# Server Configuration Documentation

### Initial Server Setup

#### Update Package Index and Upgrade Packages

```bash
# Debian/Ubuntu
apt update && apt upgrade -y

# CentOS/RHEL
yum update -y
```

#### Create a Non-Root User with Sudo Access

```bash
adduser clouduxe
usermod -aG sudo clouduxe
```

> **Tip**\
> Always disable direct root access and use a non-root sudo user for daily operations.

### SSH Configuration

#### Configure SSH Access

1. Log in as root.
2. Open the SSH configuration file:

   ```bash
   nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config
   ```
3. Apply the following changes:

   ```
   PermitRootLogin no
   PasswordAuthentication no
   PubkeyAuthentication yes
   ```
4. Restart the SSH service:

   ```bash
   systemctl restart ssh
   ```

#### Generate and Deploy SSH Keys

On your local machine:

```bash
ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096
ssh-copy-id user@your-server-ip
```

> **Warning**\
> Do not disable password authentication until you have successfully set up SSH keys and verified access.

***

### Firewall Configuration

#### UFW (Ubuntu/Debian)

```bash
ufw allow 22
ufw allow 80
ufw allow 443
ufw enable
```

#### Firewalld (CentOS/RHEL)

```bash
systemctl start firewalld
firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=ssh
firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=http
firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=https
firewall-cmd --reload
```

> **Tip**\
> Only open the ports required for your applications. Close everything else by default.

***

### Networking Configuration

#### View Network Interfaces

```bash
ip addr show
```

#### Set a Static IP (Netplan - Ubuntu 20.04+)

Edit configuration:

```bash
nano /etc/netplan/01-netcfg.yaml
```

Example:

```yaml
network:
  version: 2
  ethernets:
    eth0:
      dhcp4: no
      addresses:
        - 192.168.1.100/24
      gateway4: 192.168.1.1
      nameservers:
        addresses: [8.8.8.8, 1.1.1.1]
```

Apply changes:

```bash
netplan apply
```

***

### Software Installation

#### Web Server (Nginx Example)

```bash
apt install nginx -y
systemctl enable nginx
systemctl start nginx
```

#### Database Server (MySQL Example)

```bash
apt install mysql-server -y
mysql_secure_installation
```

#### Application Runtime (Node.js Example)

```bash
curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_18.x | bash -
apt install -y nodejs
```

***

### System Optimization

#### Enable Swap (if needed)

```bash
fallocate -l 2G /swapfile
chmod 600 /swapfile
mkswap /swapfile
swapon /swapfile
echo '/swapfile none swap sw 0 0' >> /etc/fstab
```

#### Configure Automatic Updates

```bash
apt install unattended-upgrades -y
dpkg-reconfigure unattended-upgrades
```

#### Tune Kernel Parameters

Edit sysctl:

```bash
nano /etc/sysctl.conf
```

Recommended settings:

```
net.ipv4.tcp_syncookies = 1
net.ipv4.tcp_max_syn_backlog = 2048
net.ipv4.tcp_fin_timeout = 15
```

Apply changes:

```bash
sysctl -p
```

***

### Logging and Monitoring

#### Enable System Logs

```bash
journalctl -xe
```

#### Install Monitoring Tools

```bash
apt install htop iftop iotop -y
```

> **Tip**\
> Clouduxe integrates **Prometheus + Grafana** for advanced monitoring and alerting.

***

### Backup Configuration

#### Manual Backup

```bash
tar -czvf backup-$(date +%F).tar.gz /var/www/html
```

#### Automated Backup (Cron Example)

Edit crontab:

```bash
crontab -e
```

Add job:

```
0 2 * * * tar -czvf /backups/backup-$(date +\%F).tar.gz /var/www/html
```

> **Warning**\
> Always test your restore process. A backup is useless unless it can be restored successfully.

***

### Final Checklist

* [x] Updated system packages
* [x] Created non-root sudo user
* [x] Secured SSH access
* [x] Configured firewall rules
* [x] Set up networking
* [x] Installed required software
* [x] Optimized system performance
* [x] Configured monitoring and logging
* [x] Scheduled backups

***

### Conclusion

Proper server configuration is critical for performance, security, and reliability.\
At **Clouduxe**, we provide pre-configured and hardened servers out-of-the-box, ensuring your applications are deployed on a **secure and optimized infrastructure** from day one.


---

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