What is server management software?
Server management software provides the tools to manage and monitor physical and virtual servers and their various components. These may include storage, network configuration, and applications running on the network. This type of software automates routine tasks, improves system availability, and centralizes the control and monitoring of server infrastructure. IT system administrators use these solutions create a unified repository for outage records and event logs. With server management software, organizations can achieve better system performance, security, and availability. IT professionals are also able to control their server capacity more efficiently and identify potential issues. Server management platforms enable users to handle server hardware and software, as well as server settings and configurations. System admins can automate server provisioning, patching, and backup using the software. Furthermore, they can generate reports on server status and performance, resource utilization, and capacity planning. Server management software is commonly sold both as a standalone product or part of a suite of management tools for IT infrastructure. The software can be installed on-premises or hosted in the cloud.Find your new server management software
What are some benefits of server management software?
Centralized management
Server management software provides a single interface for managing and monitoring servers, simplifying tracking for admins and boosting efficiency. Centralized monitoring gives administrators a bird’s eye view of the IT server environment and allows them to quickly resolve any issues that arise. Check out our guide to cloud storage vs. local storage.Better performance and availability
By automating routine tasks like patching and backups, the software enhances server availability and performance. This shortens downtime, letting organizations continue daily operations with minimal disruption.Accelerated event response
A server management solution presents real-time data on server performance, letting IT administrators identify and resolve issues faster. Additionally, it facilitates better uptime monitoring with instant alerts that notify admins of threats, decreasing unexpected downtime.Improved security
With server management software, IT teams can mitigate risk by monitoring servers for suspicious logs and seeing the health of devices connected to the network. It brings together tools for configuring server settings, including firewall rules and software updates — and thus reinforces security. This is particularly critical for companies dealing with sensitive and protected data.Reduced costs
Server management software reduces the administrative and operational costs associated with managing servers via automation features. It also minimizes the time and effort required to take care of the physical server environment, freeing administrators to focus on more strategic tasks.Types of server management software
System management software
This software type manages and keeps track of the underlying hardware and software components of servers, including CPU, memory, storage, and network interfaces. It also monitors system logs and alerts, and can adjust server settings based on need, such as power management and hardware configuration.Remote monitoring and management (RMM) software
RMM software allows IT teams to manage servers, resolve issues, update software, and monitor performance remotely. Further, IT service providers can proactively monitor client endpoints, networks, and hardware devices. The software collects relevant data like software and hardware status, performance metrics, and security updates.Network management software
Network management solutions scan switches, routers, and firewalls. They also deliver information on network performance, such as utilization, error rates, and response times. IT professionals can also review network logs and alerts with network management software.Cloud management software
This software was designed for managing cloud-based servers and infrastructure like virtual machines and storage. It offers information on resource utilization, capacity planning, performance, and logs.Virtualization management software
This type of server management software specifically oversees virtual environments and virtual machines (VMs) to advance resource administration, enrich data analyses, and refine operations. It has features for creating and managing virtual machines, storage, and networks, as well as monitoring system performance and utilization.Database management software
Database management software is built for the examination of database performance, storage, and security. It presents database performance data like query execution time, storage utilization, and error rates. It also has capabilities for configuring database settings — such as backup and recovery — and checking database logs.Backup and recovery software
Backup and recovery software helps administrators protect servers from data loss or corruption by backing up important data and system configurations. It enables businesses to quickly recover from server failures and minimize downtime so urgent services and applications remain available.Business impact of server management software
Effective server management is crucial; business systems depend on servers to smoothly perform day-to-day activities, from simple word processing to emailing clients to providing customer service. Unexpected server downtime affects business operations, directly leading to the loss of revenue. Server management software streamlines routine operations and guarantees that servers run efficiently. As such, investing in server management software typically lowers operational costs and improves risk posture. More importantly, it can prevent security breaches and data loss, increasing customer confidence. Upgrading your business’s IT infrastructure doesn’t have to be complicated. Check out our complete IT software guide.