We’ll explain to you, What is Server Management? Like many other terms in the server management and managed services industry, server management is vaguely used and can mean different things when used by different server management service providers.
Some companies may offer a set of managed support services in their server management plan, but a different company may offer a completely different set of services. Although there are some guidelines and definitions that still hold true for any managed service provider.
This article will guide you through what server management is, who needs it and why you should use it. After our intro, you should have a solid understanding of the basics.
Broad definition of server management
Server management can be defined as the tasks and services that are done on a server in order to manage it. This usually entails:
- Monitoring of the server and apps running on the server. Checking their status, uptime, and monitoring for any new or recurring issues.
- Updating the server and software installed on the server. Although most server management companies offer this as part of their services, some still don’t. Nevertheless, it’s still considered as part of the ‘server management’ process.
- Setup and configuration. The actual server setup and configuration of software and services running on the server. Again, this may not be a part of the server management plan offered by some companies, but it most often is.
- Other. This is where the issue in defining what server management actually is arises. Every provider offers totally different services, although they are still considered as part of the server management process, they are not the same among several different providers and thus cannot be considered as the “default” definition of server management.
As an example, you can check our Server Management Services.
Who needs and uses server management?
Everyone that owns a server needs server management. Some people do the server management themselves (often called “self-managed”), and some people get professional server management services.
The most common users of managed service providers are:
- Companies.
- Web Developers and Web Designers.
- Beginners that own servers.
- Anyone that likes to leave the server worries to someone else.
There are many benefits of using server management services (listed below) and anyone should and can use such services.
Why you should use server management services?
The reasons why you should use server management services are the same with the actual benefits of using them.
Benefits of server management services
- Server work done right, by experts. You should always leave the server work to professionals that do it on a daily basis and have the experience, skills, and know-how of managing servers. That way you get your peace of mind knowing that your server is managed properly by people who know what they are doing.
- Fewer costs. Instead of hiring a full-time system administrator (which can be quite costly), you can get a server management plan and save hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars on a monthly basis. Some server providers offer a ‘managed service’ as an add-on to their servers, but it often is much more expensive than getting managed services from a 3-rd party provider.
- Fewer worries. Why should you worry about updates and security of your server 24/7 when you can have experts taking care of your server? No need to stay updated on the latest security patches and releases, your server will be taken care of.
- Quick(er) turnaround time. Depending on the provider itself and the experience of the sysadmins involved, the turnaround time for server issues and tasks is fairly quick. So instead of wasting hours on troubleshooting and research, you can have experts work on your server and fix any issues in a matter of minutes. This still depends on the severity and complexity of the issue itself, but when compared, having expert server managers working on your server is far quicker than doing it yourself.
- 24/7 availability. Most server management companies are available 24/7 (at least we are) and this is closely related to the quick turnaround time. It’s 3 AM in the middle of the night on a Saturday? No problem. We are available and ready to help.
Knowing what server management is and the benefits of using it, you should seriously consider getting a monthly server management plan, and experience the benefits yourself.