Server management is a task undertaken by a information technology specialist to help businesses get the most from today’s fast-paced world of technology.

Businesses not only need stability from servers and software applications but also scalable solutions to meet their ever-growing needs.

The problem commonly arises when there’s a lack of qualified server administrators to fix more complicated issues. However, that level of talent and expertise does come with a price. That means it doesn’t make economic sense to hire a full time employee for small business IT support tasks such as server management.

This is where using a small business server management company comes in handy. Your servers will be managed remotely with the same level of expertise you would expect from a fulltime server manager. Doing so will help you cut the labour cost significantly without sacrificing the quality of your business operations.

Let’s dig a little deeper into the ways a server management professional can help your business.

What is Server Management?

In general, server management companies can assist your business with the following tasks:

Server setup. As you install more servers, you will need to configure them with your currently existing setup to make sure that everything is up and running.

Server monitoring. This entails checking the status of all the programs and applications running on your servers to avoid issues (e.g. downtime) as they arise.

Keeping all programs up-to-date. All servers require patching regularly. Most noteably for security holes found after the firmware is released. As your server or NAS device holds your company data and intellectual property it is critical that these patches are realised and applied with minimum delay. To keep your servers healthy, a server management company may offer to do this for you either by request or as part of the packaged service you have availed.

Note: Keep in mind that not all service providers offer the same set of server management practices. Some are best suited for supporting self-managed servers while others are enterprise-level specialists.

3 Benefits of Using a Server Management Company

So let’s get to the one-million-dollar question. What are the advantages of using a server management company?

Customised Server Setup

While business activities rely on servers of some kind, this does not mean that all servers are the same. They may differ depending on how a company intends to use it for and thus may require a different setup and configuration.

This is why it is also important to explain your specific requirements to the service provider. This will help both parties come up with the best set up and configuration plan to the servers are up and running smoothly.

Server Management & Security

Server maintenance will increase the security of your servers and data, minimising the risk of hackers accessing your company information. Anti-virus, firewalls and malware scanning assist in keeping the bad guys out.

24/7 Monitoring and Availability

Your servers may experience a critical issue at any time of the day. An effective server management company will make themselves available to their clients 24/7. So instead of trying to tackle issues on your own, you can just let the experts handle it quickly and effectively.

Taking Care Of Technology For You

The biggest reason you need server management expertise? So you can get back to business and let someone take care of it all for you. Server managers will monitor the performance, integrity, and health of your servers round the clock. This can include but not limited CPU usage, load average, server load, Disk storage and more. Preventing issues you never knew existed from ever occurring.

Outsourcing server management is a crucial business process that can add stability and security to your servers. It is more affordable and flexible, than hiring a team of server administrators fulltime.

Many clients prefer a ‘work window’ out of business hours. We can perform your patches and upgrades at a time suitable to you.

So if you wish to focus on the other important aspects of your business, leave server management to a trusted service provider near you. Get in touch with us for all your IT support needs and mobile computer repairs in Sydney.

Think your computer has a virus or malware? Lets start by answering the question – what is malware? The ‘mal’ in ‘malware’ means ‘malicious’ – but it’s even worse than that. By malicious, we’re talking about computer programs like viruses, spyware, trojans, worms and everything else that infiltrates our systems without our consent and causes all sorts of problems.

Here at Sydney IT Assist, malware is one of the most common computer problems we see each and every day. And believe us, malware might not just be a nuisance like a spam-sending trojan, or a pain like a slow-working or temporarily inoperable computer. Malware and computer viruses can damage hardware, delete or transfer your precious data, and even bring down an entire corporate network.

In short, malware is not only ‘malicious’, it can even be catastrophic.

If you’re reading this article on your computer, likely you’re already thinking ‘Does my computer have a virus?’ If so, you’ll need to look out for those typical computer malware and virus symptoms. Here’s 4 ways to tell if your computer has malware.

1. It’s running slow

A slow computer is often a matter of opinion, but if yours has suddenly or dramatically slowed down, that’s a very common sign of malware. Keep in mind there are a number of reasons for a slow computer, so although you don’t need to panic you should investigate it further.

Sometimes, you will notice that even if you’re not doing anything that is particularly resource-heavy, malware will cause your hard drive to work hard, your RAM to fill up and your internet connection to clog up like crazy.

2. Pop-ups are popping up everywhere

While a pop-up – normally an advert that requires closing – probably just means you’ve visited a legitimate (albeit annoying) website, lots and lots of them are a bad sign.

It’s also important to realise that pop-ups caused by ‘adware’ are not just annoying, the cause can be incredibly hard to remove from the system and the potential damage can be much worse than just a bad mood.

3. Regular system crashes

We’ve all seen that occasional but dreaded ‘blue screen of death’, and we’ve all had a computer simply not behave itself. And it doesn’t necessary mean malware is the cause.

