Save your time in managing servers ane websites by using these smart software.
Keeping a record of utilization, performance, and possible maintenance issues is a complicated task. Higher complications occur when you build up your infrastructure, including multiple components like server, database, messaging, authentication, load balancer, etc.
When you have 1 or 2 servers, then probably its easy to manage it manually, but when you are dealing with hundreds or thousands, then you need a tool. A smart tool which can help to speed up the administrative tasks like installation, patching, configuration, monitoring, etc.
Imagine you are a sysadmin and got to manage 50 servers without a tool. You will be busy all the time!
Here are some of the tools you can leverage for an easy and better life. Some of them are free, so you don’t have to convince your boss about the payment.
Cockpit
Cockpit is an open-source, Linux server administration solution. You can do things like starting containers, managing storage, configuring the network, inspecting logs, and so on.
It is capable of controlling and monitoring multiple servers at the same time. All you need to do is just include the systems you wanted to monitor, and Cockpit will see after them. Some of its features include:
- Visualize system performance
- Manage Docker container
- Web-based shell in a terminal window.
- Manage user accounts
- Gather system configuration and diagnostic information
- Modify network settings
With their great documentation, you can get it installed and start monitoring your servers quickly.
Ajenti
Ajenti is a popular open-source solution which offers browser-based server admin panel. You can install packages and run commands, and you can view necessary server information such as RAM in control, free disk space, etc.
If you are looking to manage multiple websites, then you may consider using an add-on called Ajenti V. It allows you to manage sites based on PHP, Python, Ruby, and Node.js. Ajenti is extremely modular as well as the extensible framework, which is remarkably useful for various use cases.
Some of its features include:
- Clean and well-documented interfaces
- GUI based on Google’s AngularJS
- Single-page AJAX-based frontend
- Responsive layout
- Notifications, modals and live updates
- Pluggable Authentication and authorization
- Firewall
Webmin
Webmin, as the names indicate – a web-based admin panel for a system administrator to manage Unix servers. It supports more than 100 Unix flavored OS. It acts as a comprehensive interface to the underlying applications on servers, including support for configuring applications like FTP, ssh, mail, Web, databases, and more.
Webmin is module-based, which makes it easy to add new functionality and possible for anybody who is keen on writing plugins for server management. There are more than 100 modules available to help you get started.
InterWorx
InterWorx contains two modules.
- NodeWorx for managing servers
- SiteWorx for managing websites and domains
It has application-based support, which includes Apache, PHP, MySQL, Perl, and Djbdns (DNS) and also has email-based support, which includes POP3, IMAP, SMTP services using Qmail.
Some of its features include:
- Manage backups
- Bandwidth usage
- Get notified when things go wrong
- CLI, API, and support for plugins
- Clustering for high-availability
cPanel
cPanel is for the Linux, which automates web hosting tasks with its simple GUI. It helps you manage your servers and websites with ease.
It has one of the best web hosting control panel in the industry. This control panel has options to publish a website, create email and calendars, manage files securely, manage domains, launch databases, add or remove DNS, configure FTP, schedule cron jobs, provide log stats, and much more.
Plesk
Plesk is for everyone to manage cloud servers, WordPress, Joomla, etc. It got more than 100 extensions.
Why choose Plesk for web hosting?
- User-friendly interface
- Supports multi-tenant
- Robust security
- SEO toolkit
Any web professional like IT admins, infrastructure provides, developers, digital agencies, content managers are Plesk users. Its main competitor is cPanel, which I mentioned above.
DirectAdmin
DirectAdmin is a web hosting control panel with three default access levels – admins, resellers, and users. The different level has different features.
- Admins have DNS administration and clustering, IP management, user management, software upgrade, and many more features.
- Resellers have account and package management, user communication management, system info features.
- Users get file and database management, email administration, FTP management, site backup, and many more features.
Virtualmin
Virtualmin is a very powerful and flexible web hosting control panel for Linux and BSD systems. It has a very easy to use user interface on Desktop, Mobile, and Tablet. Virtualmin is open-source with premium support. With 100,000 installations, it is one of the widely used virtual web hosting solutions.
When you install Virtualmin, you get complete features of web hosting stack like web, email, domain, DNS, analytics, reporting, etc. It also offers few exclusive features such as 2-factor authentication, LDAP authentication, command-line management, and many other advanced access controls.
Conclusion
Logging into each server one by one and manually checking their operation is really very time-consuming for a user. This is why server management has taken so much of our attention over time. Remote server administration tools will facilitate you to manage servers on several sites and improve your efficiency.
