So you have decided to buy and install your first dedicated server. Many small businesses setup a file and print server, while others setup a web server, or an email server. That’s OK, since setting up any server involves many of the same configuration steps.

Initially, the setup is just like setting up a personal PC: Unpack everything, compare the shipping list to the box contents, connect the keyboard, mouse, and network cable, and plug in the power. But first you must consider the location of the server. Best is a lower traffic location such as a dedicated server room or wiring closet. Don’t forget about physical security- if someone can just pick up your server and walk away then all the OS, network, and application security you setup will mean nothing.

A server environment needs to not only be safe, but should also be controlled for temp and humidity. You will need to make sure the heat from your server can be dispersed. Additionally, if your server is in a location you may not visit often, or there’s any risk from the environment, you should think about using a physical monitoring device. The APC Netbotz 420 or the AVtech Room Alert 11 E both track temp, humidity, motion, flooding, airflow, and more, and can issue alerts when they are needed.

Nowadays many servers have dual power supplies. It is best if you can plug each power supply into a different UPS and plug those UPSs into two separate circuits. This way only one power supply will go offline if you lose a circuit.

If your server’s operating system has been preinstalled this will save you time. If not, insert the DVD or CD into the drive and turn the server on. Here are some configuration guidelines for your new operating system:

Install Only Options You Plan to Use. If this is only a straight print and file server, you do not need to install Web server or email server software. In fact, it is best not to. There are a couple of reasons for this. The first is that the extra software contain extra security vulnerabilities, so if it’s not installed you don’t have to worry about them. The second reason is the extra software takes up drive space and can waste CPU and memory resources.

Use a Strong Root or Administrator Password. Your password contains the keys to your server. A strong password will not contain words from the dictionary, be seven or more characters long, and contain a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. For help generating a strong password, try a website like www.strongpasswordgenerator.com, which will help you do this for free.

Create Usernames That Are Understandable. Some users want to get cute and use names like SkunkyBuddy, but how is that going to help you manage the server? It is best to decide on standard conventions, such as first name.last initial, for example, and stick to that. This is a business environment, not private email. Make sure to create usernames in advance and assign proper privileges to give users access only to the directories they need. Also make users change their password when they first login and periodically thereafter.

Have a Backup Process in Place. Once the server comes online, everyone is going to start storing files to it, which is what you want right? But the last thing you want to do is put all that data storage into a single point of failure, and then not back it up regularly. It’s best not to wait for a server hard drive to fail, or for data to go missing- get a backup system in place and running. To check out different backup options, see PC Mag or some other resource for more tips.

Put in Place a Network Security Policy That Protects The Server. If this is an internal server that does not have to be used externally, then configure your firewall to block all traffic incoming that does not originate from a server session. The server will need to get out for downloading patches. If this is a single departmental server, then block access from outside the department. This can be done using firewall rules, or by setting up a Virtual LAN which creates a network that uses the same infrastructure as everyone else but a separate network address.

Setup Server Monitoring. Many servers already come with utilities for monitoring. Check on system resources such as memory, CPU, and hard drive use to make sure the server is capable of doing its job. If you do not have monitoring in place, then applications can start to crash as the unit gets used more. If this happens, first try adding more server RAM. Monitoring will also give you a heads up if the server goes down. Most monitoring programs or consoles have the ability to send an alert if the server happens to go down.

Don’t Forget Security Software. You are already running software firewalls, anti-malware, and intrusion-prevention systems on your workstations, so why not on your new server too?

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Are you being constantly nagged by Windows about your dangerously low virtual memory? You know, that little pop-up bubble in the lower right hand corner of the screen (that’s near the System Tray for those of you who know).

Why are you getting this message? When you don’t have enough Computer Memory
in your computer to handle the tasks that you are asking it to perform, your computer will use virtual memory. Virtual memory is an portion of your hard drive that the computer will use to simulate the function that RAM (Random Access Memory) performs.

The correct way to resolve this problem and eliminate that annoying pop-up window is to upgrade your computer’s memory. If you just want the quick fix, follow the steps below:

1. Go to your System Properties (Right click My Computer and choose Properties or locate System in your Control Panel).

2. Choose the tab titled Advanced.

3. In the Performance section, click on the Settings Button.

4. In the Performance Settings window, choose the Advanced Tab .

5. The Bottom section is the where you can set your Virtual Memory or Paging File size.

6. You can change the Maximum Size to a larger number than is already there. Many times it will read 512mb as default. This can be changed to 1gb (1024mb) or 2gb (2048mb).

