Backup and recovery
A backup only counts once the restore has been tested. That is what I design for.
Almost everyone has backups. Far fewer people have ever tried restoring anything from them. You notice the difference exactly once, at the worst possible moment.
What I put in place:
- Backups following the 3-2-1 rule, with at least one copy off-site
- Encryption and key management that does not live only in my head
- Retention matched to what you genuinely need to be able to recover
- Scheduled restore tests, with a record of how long each took
- A recovery plan readable by someone other than me
Usually with Borg or restic, to storage that is independent of the production environment.
Other services
Rack build and installation
Server racks from zero to fully operational: delivery, assembly, power, cabling and labelling — every stage handled in house.
More on thisServer builds and hardware
Building servers from scratch, assembling custom platforms and getting faulty hardware running again — including socket damage and RMA handling.
More on thisRack clean-up and cable management
Making racks that got out of hand workable again: power, labelling and cable management — step by step, without taking anything down.
More on thisReceiving, records and shipping
Taking in equipment with a photo report, building shipment-ready pallets, and keeping a tight record of materials and hours worked.
More on thisLinux server management
Updates, configuration and day-to-day care of your servers — so you stop having to think about them.
More on thisMonitoring and alerting
Knowing something broke before your customer calls — and only being woken when it actually matters.
More on thisMigrations and upgrades
Moving to new hardware, another provider or a newer OS release — with a way back.
More on thisSecurity and hardening
Closing the basics properly: access, updates, firewall and logging. No expensive products, just measures that work.
More on thisIs your infrastructure running the way it should?
Half an hour on the phone costs nothing and usually surfaces a few concrete improvements already.