Server Management

Server Management

Server management involves configuring, maintaining, and securing Linux servers hosting applications and services.

Web Servers

Apache: most deployed, module-based, .htaccess. Nginx: high-performance, event-driven, excellent reverse proxy/load balancer. Virtual hosts, SSL/TLS (Let's Encrypt), access logs, security headers.

Database Servers

MySQL/MariaDB: popular relational. Installation, user management, backups (mysqldump), replication, performance tuning. PostgreSQL: advanced features. MongoDB: NoSQL document database.

Containerization

Docker: pull images, run containers, Dockerfiles, volumes, networks. Docker Compose for multi-container apps. Podman: rootless, daemonless alternative. Core modern sysadmin skill.

High Availability

Load balancing (Nginx, HAProxy), clustering (Pacemaker/Corosync), database replication, geographic distribution. Design for failure — build resilience.

Automation

Ansible: agentless, YAML playbooks for configuration and deployment. Puppet, Chef (agent-based). Terraform (infrastructure provisioning). Ensures consistency, reduces human error.

Security Hardening

Update packages, disable unnecessary services, configure firewall, SSH keys (disable passwords), fail2ban, automatic security updates, SELinux/AppArmor, regular audits, monitor logs.

Summary

Server management: web servers, databases, containers, HA, automation, and security hardening enable reliable, secure Linux infrastructure.