A server is the machine everything else leans on. It holds the shared files, runs the software the business depends on, and decides who may open what. We install servers, keep them patched and backed up, and handle the daily administration so nobody is guessing about the state of the system.
Installing a new server
We size the server to the work it has to do, not to a brochure. That means asking how many people will use it, what software has to run, how much data you already have and how fast that data is growing. We then install it, configure storage and permissions, migrate what needs to move across, and document the setup so the next person to touch it is not starting blind.
Backups you can restore from
An untested backup is a hope, not a backup. We set up scheduled backups, keep a copy off the premises, and restore from them periodically to prove the process works. If the worst happens, the question you want answered is how long it takes to get trading again, and that answer should already be known.
Updates, patching and monitoring
Servers fail quietly before they fail loudly. Disks report errors for weeks, backups start skipping, updates queue up unapplied. We keep security patches current, watch disk health and backup results, and deal with the small warnings while they are still small.
Users, permissions and access
Staff join, staff leave, staff change roles. We manage the accounts and permissions that go with that, so a person who has left cannot still reach the accounts folder and a new starter is not waiting three days for access to the files they need.
Knowing when you do not need one
Plenty of small businesses are sold a server they will never fully use. If a network drive and a properly configured Microsoft 365 tenant will do the job for less money and less maintenance, we will say so. We would rather sell you the right thing once.
Common questions
Does my business actually need a server?
Probably not. Plenty of small businesses are sold a server they never fully use, and a network drive with a properly configured Microsoft 365 tenant will do the job for less money and less maintenance. A server starts to earn its keep when you run software that has to live in-house, or when you need tight control over who can open what. We would rather sell you the right thing once.
Can you take over a server someone else set up?
Yes, and we start by finding out what is actually on it. That means checking the backups are running and restorable, seeing which security patches have been missed, looking at disk health, and going through the user accounts to find people who left months ago and still have access. You get a written summary of what needs attention and what it will cost to put right, before we change anything.
How do I know my backups would actually restore?
You do not, until someone restores from them. An untested backup is a hope. We restore from your backups periodically and check what actually comes back, because the common failures are quiet ones: a job that has been skipping a folder for months, or a backup sitting on the same machine as the data it is meant to protect. The answer you want in a crisis is how long it takes to get trading again, and that should already be known.
What happens if the server fails on a Friday afternoon?
Phone 066 220 8423 and tell us what the machine is doing. What happens next depends on the fault and on what was put in place beforehand, which is the real answer to this question. A business with tested backups and a documented setup gets restored from a known position. A business with neither is starting an investigation on a Friday afternoon. That difference is decided long before the server fails.