This will eliminate the warning message and give your computer more room on the hard drive to use as virtual memory. A word of caution, by increasing this space, you are essentially removing some of your free space on your hard drive. Make sure that you have plenty of free space available (more than 15% free is a good amount).

Also, please re-read the title of this post. This is a Quick Fix! The only good way to eliminate this warning is to increase the amount of RAM in your computer!

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When installing or handling computer memory, you need to be careful of a handful of things. Most importantly you should prepare against Electro-Static Discharge or ESD. It is extremely important to keep yourself properly grounded when working with computer memory. You can ground yourself with an Anti-Static Wrist Strap. Or you can discharge any built up static electricity in your body by touching the metal frame, or chasis, of the inside of your computer.

When installing or handling computer memory, in addition to keeping yourself grounded, you should try to handle the memory by only touching the edges of the memory module. Also, try to keep your fingers off the pins. The oil from your fingers can possible fry a pin when when the computer is booted up with the module installed.

One last tip, if you’re installing memory in a desktop, make sure the computer is powered off, but leave the power cord connected. This will help keep the entire computer grounded while you are installing the memory.

If ESD causes any damage to your memory, the effects may be immediate and the computer won’t work with the ESD damaged memory module installed, or a problem could arise at a later date, making it difficult to diagnose the source. These tips can help prevent major problems down the road.

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Some people had the forethought to take a class in computer maintenance around the same time they bought their computers; others just have a natural gift for knowing what to do to improve the performance of their PC. The rest of us fall into the clueless category. For these individuals, the basics beyond knowing how to turn the computer on and off are about as complex as it gets. Fortunately, the process for installing more memory into your computer isn’t all that difficult. It doesn’t take a lot of time and it’s a fairly foolproof job.

There are a few key, essential pieces of information you should have before you begin upgrading your computer’s memory. The first thing is to check with your computer knowledgeable buddy down the street or in the computer’s owner manual for the type of memory your system will require. The computer maker’s website or customer service phone lines are other good places to check for this information. It is important to be aware that the make and model of your computer’s motherboard is defines the type of memory you will need to purchase. The next thing is to be sure that memory is indeed what the computer needs. Sluggish operations and problems with screen displays are two ways you can be sure your system needs a little memory boost.

Now that you have the type of memory you need, your palms are sweaty, and you are sure that the computer police are going to come after you for PC abuse, it’s time to begin. The first step is relatively simple. Turn off your computer. See, everything is going fine so far. Unplug the power cord. The next thing you should do is to determine how your computer opens. Some are made with a button or lever designed to pop open the compartment where all the computer magic happens. Others require that you unscrew a few screws to access the working insides of your system. Once you have the case opened, just slide the casing back for working access to your computer and the motherboard.

The next thing you need to do is locate the memory slots in the computer. They are fairly easy to see. You already know what the memory modules look like. The memory slots should be black, brown or blue. These slots will NOT be white. Please don’t confuse your white PCI Expansion slots (4” white slots) with your memory slots. In some cases, wires may be covering the correct location. Gently push wires out of the way until you find the right spot. Be sure to be gentle so you don’t loosen or pull any of the wires out. You don’t want to install the memory correctly and then have problems because of a loose or disconnected wire.

All memory is keyed in the pin-set. This means that the portion of the memory that inserts into the memory slot has pins or connectors that are separated by one or two notches. These notches correlate to notches in the memory slot. Due to the placement of these notches, your memory module will only insert in one direction. As long as you are trying to install the memory in the right place and the right direction, it will snap into place with a little bit of pressure. Once you have the correct alignment, push down on the memory module on both sides. When you’ve successfully installed your memory, the white tabs on the end of the memory slot will lock into place by the force of the memory module going into the slot. If you have trouble, realign the slots and try again. This process helps to make sure the memory is fully engaged with the motherboard.

The only thing you have left to do is close the case back up and replace the screws if necessary. Plug the power cord back in are restart the computer. It is pretty easy to install more memory, but there is always the possibility of error. Your computer will let you know if there is a problem. When you restart your computer the system should boot right into Windows. Take a look at your system properties to confirm that the correct amount of memory is installed!

Visit Upgrade Computer Memory to find the correct memory upgrade for your computer. Click here to view this blog in PDF.

Tags: Desktop Memory Guide

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