Windows Server 2003 Maintenance Made Easy (Continued)

Once a month, an administrator should validate backups by restoring the backups to a server located in a lab. This is in addition to verifying that backups were successful from log files or the backup program's management interface. A restore gives the administrator the opportunity to verify the backups and to practice the restore procedures that would be used when recovering the server during a real disaster. In addition, this procedure tests the state of the backup media to ensure that they are in working order and builds administrator confidence for recovering from a true disaster. This is one of the most commonly skipped tasks of small to medium-sized IT departments. It is typically implemented after a major disaster in which the tape backup system failed to restore a server or data properly.

An integral part of managing and maintaining any IT environment is to document the network infrastructure and procedures. The following are just a few of the documents you should consider having on hand:

• server build guides
• disaster recovery guides and procedures
• checklists
• configuration settings
• change configuration logs
• historical performance data
• special user rights assignments
• special application settings

As systems and services are built and procedures are ascertained, document these facts to reduce learning curves, administration, and maintenance.

Not only is it important to adequately document the IT environment, but it's often even more important to keep those documents up to date. Otherwise, documents can quickly become outdated as the environment, processes, and procedures change as the business changes.

In addition to operating system software, most of the major Intel-based server manufacturers provide frequent hardware driver and firmware updates. The updates resolve issues identified by the manufacturers that could interfere with proper function of the systems. Manufacturers generally require matched sets of firmware and driver release levels to alleviate compatibility problems. Like operating system patches, it is important to test firmware and driver updates before putting them into your production environment. Checking driver and firmware versions monthly is usually sufficient, unless a specific problem occurs.

Quarterly Maintenance
As the name implies, you perform quarterly maintenance four times a year. Areas to maintain and manage on a quarterly basis are typically fairly self-sufficient and self-sustaining. Infrequent maintenance is required to keep the system healthy. This doesn't mean, however, that the tasks are simple or that they aren't as critical as those tasks that require more frequent maintenance.

For starters, storage capacity on all volumes should be checked to ensure that all volumes have ample free space. Keep approximately 25 percent free space on all volumes. Running low or completely out of disk space creates unnecessary risk for any system. Services can fail, applications can stop responding, and systems can even crash if there isn't adequate disk space.

Passwords should, at a minimum, be changed every quarter (90 days). This includes resetting the administrative account passwords. Changing passwords strengthens security measures so that systems can't be compromised easily. As an integral part of the password policy, you need to review other password requirements, including password age, history, length, and strength.