This reference provides a practical maintenance cadence for a DirectAdmin-managed VPS. It is not a checklist and does not prescribe mandatory actions. Instead, it serves as an operator reference to help decide how often common maintenance routines are typically performed.
Purpose and scope
- Provide a realistic maintenance rhythm for production servers
- Help operators avoid neglect or over-maintenance
- Support planning without enforcing rigid schedules
- Act as a reference, not an execution sequence
How to use this reference
- Select routines based on server role, usage, and risk tolerance
- Adjust cadence when change frequency or workload increases
- Run verification routines more often during periods of instability
- Do not treat this as a required checklist
Routine cadence guidelines
Per change or event-driven
- Pre‑Infrastructure Change Safety Checklist
- After Server Update Verification Checklist
- Incident Recovery Sanity Check
Weekly (or during active maintenance periods)
Monthly (typical steady-state cadence)
- DirectAdmin Update & CustomBuild Update Routine
- Web Server & PHP Update Routine
- Operating System Package Update Routine
- Backup Verification Routine
Quarterly (or after major changes)
Signals to increase cadence
- Frequent updates or configuration changes
- Recent incidents or recoveries
- Rising resource usage or load variability
- New services or domains added
Signals to reduce cadence
- Stable workload with minimal changes
- No recent alerts or anomalies
- Predictable resource usage
Completion criteria
- A cadence appropriate to this server is understood
- No routine is assumed mandatory without context
- Maintenance effort matches actual risk
Next step — based on your current state:
- If deciding whether to act on a signal, consult When to Pause and Investigate vs Proceed.
- If planning upcoming work, select the routine that matches your current task or condition.