recommended fixes.

4. Harden and stabilise. Approved fixes are applied, monitoring is switched on and backups are tested.

5. Document. Server configuration and recovery steps are written down.

6. Ongoing management begins, with monthly reporting.

Your Servers, Your Control

Servers stay in your cloud or hosting account, billed to your company. Our engineers use named accounts that you can remove at any time, every change is logged, and credentials are kept in a password manager rather than shared by email or chat.

Planned Maintenance Windows

Some updates, such as kernel patches, need a reboot. We agree a regular maintenance window with you, outside your busiest hours, and announce any planned work in advance.

Server Management Pricing

Server and Application Management

Included in Managed Run, starting at $1,000 per month

• Patching, hardening, monitoring and backups for the servers running your application

• Troubleshooting and incident response with defined response times

• Fair-use engineering hours for server and application fixes

• Monthly report

Additional servers beyond the application's own environment are quoted after review.

Server Audit and Clean-Up

Initial audits, hardening and rebuilds are estimated after review and charged at $50 per hour, only with your approval.

Add-ons

• 24/7 critical incident cover: $250 per month

Server and cloud provider charges are paid directly to your provider. See Managed Run for details.

What Is Not Included

• Hardware, cloud and licence costs

• Windows Server administration, office networks and staff devices

• Control panel licences such as cPanel or Plesk

• Hosting in Codersarts-owned accounts

Frequently Asked Questions

Keep Your Servers Secure and Running

Tell us how many servers you run, where they are hosted and what runs on them. We will audit them and recommend a management plan.