LINUX SERVER MANAGEMENT SERVICES

Yes, chances are we already support servers running your technology. Bobcares manages over 52,000 servers of more than 200 web service companies world wide. We help businesses transition to new technologies and platforms as they emerge.

If you need to talk to our solutions specialist, click here to leave a message.

Yes. We support a wide range of platforms that include PHP, Python, JS, Ruby, and their associated frameworks. We’ll take care application framework errors such as Laravel cache issues, Django path errors, etc.

Click here to choose a support plan. Follow the cart instructions to signup.

As soon as you signup, our infrastructure management team leader will get in touch with you to conduct an initial server assessment. We’ll then fix any vulnerabilities we find and optimize your server for your application / business. After that, we’ll audit your server periodically, update your software, and send you reports with recommendations.

We’d love to talk to you. You can call us at 1-800-383-5193 or click here to leave your number and a convenient time to call. Our solutions expert will ring you back.

Our support plans include 24/7 monitoring & rescue of 3 websites.

If you need additional sites to be monitored, we can do it at $4.99/website/month. Click here to talk to our solutions expert if you need more information.

Our SLA to respond to alerts is 15 minutes, but we usually login to the server in 10 minutes or less.

For on-demand server administration, our SLA is 12 hours, but we respond to tickets in 1 hour or less. If you need priority support with 30 minutes response, click here to order our Emergency Support Member plan.

Service downtimes

– Web server crashes – Issues like module upgrade incompatibility, incompatibility of new security rules, configuration update errors, file system errors, etc., lead to web server crashes. Resolution includes log analysis, isolating affected server from cluster, methodical issue resolution stage-by-stage service restoration, etc.
– Database server crashes – Database table corruption, lost connectivity between master and slave, upgrade issues, configuration update errors, file system errors, etc., leads to database server crashes. Resolution includes quick isolation of affected server from cluster, repairing the corrupted tables, restoring the server files, synching the data, etc.
– DNS server crashes – Configuration errors, zone data sync errors, upgrade errors and file system errors are the most common causes for DNS server crashes. Resolution includes methodical identification of corrupt rules, re-synching zone files, running configuration checks, re-linking the server to the DNS server cluster, etc.
– Mail server crashes – Upgrade errors, rule update errors, permission errors and file systems errors leads to mail server crashes. Resolution includes de-linking server from mail cluster, saving the mail queue data, methodical resolution of the error, sending queued mails, re-linking to the mail server cluster, etc.

Data center issues

Hardware failures – Hardware components like RAID, memory, motherboard, power unit, hard disk, network card, etc., are prone to service deterioration or failure. Quick reaction and co-ordination with the data center minimizes the downtime, and saves customer data.
Network lag – Services might be unreachable or be delayed for customers if the data center network has issues. Some common issues are, routing tables getting corrupted, upstream bandwidth providers being down, etc. Such issues are resolved by arranging an alternate network route by coordinating with the data center.

Security/Reputation issues

– Listing in RBL/DNSBL – If the server IP is listed in RBLs, immediate resolution is to block any ongoing bulk-mail campaign and then to change the interface IP. More detailed investigation is done based on log analysis and mail header analysis. Tools like Wireshark are used to locate any outbound attack. Identified vulnerabilities are patched immediately, and firewall rules are updated to prevent any future exploits.
– DoS/DDoS attacks – Quick reaction to DoS/DDoS attacks is to deploy custom scripts to automatically block attacking IPs. Additionally, specialized software like mod_evasive, Nginx reverse proxy, etc., are used to block future attacks.
– Brute force attacks – Immediate mitigation of brute force attacks is done using custom scripts that block attacking IPs based on connection frequency and authentication failure. Specialized software such as LFD, BFD, etc. are used to dynamically block such attacks in future. Additionally ports of administrative services like SSH are changed to negate attacks from automated bots.
– Spamming – Large volume inbound spamming can lead to sluggish mail services. Mitigation is done by adding custom rules to the anti-spam filter to block particular IP ranges or detect specific patterns in the connection string. Outbound spamming is caused by malware in websites, or abuse of mail accounts. Emergency response includes clearing the spam queue, changing the interface IP, quarantining the user, updating security rules in web application firewall, etc.
– SEO issues – Website blacklisting in search engines is usually caused by malware uploaded by hackers. Hack recovery includes cleaning the malware code, restoring specific files from backup, re-scanning the website using specialized security tools, assisting in search engine review, etc.

