Managed servers and server administration in Corsica
With managed servers, the day-to-day administration of your servers is handed to a provider, which covers updates and security, backups, monitoring, plus stepping in when something breaks. From Bastia, we look after the servers that run your websites, your applications or your internal tools, whether they are rented from a host or in the cloud. Your data and your access stay yours. We make sure everything keeps running.
Server administration, what managed services cover
A server is a computer that runs non-stop to provide a service. It displays your website, runs an application or stores data. Any machine wears out and drifts out of tune. Left without upkeep, it becomes vulnerable. Managed services group together the tasks that keep it in good shape.
- 01
Updates
Patches for the system and the installed software are applied regularly, once their compatibility with your applications has been checked.
- 02
Security
A firewall, admin access that is named and protected, HTTPS in place. We remove unnecessary services, along with accounts left behind by former suppliers.
- 03
Backups
Automated backups, stored away from the server. We restore them at regular intervals to check they are actually usable.
- 04
Monitoring
Automated monitoring continuously tracks availability, disk space, memory, the HTTPS expiry date. As soon as an indicator goes off track, we get an alert.
- 05
Incident handling
When an incident occurs, we track down the cause and restore the service, then explain what happened and what was done so it doesn't happen again.
- 06
Containers and applications
We manage applications deployed in Docker containers, along with their updates and the resources allocated to them.
Managed servers for organisations without a system administrator
Most SMEs, startups or public bodies have no system administrator, the person whose job is to keep servers running. Developers would rather focus on the product. Managers, on their business. So server upkeep slides down the list, until the first incident.
- 01
Your previous supplier has gone
Nobody really knows any more how the server was configured, or who holds the access.
- 02
The server has not been updated in a long time
Every month adds known vulnerabilities, and bringing it up to date gets trickier.
- 03
You have had an incident
An outage, a hack, a backup nobody can find. It is often the right moment to put everything back on a sound footing.
- 04
Your business depends on online tools
Bookings, orders, public services. An interruption costs a little more every year.
How a managed server engagement gets started
- 01
Takeover audit
We inventory the servers and systems, the applications, the backups, the access. Then we spot vulnerabilities and weak points.
- 02
Bringing things up to date
Urgent matters come first. That means critical updates, access to close down, backups that are missing or have never been tested.
- 03
Putting tools in place
We set up monitoring and automate the backups. The configuration gets documented along the way.
- 04
Service framework
We agree together, in writing, the scope covered and the hours. The document also says how to reach us, how we intervene and how you are kept informed.
- 05
Regular follow-up
Scheduled maintenance, reports, regular reviews to take stock and see needs coming.
What you receive in writing, and who holds the access
Most of what managed services deliver sits in the documentation. You receive a runbook, a document describing how each server is configured, what runs on it and how to bring it back up. It comes with an inventory of machines and services, the list of access rights with their holders, and the procedures for backup and restore.
Throughout the contract, a log keeps track of interventions and updates. Periodic reports review the state of your servers and any incidents, along with our recommendations. You know what was done and why, then what needs planning next.
What to check before handing your servers to a provider
- 01
Who owns the access
The hosting accounts, the domain name and the admin access must stay in your name; a provider should never be the only one able to get into your servers.
- 02
Reversibility
If you change provider one day, everything must be transferable, the documentation as much as the access and the backups. We organise that from day one.
- 03
A clear scope
What is included, what isn't, what goes through a separate quote. All of it has to be written down in black and white.
- 04
Backups that are actually tested
Ask when the last restore test took place. A backup that has never been restored is only a promise.
- 05
Continuity
KALLISTACK is a small, human-sized studio, and you talk to someone who knows your set-up. That is exactly why we document everything. Your infrastructure should never depend on one person's memory.
Cost factors for managed servers
The cost of managed services depends on the number of servers and applications, how complex they are, how much your business relies on them. It also depends on the hours covered and the kind of response you expect, the volume of backups, the starting state of the infrastructure. The initial clean-up is priced separately from the ongoing subscription. So are the hosting fees paid to the provider.
A brochure site and a booking platform in high season don't need the same level of cover. We match the contract to what an interruption would really cost you.
Evolving your servers and your managed services contract
Your needs shift. A new application arrives, traffic climbs, a new regulatory obligation lands. At the regular reviews, we revisit the architecture and the sizing, as well as the contract. When it helps, managed services lead on to a move to better-suited hosting, or to automating your deployments.
For hardware sitting on your premises (a file server, a NAS, your team's computers), our IT hardware and maintenance service takes over. You keep the same contact.
Technologies and methods
- Linux
- Docker
- Monitoring
- Backups
- HTTPS
- Firewall
- Documentation
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between hosting and managed services?
The host rents you a server, the managed services provider makes it run properly. Hosting supplies the machine and the connection. Managed services cover everything that happens on it, starting with configuration and going through updates, security, backups, monitoring, incident handling.
Can you manage servers at our current host?
Yes. Managed services don't require us to move your servers. We start with a takeover audit, and if the current hosting is fine, it stays where it is. We only suggest a migration if it brings you something concrete.
Will we keep access to our servers?
Always. The main access stays in your name, and you receive the list of existing accounts, while we use our own named access, which you can revoke whenever you like.
Do you work outside office hours?
It depends on the contract. The hours covered and the way we respond are set together, according to how important your services are. We would rather make a clear commitment and keep it than make a vague promise.
Do you also look after our staff's computers?
This page is about servers and hosting. Workstations and the network, like the physical servers on your premises, fall under our IT maintenance service. You keep the same contact.