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Your first day with a server
Step 1
From request to access: availability, delivery times and payment
How ordering a dedicated server works: live availability, delivery within 12 or 72 hours, the request form, the hryvnia invoice and what to prepare.
11 min read Step 2First SSH login to a Linux server: what to do in the first hour
A first-hour checklist for an Ubuntu or Debian server: SSH login, updates, a sudo user, a firewall, time settings and backups.
13 min read Step 3First RDP login to Windows Server: what to do in the first hour
Step by step: connect over RDP, change the password, create accounts, install updates, check the firewall, NLA, disks and Microsoft Defender, plan backups.
11 min readGetting started
6 articles
- From request to access: availability, delivery times and paymentHow ordering a dedicated server works: live availability, delivery within 12 or 72 hours, the request form, the hryvnia invoice and what to prepare.
- First SSH login to a Linux server: what to do in the first hourA first-hour checklist for an Ubuntu or Debian server: SSH login, updates, a sudo user, a firewall, time settings and backups.
- First RDP login to Windows Server: what to do in the first hourStep by step: connect over RDP, change the password, create accounts, install updates, check the firewall, NLA, disks and Microsoft Defender, plan backups.
- SSH keys: create, install on the server and turn off password loginCreate an ed25519 key on Windows, macOS or Linux, copy it to the server and safely turn off SSH password login on Debian and Ubuntu.
- How to check software RAID and drive health on your serverCheck software RAID and drive health on Linux and Windows Server: mdadm, smartctl, nvme-cli, alerts and what to do when a drive fails.
- Proxmox VE on a dedicated server: installation and initial setupProxmox VE 9 on a dedicated server: preinstalled or installed yourself, NAT and public addresses for VMs, a closed port 8006 and scheduled backups.
Security
3 articles
- Basic Linux server hardening: SSH, firewall and updatesStep by step for Ubuntu LTS and Debian: key-only SSH, ufw or nftables with a safe rollback, fail2ban, automatic security updates and an outside check.
- Secure RDP: keep Remote Desktop off the open internetHow to keep port 3389 off the internet on Windows Server: VPN, firewall rules by source address, NLA, account lockout and checking the log for attacks.
- DDoS protection: what the network filters and what is left to youWhat network-layer DDoS protection on a dedicated server filters, what it cannot see, and what to set up yourself: ports, nginx limits, a cache, fail2ban.
Network and VPN
3 articles
- WireGuard: a secure tunnel between the office and the serverHow to set up WireGuard on a server running Ubuntu, Debian or Windows Server, connect computers, phones or the whole office network, and test the tunnel.
- Private network and 802.1Q VLANs on Linux and Windows ServerHow to link dedicated servers over a private network: addresses without a gateway, netplan, Debian, 802.1Q VLANs, Windows Server, firewall and iperf3.
- How to measure response time and trace the route: ping, mtr, tracertMeasure response time and packet loss to a server in Europe with ping, tracert, pathping, WinMTR and mtr. How to read a trace and what to send support.
Backups and standby site
5 articles
- The 3-2-1 rule: how a small company should organise its backupsThree copies of the data, two different storage systems, one copy elsewhere: what to back up, how often, where to keep it and how to test a restore.
- Backing up a Linux server with restic and a systemd timerInstall restic, create an encrypted repository, set up backups with excludes, a retention policy, a systemd timer and a trial restore.
- Windows Server backups: wbadmin, scheduling and restic with VSSWindows Server Backup and wbadmin on a dedicated server: system image, schedule, versioned files and database dumps with restic and VSS, test restore.
- Database backups: PostgreSQL, MS SQL Server and BAS databasesHow to set up backups of PostgreSQL, MS SQL Server and BAS accounting databases: commands, scheduling, test restores and common mistakes.
- Standby site: three schemes and what to check every quarterCold, warm and hot standby site schemes: what each needs, how much data you may lose, how to switch over through DNS and what to check every quarter.
Accounting, databases and remote work
4 articles
- Server for BAS with 5, 10, 20 or 50 users: CPU, memory and disksHow to size a dedicated server for BAS: file database or DBMS, single-core speed, memory per session, mirrored NVMe. A starting table and load checks.
- How to move a BAS database to a server in Europe with minimal downtimeA plan for moving a file-based or client-server BAS database to a dedicated server: trial move, final copy, checks, switching users over and rollback.
- Server for PostgreSQL and MS SQL Server: disks, memory, settingsHow to choose disks, memory and a processor for a database server, and which PostgreSQL 18 and MS SQL Server settings to apply right after installation.
- Working through power cuts: what to prepare at the office and at homeA server in Europe keeps running when Ukraine loses power; the office does not. How to prepare network power, a backup link, laptops, a VPN and a drill.
Choosing a server and migrating
4 articles
- Dedicated server or VPS: which to choose for your businessHow a dedicated server differs from a VPS, who needs which and how to check it against your own workload. Comparison table, steps and common mistakes.
- How to choose a server line and configurationSeven server lines and how to read a server card: processor, memory, drives, bandwidth, private network. Which line suits accounting, websites and VMs.
- Poland, Germany, France or the UK: choosing a country for your serverHow to choose a country for a dedicated server: response time from Kyiv to Poland, Germany, France and the UK, and where to put the primary and standby.
- Checklist for moving from a Ukrainian data centre or office to EuropeA two-week plan for moving to dedicated servers in Europe: inventory, DNS and TTL, rsync and robocopy, cutover and rollback, backups.