Performance issues

– Optimal service levels are maintained by monitoring performance parameters like number of slow queries, replication delays between master-slave servers, thread counts of web applications, average response times, etc. Root causes are traced to issues like hardware degradation, network lag, application bugs, resource bottle necks, etc. Resolution includes freeing up resources from abusive connections, coordinating with data center to replace hardware, changing load-balancing settings to reduce traffic, etc.

Monitoring system design

involves:
– Defining the full list of performance parameters, security requirements, and other specific needs. For eg., server uptime, web server response time, pending mail queue size, user logins, web page file size changes, etc.
– Defining the requirements for fault-tolerant monitoring (distributed monitoring), notification priorities for categories of alerts, notification mechanisms (mail, instant messenger, SMS, sound notification, browser pop-up, pager, smart phone app, etc.), and escalation policies (on call techs, senior techs, data center ops, managers, everyone, etc.).
– Identifying the monitoring system that meets the requirement. Some of the common systems are, Zabbix, Nagios, Big Brother, Xymon, Cacti, Big Sister, Ground Work, Icinga, Graphite, Ganglia, Zenoss, Munin, Monit, etc.
– Identifying the tools required in the servers to collect data for un-supported monitoring requirements.
– Defining the data retention period, display formats, and audience to display this data to.

Monitoring system implementation

involves:
– Installing the chosen monitoring system and its plugins in standalone or multi-server configuration as per design.
– Installing agents in servers to be monitored, and enabling supporting services like SNMP.
– Creating custom software in Bash, Perl, Python or C to cover requirements not supported through the monitoring system. These software are either created as plugins or as API calls which the monitoring system can parse. Some of the common tools used in such software are top, atop, nethogs, auditd, psacct, iptraf, vmstat, free, iostat, /proc data, netstat, etc.
– Testing the accuracy of monitoring system by comparing data seen in server with the monitoring system data, and making corrections as needed.
– Optimizing monitoring settings and server resource allocation to make sure monitoring system doesn’t cause resource hogs.

Monitoring system maintenance

involves:
– Installing new monitoring system modules as needed. For eg: waiting database queries, raid status monitor, license expiry check, etc.
– Installing new features for the monitoring system for improved reporting, security, or accessibility. For eg., service status display for customers, responsive interfaces for access via mobile, etc.
– Developing custom software using Bash/Perl/Python/C for new monitoring requirements not covered through plugins in market.
– Resolving connection breaks between monitoring system and server pool.
– Resolving monitoring agent crashes due to various reasons like server environment changes, process priority changes, etc.
– Upgrading the monitoring system and associated modules to implement new features and improve security.

Implementing multi-layer security

– Setting up dedicated firewalls like Endian, pfSense, IPFire, etc. to implement access policies from a central location.
– Installing and optimizing firewalls and firewall management tools, like iptables, firewall-cmd, Shorewall, CSF, APF, etc.
– Custom configuring web application firewalls like mod_security, ComodoWAF, IronBee, etc.
– Hardening web server settings and installing modules to prevent exploits and DDoS. For eg., mod_evasive, Nginx tuning, OpenLiteSpeed tuning, Apache tuning, etc.
– DNS service hardening. Commonly supported servers include BIND, TinyDNS, etc.
– FTP server hardening. Commonly administered servers include ProFTPd, Pure-FTPd, VSFTPd, etc.
– PHP hardening to prevent hackers from executing malware. Some common solutions used are Suhosin, SuPHP, disabling vulnerable PHP functions, hardening settings, etc.
– Mail server hardening using advanced ACLs to prevent incoming and outgoing spamming. Supported software include Exim, Postfix, Sendmail, Qmail, magic-smtpd, etc.
– Denial of Service attack protection using solutions like sysctl hardening, DDoS-Deflate, LFD, BFD, etc.
– Access protection through restricting IPs, using custom ports, disabling direct root login, and installing login alert scripts.
– Implementing strong password policies in Web, Mail, cPanel and FTP services.
– Securing access to common services through wild-card SSLs, and strong ciphers.
– Implementing brute force protection using solutions like BFD, LFD, non-standard service ports, etc.
– Protecting server from port scanning using tools like Port Sentry, LFD, etc. This is usually a pre-cursor to someone attempting a hack.
– Hardening temporary directories by securing file system.
– Configuring rootkit detection tools like CHKRootkit and RootKit Hunter.
– Implementing server software auto-upgrades for security patches using tools like yum-plugin-security.
– Implementing kernel auto-updates using tools like KSplice, KernelCare, etc. to prevent zero-day hacks.
– Installing file upload scanners (like LMD, CXS) and fortifying them using ClamAV beefed up with third party rules like SaneSecurity.
– Preventing un-authorized modification of server binaries using LES.
– Securing the backup process, which includes restricting root access to central backup location, auto-integrity checking, etc. This is an insurance that backups will work when you need it.
– Implementing central WAF or Anti-Spam gateways as required. Commonly used software include, ASSP, Magic-SMTPd, DSpam, SpamAssassin, ClamAV, etc.
– Implementing two-factor authentication for administrator logins as required.

