Whether you work for a company completely committed to the cloud, relying exclusively on a physical data center or utilizing a hybrid of the two, supporting the business through proper setups and maintenance makes server know-how even more critical.

This checklist, written by Scott Matteson for TechRepublic Premium, provides management guidelines and solutions to many of the issues routinely facing servers.

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  1. Determine user/system needs

  Before you even decide which server to use, examine the needs the system will fulfill. Email, database, file, and print (yes, these still exist) servers all have differing hardware, software, and access requirements. Will the system be used by all employees or just a few? Will storage requirements expand over time? (Hint: Probably “yes.”) Does it need to be public-facing (accessible from the internet) or internal only? To best proceed, you need to know who will use it, how it will be used, and where it will function.

  The operating system and programs you select should be based on your user and system needs as well as your environment. If yours is primarily a Windows shop, it may make sense to go with Microsoft products or third-party choices that run on Windows. If Red Hat Enterprise Linux is your backbone, the same principle applies. Don’t fall into the trap, however, of making a certain selection because alternatives are outside the comfort zone or skill set of existing staff: consultants can be hired to assist with deployment and training to make the best match possible.

Boost your handling of servers with our 17-page PDF. This is available for download at just $49. Alternatively, enjoy complimentary access with a Premium annual subscription.

TIME SAVED: Crafting this content required 34 hours of dedicated writing, editing, research, and design.