The choice of the correct configuration of a virtual server extremely affects the processes and quality of your projects. In addition to the configuration and resources, it is important to consider which OS and version to choose. The process of installing a virtual server and OS takes just a few minutes, because AlexHost takes care of its customers so that they receive VPS without any delays.

CHECK ALL AVAILABLE  VPS TARIFF PLANS HERE

The installation of the operating system (OS) on a virtual server provides access to many utilities that facilitate the management, adjustment and use of the server. In this article, we will consider the main categories of utilities that become available after installing the OS on the virtual server, as well as their importance and function.

User management and access rights

1. User management utilities. After installing the OS on a virtual server, users get access to utilities to create, modify and delete user accounts. For example, on servers running UNIX-like OS (Linux, BSD), useradd, usermod and userdel.commands are available. These utilities allow administrators to manage user accounts, assign passwords and groups, as well as set other parameters of accounts.
2. Access rights management. Access rights management is also a key function for a virtual server. In UNIX-like systems, the chmod, chown and chgrp utilities allow you to change the rights of access to files and directors, to appoint owners and groups. This helps to ensure data security and control access to server resources.

Network utilities

1. Network configuration. Network setting is one of the first tasks after installing the OS. Utilities, such as ifconfig or ip on Linux, allow you to configure network interfaces, set the IP addresses, subnets and other parameters. These utilities are necessary to ensure the correct interaction of the server with an external network.
2. Diagnosis of network problems. For the diagnosis of network problems, utilities are available, such as ping, traceroute, netstat и tcpdump. . They allow you to check the availability of network nodes, track data transfer routes, view the connection tables and analyze network traffic. These tools help to identify and eliminate problems with the network.

Putings for managing processes and resources

1. Process management. After installing the OS on the virtual server, administrators get access to utilities to manage processes such as ps, top, htop, kill and nice. These utilities allow you to view the list of running processes, track their condition, priorities and resources, as well as complete or change the priority of processes.
2. Resource monitoring. For monitoring the use of system resources, such as processor, memory and disk space, free, vmstat, iostat and df utilities are available. These utilities help administrators control the condition of the server and respond in a timely manner to possible overload or lack of resources.

File systems and file management utilities

1. File system management. After installing the OS, administrators can use utilities to manage file systems, such as mkfs, fsck , mount and umoun. These utilities allow you to create, check, mount and defrone file systems. The correct management of file systems provides reliable data storage and the effective use of disk space.
2. File management utilities. To work with files and directors, utilities cp, mv, rm, ls, find and tar are available. These tools allow you to copy, move, delete files, view the contents of the directory, look for files according to various criteria and archive data. File management is an integral part of the daily tasks of the server administrator.

Backup and recovery utilities

1. Creating backups. Backing up your data is a critical task to ensure data safety. Utilities such as rsync, dd, tar and backup allow you to back up files and file systems, and synchronize data between different servers.
2. Data recovery. Utilities such as restore and unzip are used to restore data from backups. These tools help you recover data after system failure or data loss, minimizing downtime and information loss.

Security Utilities

1. Setting up a firewall. Server security is one of the administrator’s top priorities. Utilities such as iptables or ufw on Linux allow you to configure a firewall, control incoming and outgoing traffic, set filtering rules, and prevent unauthorized access to the server.
2. Certificate management. To ensure a secure connection, administrators can use utilities such as openssl or certbot to manage SSL/TLS certificates. These tools allow you to generate keys and certificates, install them on the server, and automate their renewal.

Utilities for task automation and configuration management

1. Automation of tasks. Automating routine tasks helps administrators manage the server effectively. Utilities like cron and at allow you to schedule scripts and commands to run at specific times, which helps automate backups, updates, and other tasks.
2. Configuration management. Utilities such as ansible, puppet and chef are used to manage server configuration. These tools allow you to describe the configuration of servers using code and automate the process of setting up and managing them. This makes it easier to deploy new servers and maintain a consistent configuration in a scalable environment.