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2025 - 02 - 05

Choose and install your operating system

Before configuring your VPS server, the first step is to select the appropriate OS (Linux or Windows) according to your needs and internal skills.

  • Linux (Debian, Ubuntu, CentOS, etc.) : Often preferred for its low cost, stability and rich documentation.
  • Windows Server : Useful if you are running Microsoft applications or.NET environments.

Tip : Consider a long-term support (LTS) version of Linux to get long-term security updates.

Configure remote access

Once your OS is installed on your VPS, you must configure remote access:

  • SSH (Secure Shell) on Linux : Set a strong password or, better, use SSH keys to authenticate your connections.
  • Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) on Windows Server : Use an encrypted connection and change the default port if possible to limit the risk of attacks.

Create users and manage rights

Avoid working under the administrator account (root on Linux, administrator on Windows) for all your tasks. Instead, create a user account with limited permissions.

  • Least privilege principle : Grant only the necessary rights to each user or service.
  • Groups and roles : Simplify access management by assigning a role (developer, administrator, etc.) to multiple accounts.

Implement security measures

Firewall and port opening

  • Configure the rules (iptables, firewalld or ufw) to allow only the ports that are essential (web, database, etc.).
  • Restrict access : Block repeated SSH/RDP login attempts by setting up an intrusion detection system (for example, Fail2ban on Linux).

Updates and fixes

  • Automate updates : Enable automatic security updates to quickly address critical vulnerabilities.
  • Check compatibility : On a production VPS, first test the updates on a pre-production environment to avoid any software conflicts.

Install and configure your applications

With a VPS server, you can deploy various solutions: web server (Apache, Nginx), database (MySQL, PostgreSQL), or even a development environment (Node.js, Python).

  • Follow best practices : Each application must have its own user account and follow a clear directory structure.
  • Configuration files: Adjust them to your needs (e.g. Virtual Hosts under Apache) and secure them by limiting permissions.

Monitor and optimize performance

  • Monitoring : Tools like Grafana, Prometheus or a simple top/htop (on Linux) can help you detect activity peaks.
  • Logs and alerts : Check log files (syslog, auth.log, etc) regularly and set up alerts to detect anomalies.
  • Optimization : Adjust the configuration (caches, compression) to speed up your response times.

Set up a backup and restore system

Regularly back up your VPS (files, databases, configuration) to external storage.

  • Strategy 3-2-1 : 3 copies of data, on 2 different media, including 1 off site.
  • Restore tests : Periodically check that your backup can be restored correctly.

Entrust the management of your VPS to an expert partner

If you don’t have the internal resources or time to administer your server, a managed VPS from a specialized provider may be the ideal solution. This allows you to:

  • Get outstanding performance : The provider scales your VPS with fast processors, ECC RAM and SSD or NVMe storage.
  • Improve security : Experts set up anti-DDoS protections, monitor updates and manage critical patches.
  • Focus on your core business : The technical team is responsible for 24/7 supervision, maintenance and troubleshooting.

UNIVIRTUAL’s VPS server offer: time saving and high reliability

By choosing UNIVIRTUAL, you benefit from personalized support:

  • High-performance servers : Equipped with ECC RAM, high-frequency processors and NVMe/SSD drives for fast data access.
  • Enhanced security : Advanced firewall, strong authentication, automated backups and anti-DDoS support.
  • Optional managed VPS : Our specialists take care of configuration, update and maintenance so you can focus on your projects.

Conclusion

Setting up a VPS server requires system administration skills and a strong focus on security and performance. Following these steps – from OS installation to backup implementation – you build a robust and scalable environment. And if you want to delegate administration, a managed VPS offered by an expert provider like UNIVIRTUAL guarantees optimal performance and total peace of mind.

Need a turnkey VPS solution?
Contact UNIVIRTUAL to discuss your needs and benefit from a customized support.

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Sarah ACKERMANN

Je suis Sarah, rédactrice web passionnée chez UNIVIRTUAL. Avec une solide expérience dans la digitalisation d'entreprises, je transforme des idées complexes en contenus accessibles et engageants. J'aime raconter des histoires qui rendent l'IT et le Cloud Computing captivants pour tous. Mon objectif ? Aider les entreprises à réussir leur transition numérique avec des mots bien choisis.

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