When to Reboot

Do you need to boost your server a little bit? Maybe it's time to reboot! It is like hitting the refresh button for your server, keeping it running efficiently and smoothly. In this article, we will be discussing when and why you should reboot your server and how to troubleshoot any problems that may occur along the way.

• Why should we restart the servers?
• When should we restart the servers?
• What should we do now that we've rebooted?
• Should we ever tell a customer to restart their own server?
• What could possibly go wrong with a reboot?
• Summary

Why should we restart the servers?

Rebooting may be required when installing a new patch or adding a feature. It can also improve the performance of your server. Rebooting your server helps to keep it running efficiently and can often improve performance if you've been experiencing problems. Flushing the RAM and clearing up temporary files and processes help prevent "server cobwebs" from forming, allowing your server to run at peak performance. Furthermore, rebooting frequently resolves server glitches by performing a full server reset. There are two main reasons to reboot on a regular basis: to test the server's ability to reboot successfully and to apply patches that cannot be applied without rebooting.

When should we restart the servers?

We recommend rebooting every six months or so. Dedicated Hosting Servers are simply computers, and just as you would not leave your computer on for months without a single reboot, the same rules apply to servers. You can reboot your server at anytime by clicking "Graceful Server Reboot" in WHM, or you can open a ticket and ask us to reboot it for you. When you reboot the server, you will notice a significant improvement in performance when compared to leaving it up for months without any reboots.

What should we do now that we've rebooted?

• Ensure that your service accounts, like login credentials and ftp accounts, are operational.
• Checked the error log to see if there were any new issues.
• Check to see if any startup scripts are active through our Cron Job.
• Examine your network traffic flow as to why your site is slow.
• Update any outdated plugins to prevent the problem from occurring.
• Verify that clients are sending email services and run functionality tests.
• Check the space requirements of drives by checking your disk space and bandwidth usage
• Ensure that memory log areas have enough space.

Should we ever tell a customer to restart their own server?

Yes, as part of their server maintenance, it is best to advise the customer to try rebooting. When a server is rebooted, all running processes are terminated, and the server is rebooted. It is more intrusive and takes longer than restarting a server, and it is typically used if restarting does not resolve the issue. This allows their server to run at peak performance.

What could possibly go wrong with a reboot?

While rebooting a server with system tools should not corrupt the file system, it may compromise the integrity of the data contained within the files. For example, if you have an application that uses two files and there are references in one file to data in the other file, and you reboot your server, you may break the reference. Also, if you reboot the server and a transaction to a file (an operation that moves data from a stable state to another stable state) does not complete, you may have a corrupted file.

Summary

Rebooting your server can be surprisingly easy and powerful in keeping it running at its best. Knowing when to reboot and why will keep your server healthy and performing at its best. The next time your server needs a little pick-me-up, remember the power of a good reboot!