This phase documents the recurring operational routines required to keep a DirectAdmin VPS stable, secure, and predictable over time. It assumes the server is already in production and carrying responsibility.
Maintenance & Operations is not a continuation of setup. It is the ongoing work that prevents drift, detects issues early, and ensures changes behave as expected.
Assumed baseline
- Platform Readiness is complete.
- The DirectAdmin VPS is reachable and operational.
- The Account Domain is live with its required services enabled.
Additional Domains may be added at any time. Domain work and maintenance routinely overlap in real‑world operation.
How to use this phase
This phase is intentionally non‑linear. Posts are designed to be revisited repeatedly rather than followed once in sequence.
- Use update routines when applying system or DirectAdmin changes.
- Use verification routines to confirm services are healthy.
- Use safety checklists before and after making changes.
- Use monitoring and log review routines to detect issues early.
You are not expected to read or follow every post. Navigate directly to the checklist that matches the task or condition you are dealing with.
What maintenance means in practice
A well‑maintained server is intentionally unremarkable. Updates apply cleanly, services restart as expected, and changes are made deliberately rather than reactively.
- Updates are applied on a regular cadence.
- Each update layer is completed and verified before moving on.
- Problems are detected early rather than after failure.
Update strategy
Updates are applied in layers to reduce risk and simplify troubleshooting:
- DirectAdmin and CustomBuild updates
- Web server and PHP updates managed through DirectAdmin
- Operating system package updates
Reboots are performed only when required and only after verification steps are complete.
Scope boundary
This phase covers infrastructure‑level maintenance only:
- Operating system updates
- DirectAdmin and CustomBuild updates
- Service verification and monitoring
- Backups and recovery checks
Application‑level installation and configuration are intentionally handled outside this site. Once the server is stable, application workflows continue elsewhere.
Navigating the guides
Each Maintenance & Operations post is a standalone checklist or routine. Posts link forward only when a clear next safest action exists.
Browse the guides below and select the routine that matches your current task or condition.
Maintenance & Operations guides
Update discipline
- DirectAdmin Update & CustomBuild Update Routine
- Web Server & PHP Update Routine
- Operating System Package Update Routine
- Reboot Decision & Verification Checklist
- After Server Update Verification Checklist
Service & system verification
- Core Service Health Check Routine
- Mail Service Verification Routine
- Disk, Memory, and Load Sanity Check
Monitoring & early detection
Backups & recovery
Change safety & recovery
- Pre‑Infrastructure Change Safety Checklist
- After Server Update Verification Checklist
- Incident Recovery Sanity Check
Operational cadence
Browse Maintenance & Operations guides
The guides in this phase document repeatable operational routines and verification checklists for a production DirectAdmin VPS. They are designed to be revisited regularly as part of ongoing server maintenance.