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Basic services

Description

For each managed cloud instance, we install several basic services that are necessary either for managing the instance or generally for application support. These are:

  • Monitor
  • NFS client
  • APT
  • IP tables
  • Fail2Ban
  • Monitoring agent
  • Trending Agent
  • Logrotate

The lifecycle management and operation of this service is already included in the price of the Managed Cloud Instance. Below we will briefly explain the benefits and use of the individual services.

Monit

We use Monit to monitor services and automatically restart them. For instance, if the operating system's memory management terminates a service due to a lack of RAM—to fulfill a memory request from another process—Monit will attempt to restart it quickly to restore functionality. We operate on the general assumption that any service in its setup can be restarted without issues at any time. If this is not the case, please notify us accordingly when setting up the service.

NFS Client

To mount files or entire directory trees located on separate, purpose-built appliances rather than the server's local hard drive, we install and operates an NFS client on every Managed Cloud Instance. The NFS protocol enables the Managed Cloud Instance to access these network-based files just as it would locally stored files. Using this service allows you to avoid redundant data storage across multiple app servers, for example, while ensuring a consistent file state across all servers, as each file exists only once.

APT

The Advanced Packaging Tool is a package management system used to manage installed packages on a Managed Cloud Instance.

IP-Tables

IP-Tables function as a software firewall. By default, almost all ports for communicating with a Managed Cloud Instance are closed; ports are opened only upon your request.

Fail2Ban

Fail2Ban monitors access to the Managed Cloud Instance by analyzing log files. If unusual activity originating from a specific IP address is detected, the software can adjust firewall rules to block that IP address. Examples include:

  • Repeated failed login attempts, or
  • Excessive HTTP(S) requests from a single IP address

Monitoring Agent

The monitoring agent monitors the services installed on the Managed Cloud Instance and issues an alert if it detects that a service is not functioning correctly. By default, multiple attempts are made at 5-minute intervals. After the third attempt, a critical alert is triggered, notifying either the customer or us and the customer, depending on the SLA.

The monitoring agent provides the metrics used to monitor the Managed Cloud Instance or verify its correct operation. Please refer to the documentation for the specific service to see exactly which metrics are measured.

Logrotate

Logrotate simplifies the management of Managed Cloud Instances that generate large numbers of log files. It enables not only log file compression but also automated deletion after a set period (rotation). This allows for efficient management of storage space on the Managed Cloud Instance's secondary storage. The following default retention periods apply to log files:

  • Apache / Nginx access logs: x days
  • Tomcat …
  • VPN?
  • SSH

Our goals for these services

  • Efficiency
  • Security
  • Availability

What you can expect from our services

  • Standardized
  • Automated
  • 24/7 support

Service Requests

You can request the following defined services via our support for a fee:

  • Simple configuration changes

Important Notes

For configuration changes requested by the customer that could impact the availability or security of individual components or the entire setup, the customer releases us from all obligations under any agreed Service Level Agreement.