Comprehensive monitoring

– Configuring server access notifications using custom scripts in Bash, Perl, Python or C.
– Implementing notifications for system binary changes using custom plugins for monitoring systems such as Zabbix, Nagios, Icinga, etc.
– Setting up monitoring for suspicious processes. For eg., long running processes, processes that are bound on non-standard ports, etc.
– Monitoring RBLs to notify if server IP is listed for some reason.
– Configuring auditing and logging systems to provide trace data for hack investigations. Tools used for this include Auditd, PsAcct, etc.

Regular security auditing

– Periodic top-down security audits are done to check and take corrective actions:
– If all defenses are working as it is supposed to be.
– If logs point to any system vulnerability.
– If all system software and kernel are up-to-date.
– If any password is past its expiry date.
– If all firewall rules are to-to-date.
– If all anti-virus and web application firewall rules are updated.
– If all server accesses are valid and authorized.
– If all security settings modifications were as per authorized process.
– If the organization is subscribed to all security news outlets.
– If backups are working fine.
– If disaster recovery plans are working fine.

Installation and integration

involves the following:
– Co-ordinating with data center to ensure proper deployment of hardware.
– Stress testing the hardware using tools like ipref, stress, smartctl, netio, etc., to see if the hardware can perform as per network architecture.
– Installing operating systems and application software as per requirements. Common distributions installed are CentOS, Red Hat, OpenSuse, Ubuntu, FreeBSD, Gentoo, Vyatta, Endian, Astrix, etc. Application software include OpenVPN, PPTP, Shorewall, Squid, NFS, LDAP, LVS, etc. – Integrating the server into the existing infrastructure by linking to the monitoring system, linking to central configuration system (like Puppet), setting up network routing, setting up sync with central DNS server, linking to backup server, etc.

Database system implementation

– Database server installations are done with careful capacity planning. Stress testing is done to find the limit of transactions it can take before needing server upgrades. The server configuration is adjusted accordingly before deploying it into production environment. Monitoring systems are integrated, and fault tolerance systems are setup to keep the system reliable.

Database server maintenance

– Long term maintenance of database servers include 24/7 performance monitoring, assisting with query optimization, upgrades or migrations.
– Performance monitoring – Different parameters of database performance such as database I/O load, process count, memory usage, etc. are monitored to make sure everything is working within expected performance limits. Immediate remedial actions are taken if an anomaly is found.
– Query optimization – We locate poorly performing queries and help in optimizing them, be it through a syntax modification, or through increasing database parameters like heap size, sort table size, etc.
– Software upgrades – New versions of the database are tested for compatibility in test environment, roll-back procedures are developed, and the upgrade is implemented in phases on the production systems to ensure a smooth transition.
– Hardware scaling up – New hardware requirements are identified as per resource consumption trends, and based on the infrastructure limits, either more resources are added to existing servers, or new servers are added to the cluster, or load balancing solutions are implemented.
– Crash recovery – In the event of database crashes, we recover the database using tools like mysqlcheck, myisamchk, etc.
– Managing multi-user environment – Resource abuse (I/O, memory or CPU) by one user is possible in shared systems. Process tracking using tools like mysqladmin, ionice, etc., are done to find the abuser, and quarantining is done to ensure other users are not affected.
– Database migration – We perform migration from one server to another using tools like mysqldump, mysqlhotcopy, etc., and perform cross-platform migrations like MySQL to MongoDB, or PostGreSQL to MariaDB, etc.

Critical events analysis

– Major events such as service downs or server downs indicate need for better systems or procedures. We present you with an analysis of what went wrong, and how it can be avoided in future. For eg., An extended server downtime due to RAID corruption could be avoided in future by better RAID monitoring and proactive replacement of hardware.

Report on ongoing projects

– We present details on research, simulation and implementation of new changes in the infrastructure. Summary details on project progress, major milestones that are due, and man power utilization are presented, which enables you to make any change as required.