Why your server needs checking round-the-clock
Like the car, your server or PC is a complex piece of equipment. It can perform trillions of calculations, using hundreds of parts and wires and be under constant assault by the processing needs of the applications, unwanted viruses and spyware as well as its own users. Consequently, this too needs regular monitoring and servicing. But, sadly this doesn’t always happen. Many small businesses buy a server, sit it in the corner and do nothing to monitor or maintain it – leaving themselves vulnerable to unforeseen breakdowns and when a problem occurs it tends to be serious, costly to rectify and causes business interruption.
Getting a handle on it
With a car it is much easier to see when there is a problem. You have a dashboard with an array of dials providing you with current information for fuel etc. and warning lights that tell you when to get it serviced, if there is a problem with brakes, screen wash fluid is low and even when to fill up with fuel. With your server all you get is a few LEDs on the front – so how do you monitor and maintain such an enigmatic box?
The answer is effectively the same as for a car – you get someone else to do it for you. But, you don’t need to physically take it to a repair facility - Remote monitoring is the answer. Proactive monitoring saves money and prevents problems.
For a low monthly fee you can have proactive monitoring services that constantly monitor the performance of all the key components of your server 24X7X365 and as well as identifying immediately when there is a problem, these monitoring tools send notifications to an engineer who can then fix the issue, normally before any users are effected, additionally they also carry out regular maintenance and patch management in the background ensuring that you have the latest versions of security virus prevention which can actually stop failures happening in the first place.
This is because, like most things in life, prevention is better than cure and by detecting immediately when something is not working as it should be based upon the correct parameters, it will alert a technician who can take immediate action to prevent serious downtime.
In my next blog, I will go into more detail as to exactly what remote monitoring does and how this can benefit your business and save you both time and money.
Do you already have remote monitoring? If you do, I’d be interested to hear what it covers and how it has helped you prevent a major problem
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