But if it’s happening a lot, especially in conjunction with other weird problems like program crashes, it might not be a simple software or hardware problem – it could be malware. Often, the designer of the malware doesn’t necessary want to display ads or steal your information, they just want to ruin your day, corrupt your files and generally wreck your computer.

4. Strange internet behaviour

We’ve covered pop-up ads, but that’s not all malware will do to affect your internet browsing.

One clear warning sign is that when you try to use your regular search engine, let’s say Google, you’ll actually be taken somewhere else. Or perhaps there are unfamiliar new toolbars on your browser, your home page is suddenly different, or you receive an odd message from a Facebook friend asking you to click an unfamiliar link.

My computer has malware! Now what?

You can try to remove the malware yourself using antivirus software programs, if your computer operating system is still accessible. Just run a full scan and follow instructions if malware is found. It’s a good idea to restart your computer and run another scan with a different tool see if any additional malware is found.

Once your computer is clean of malware you don’t want it coming back! Update your operating system, browser and software applications, then reset all passwords.

If your computer is on a company network or connected to a server then contact your business IT support specialist as soon as possible to stop the malware spreading across the network.

Luckily, while the average malware perpetrator is pretty smart, some experts are even smarter – like the guys at Sydney IT Assist. We have all the latest and greatest tools, techniques, knowledge and advice to remove malware quickly, and then keep it from coming back.

So, no symptoms means no malware – right?

Well, not exactly. Some malware inhabit your computer with the intention of using it for nefarious purposes ongoing. If you knew about this, you would likely call in our guys to fix it. There are a few ways to detect malware that is trying to hide, like booting from a USB drive, scanning for listening ports or looking for processes that we know don’t belong in your operating system. We can even put devices in your business network that look for malware traffic both incoming and outgoing.

So if your trusty computer is all of a sudden behaving more like a hospital patient, get in touch today and let Sydney IT assist nurse it back to health.

If someone was asked to name the greatest invention of all time, the answer ‘Computer’ would not be scoffed at. That’s because computers have done nothing less than transform our lives. Having once needed a huge warehouse to house what we would now consider a basic computer, modern computers have changed everything: education, health, security, business – and buying a new book from Amazon!. With all of that convenience comes one unavoidable reality: computer problems.

Common computer problems

Indeed, although modern computer technology is incredible, they are still complex machines – and complex machines can go wrong. The computer repairs in Sydney we’re performing the most are Windows problems and crashes, removing viruses, speeding up slow computers, fixing internet connections, getting email back up and running, getting your printer to print again, repairing laptops with charging issues, recovering data – and just getting your computer to do the simple task of booting up.

But although we truly believe in our incredible powers of computer repair, we know that you’d actually prefer to avoid your computer going ‘Pop!’ in the first place.

Here’s how to avoid common computer problems.

1. Use anti-virus

If you’re not using an anti-virus program – get one up and running now! And if you haven’t checked if yours is up to date, make it your absolute priority. Viruses and malware not only slow down your computer, they even compromise your security and safety, and there’s no excuse to argue about the cost because there are plenty of free or affordable options.

Make sure you keep your anti virus software up to date!

2. Don’t overheat

Just like your car won’t work properly – or at all – if it overheats, the same is true for computers. So give your PC or tablet the best possible chance of avoiding computer problems by keeping it cool and out of sunlight, with the vital cooling fans unobstructed and lint free.

Always work in a clean dust free environment to minimise build up at fan inlets and internal components.

If you’re concerned your fan may be clogged up or not working properly, Sydney IT Assist can easily service both desktop and laptop fans.

3. Back up

Imagine one scenario: your computer goes ‘Bang!’ and you’ve lost everything you ever did on it – disaster!. Now the second scenario, it makes the very same ‘Bang!’ but everything vital has been safely and securely backed up. You’d be amazed how many computer users are playing chicken with the inevitable, and believing that hardware and software failure will never affect them. But trust us: it will.

In this ‘cloud’ era, backing up is super easy, so just make backing up every now and then a habit or let us automate the job, so you can rest assured it’s being done.

4. Use it properly

There are plenty of ways you can abuse a computer that don’t involve slapping or kicking it – we’re talking about gentle clicks of fingers, keyboards and mice.

For instance

• Turning it off without shutting the OS down properly.
• Clicking ‘Yes’ or ‘Agree’ when windows you don’t properly understand pop ups
• Clicking on links in junk mail
• Navigating to dark corners of the internet, and other computer security mistakes.

Sometimes the only solution is to call to Sydney IT Assist – because computer repairs are simply a part of computing life!

We can also help you set up that new PC, or get an easy data back-up procedure in place, just dial Sydney IT Assist on 1300 01 96 96 today and we’ll come to you!