Hopefully, it has not been a year since you have given your server a good checkup, but just in case you need a reminder, here are a few things to check at the start of 2010: 1. Log rotation. Normally, Linux will rotate logs for the kernel, web server, and …
Read More »InternetBlog: Best of 2009
This year has been a big one for both the domain and web hosting industries. Significant growth has been seen in the ccTLD market while more prominent TLDs continue to sell for record-high prices. A recession has brought more entrepreneurs and investment online, spurring heavy growth in the hosting and …
Read More »How to format a hard drive in Linux
When you lease a remote managed or even unmanaged server, you do not typically have to concern yourself with formatting hard drives. Still, it is a good skill to learn, and if you find yourself in a situation where you are building your own web hosting server, it is a …
Read More »How to disable dynamic updates in BIND DNS
BIND (also called NameD) is the DNS system for most Unix-like and Linux networked servers. It controls all of the DNS functionality on those servers and thus needs to be secure. Dynamic updates allow remote servers to add, delete, or modify zone entries in DNS records. While there may be …
Read More »How to setup an SSL Dovecot mail server
Question: How do I setup Dovecot to use IMAPS and POP3S with Postfix certificates? Answer: Dovecot is a free and open source IMAP and POP3 mail server. It is used for receiving incoming mail and works in conjunction with Postfix, which handles sending and delivery. Dovecot runs on all Linux …
Read More »Data center construction- Lego style
When people think of data centers, they often envision large rooms full of loud servers. This YouTube video shows the data center in a much more innovative way– its construction from start to finish, all with Lego bricks. With high-speed connections and millions of pages to visit, I think too …
Read More »Meet the data center behind 'Avatar'
Avatar is a blockbuster science-fiction film directed by the guy behind Titanic, James Cameron. In an age where special effects reign, computing power has begun to trump acting ability in the production of movies. Just check out the data center used to make Avatar. Owned by New Zealand-based Weta Digital, …
Read More »How to disable hidden files in ProFTPD
Question: How do I disable the viewing of hidden files in ProFTPD so that my clients can’t see them? Answer: It is fairly easy to conceal hidden files in ProFTPD, but before you do, you should be aware of the consequences. Users will not be able to see their own …
Read More »Malware makers scramble for IPv4 address blocks
In an effort to grab increasingly scarce IPv4 addresses, malware makers are now grabbing blocks of IPs. By colocating servers and requesting IPs under a fake business name, cyber criminals are snatching some of the last remaining addresses. Unfortunately, this practice is hard to track down given the shear size …
Read More »The /var directory in Linux
In previous posts, we covered the Linux file and directory structure. One very important directory in Linux is /var. This directory general contains the following subdirectories: 1. backups – primarily used by APT, this directory contains backups of package update states. 2. cache – certain applications use this directory to …
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