Linux server security is of critical importance to sysadmins. One central part of keeping Linux servers secure is by installing security updates promptly. Too often, there are compromised servers on the internet due to pending security updates waiting for a manual update. On both Ubuntu and Debian, the unattended-upgrades package can be configured to perform […]
Pinging.net – a new quick way to monitor your internet connection
What do you do when you question whether your internet connection is working, or not? I built Pinging.net to be a fast and convenient way to monitor your internet connection. How does pinging.net work? Visiting Pinging will automatically run a few tests. Firstly, caching for the site is disabled, so when the page loads you have […]
Enhance the performance of MongoDB databases with proactive MongoDB monitoring
MongoDB is an open-source NoSQL database management system that stores data in JSON-like documents. It’s designed to handle large volumes of data with a document-oriented architecture and can operate without a predefined schema, allowing for more flexibility in data storage and retrieval and making it a highly scalable option for businesses of all sizes. It’s […]
PHP Performance: Additional CPU cores vs Faster CPU cores
Some time ago, I received an email from a client experiencing slow performance issues with a LEMP (Linux, Nginx, MySQL, and PHP web server). During a full audit, I found that the server’s load average was pretty low (see below screenshot). However, the website was indeed very slow. There were some misconfigurations, but one of […]
dnf error: cannot find the libbrotlidec.so.1 library (cPanel/WHM CentOS 7 to AlmaLinux 8)
Upgrading from CentOS 7 to AlmaLinux 8 is a significant step towards ensuring that your systems remain secure, supported, and up-to-date with the latest features and security patches. AlmaLinux 8, as a community-driven replacement for CentOS, offers a robust and reliable platform that is binary compatible with RHEL 8. This transition, however, can sometimes present […]
5 database metrics every DBA should monitor for peak performance
Database monitoring is indispensable for maintaining the health, performance, and reliability of your database system. It provides administrators and IT teams with real-time insights into the system’s operations, enabling them to proactively identify and address potential issues before they need to be escalated. You can confirm your database operates efficiently and delivers optimal performance by […]
The Two Generals Problem
Alice and Bob Imagine there’s a city in a valley. On either side of the valley, there’s an army commanded by a general. On the left hill stands General Alice and her army. On the right hill, General Bob and his army. Alice and Bob want to capture the city, but neither side has an […]
50 Essential Linux Commands that You Should Know
In this blog post, I will list 50 essential Linux commands you need to know to manage Linux systems effectively. These commands will help you perform various tasks efficiently. This post is a follow-up to my previous blog post: 90 frequently used Linux Commands. However, it’s designed to provide you with a carefully categorized list […]
Improving OpenVPN performance and throughput
OpenVPN, WireGuard, L2TP/IPSec, SSTP, IKEv2, PPTP, or others. If you had the luxury of choosing, which VPN protocols would you use? Therein lies my problem. In my current use case, I must find a way to improve OpenVPN performance and throughput. You may have been following my Linux home lab build. One of the most […]
What CentOS alternative distro should you choose?
In January 2014, CentOS announced it was officially joining Red Hat while staying independent from Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) under a new CentOS governing board. However, in December 2020, Red Hat requisitioned that CentOS terminate the development of CentOS 8. They also announced that support would be shifting to a CentOS alternative rolling-release Linux […]