When we say we check your server, we don't mean we run a script and email you a PDF. A health check is a hands-on audit by a senior engineer who's been managing Linux servers since 1995. Here's what that actually involves.
Security fundamentals
We start with the attack surface. Is SSH running on a default port with password authentication enabled? Are there user accounts that shouldn't exist? Is the firewall configured, or is every port wide open? We check for unattended-upgrades, review sudo permissions, and verify that sensitive services aren't exposed to the public internet.
These aren't exotic vulnerabilities. They're the basics that get overlooked when a server was set up in a hurry three years ago and nobody has reviewed it since.
System health and resource trends
Disk at 87% isn't a problem today. But if it's been growing 2% per week, it's a problem next month. We check CPU, memory, disk, and swap — not just the current values, but the trends. We look at how services are distributed, whether anything is competing for resources, and whether the server is right-sized for what it's actually doing.
We also check for zombie processes, stale cron jobs, and services that are running but shouldn't be — or should be running but aren't.
Web and application layer
If you're running a website, we check SSL certificate validity and renewal automation, HTTP response codes across key pages, redirect chains, DNS configuration, and whether your web server is leaking version information. We verify that error pages return proper status codes and that caching headers are set correctly.
For application servers, we look at log output for recurring errors, database connection pooling, and whether the app is restarting silently.
Backup and recovery
Having backups configured isn't the same as having backups that work. We verify that backups are running on schedule, that the output is actually usable, and that restore has been tested. We've seen too many servers where the backup job has been silently failing for months.
What you get
After the audit, you get a written report: what we checked, what we found, what we fixed on the spot, and a prioritised list of recommendations. No jargon. No scare tactics. Just a clear picture of where your server stands and what to do next.
No surprises
The health check is a fixed-scope, fixed-price service. You know exactly what you're getting before we start, and there are no upsells hiding in the report. If your server is fine, we'll tell you that too.