Linux VPS & Dedicated Server – Onboarding Guide (v3)

Welcome to iCoreHosting’s Linux VPS & Dedicated Server platform. This guide provides a comprehensive onboarding reference for configuring, securing, and maintaining your server. All sections follow Malaysian regulations, data center standards, and industry best practices.

Table of Contents

1. Server Overview & Initial Preparation
2. Access & Authentication
3. Network Configuration
4. Nameservers & DNS Guidance
5. Security Baseline
6. Local Government Rules Reminder
7. Software Repository & Updates
8. Web Server Stack Setup
9. Database Server Setup
10. Email Server & SMTP Configuration (Optional)
11. Control Panel Options (Optional)
12. Storage & File System Management
13. Backup Policy
14. Monitoring & Logs
15. Performance Optimization
16. Advanced Server Hardening
17. Inodes & File Usage
18. Common Misconfigurations
19. Pre-Launch Checklist
20. Responsibility Breakdown
21. Support Information

1. Server Overview & Initial Preparation

Your Linux VPS or dedicated server has been provisioned with the operating system selected during your order. Supported distributions include AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, CentOS Stream, Ubuntu Server, and Debian. Before beginning configuration, we recommend verifying the following:

• Server role (web hosting, API server, internal corporate usage, email services, etc.)
• CPU, RAM, SSD/NVMe storage allocation
• Main IP address and any additional assigned IP blocks
• Operating system version and support lifecycle (LTS/EOL)
• Access credentials provided in the welcome email

For stability and full administrative control, all configurations should be performed through a secure SSH session.

2. Access & Authentication

SSH Access

Connect to your server via SSH using:

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

If a custom port is used:

ssh -p CUSTOM_PORT root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

SSH Key-Based Authentication (Recommended)

• Generate keys using ssh-keygen
• Add the public key to ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
• Disable password login for enhanced safety

Root Privileges

• Use root only for critical administrative actions
• Create additional users if multiple team members require access
• Use visudo to configure sudo privileges safely
• Enable SSH logging to track account activities

3. Network Configuration

Your server is assigned a static IPv4 address. Depending on the distribution, network configuration files are located in:

• RHEL-based (AlmaLinux/Rocky): /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/
• Ubuntu: /etc/netplan/
• Debian: /etc/network/interfaces

Network Diagnostic Tools

ping
traceroute
mtr
ss -tulpn
ip addr
ip route
dig
nslookup
curl -I
nc -zv

DNS Resolver Configuration

Ensure DNS resolvers are correctly set in /etc/resolv.conf to avoid domain resolution issues. Using stable DNS such as Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Google (8.8.8.8) is recommended if not using iCoreHosting DNS.

4. Nameservers & DNS Guidance

Recommended — iCoreHosting Nameservers

For best compatibility and simplified management:

nscp1.icorehosting.com
nscp2.icorehosting.com

DirectAdmin Deployments

nsda1.icorehosting.com
nsda2.icorehosting.com

Required DNS Records

• A Record → Server IPv4
• AAAA Record → IPv6 (if enabled)
• MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC (if email is hosted)
• PTR (Reverse DNS) → Request via support

DNS Best Practices

• Do not split DNS across multiple providers
• Allow 1–24 hours for propagation
• Validate DNS using dig or nslookup

5. Security Baseline

Security hardening must be performed immediately after deployment. The following are fundamental requirements for all Linux environments.

SSH Hardening

• Disable password login
• Restrict root login or disable it entirely
• Change the default SSH port
• Use key-only authentication
• Install Fail2Ban to block brute-force attempts

Firewall Configuration

• CSF (recommended for hosting environments)
• firewalld (AlmaLinux/RHEL/Rocky)
• UFW (Ubuntu/Debian)

Malware & Threat Protection

• Install Maldet for Linux malware scanning
• Install ClamAV for file scanning
• Disable unnecessary system services
• Secure /tmp and /var/tmp partitions

OS-Level Security

• Apply security patches regularly
• Ensure kernel updates are applied
• Use SELinux/AppArmor when required

6. Local Government Rules Reminder

All servers hosted under iCoreHosting must comply with Malaysian laws and regulatory frameworks.

Applicable Laws

• Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA 1998 – Act 588)
• Computer Crimes Act 1997
• Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA 2010)
• Copyright Act Malaysia
• MCMC content and network usage regulations

Strictly Prohibited Activities

• VPN, proxy, tunneling services without written approval
• Phishing, botnet, malware, ransomware hosting
• Illegal streaming or pirated content distribution
• Spam or unsolicited bulk email
• Gambling, scam websites, brand impersonation

Customer Responsibility

• You are responsible for all activity originating from your server
• All logs are traceable to the customer
• Violation may result in immediate suspension
• iCoreHosting complies with MCMC and law enforcement requests

7. Software Repository & Updates

Your server must be kept updated to ensure security and long-term stability.

Update Commands

# AlmaLinux / Rocky / RHEL
dnf update -y

# Ubuntu / Debian
apt update && apt upgrade -y

Kernel Updates

• Reboot after installing a new kernel
• Verify kernel with uname -r
• Avoid automatic kernel tools unless experienced

Optional Repositories

• EPEL – extended packages
• Remi – advanced PHP versions
• MariaDB official repository – for newer DB engines

8. Web Server Stack Setup

Your server supports a wide range of web server configurations.

Supported Web Servers

• Apache HTTPD
• NGINX
• OpenLiteSpeed

PHP Runtime

• Install via Remi or OS default repos
• Configure PHP-FPM pools for performance
• Adjust memory_limit, upload_max_filesize, post_max_size

SSL Certificates

Let’s Encrypt can be installed via Certbot:

certbot --nginx
certbot --apache

9. Database Server Setup

The following database systems are supported:

• MySQL
• MariaDB
• PostgreSQL

Initial Hardening

• Run mysql_secure_installation
• Remove anonymous accounts
• Disable remote root access
• Use strong passwords for database users

Performance Optimization

• Adjust InnoDB buffer pool size
• Enable slow query logging
• Optimize tables periodically
• Ensure database connections are tuned according to RAM

10. Email Server & SMTP Configuration (Optional)

Linux VPS and dedicated servers allow full control over email services. However, self-hosted email requires proper DNS, security, and IP reputation management. For most users, we recommend using an external SMTP provider unless you fully understand email deliverability requirements.

Supported Email Services

• Postfix (recommended for Linux)
• Exim (common in cPanel environments)
• Dovecot (IMAP/POP3 support)

Essential DNS Records

• MX — Mail exchange record for inbound email
• SPF — Prevents unauthorized mail sending
• DKIM — Cryptographic signing for outgoing email
• DMARC — Reporting and domain-level policy enforcement
• PTR — Reverse DNS mapping (critically required)

Recommended SMTP Relay Providers

• Amazon SES
• Mailjet
• SendGrid
• Mailgun

Note: Using your server IP for high-volume outbound email is discouraged as it may impact IP reputation.

11. Control Panel Options (Optional)

Control panels provide a graphical interface for server management and reduce the need for manual command-line configuration. Installation should only be done on a clean OS with no prior configurations.

Available Control Panels

• DirectAdmin — Lightweight, efficient, cost-effective
• cPanel/WHM — Industry standard, highly stable
• CyberPanel — Built on OpenLiteSpeed
• Webmin / Virtualmin — Free and flexible

Installation Requirements

• Fresh OS with no previous configurations
• Minimum 2GB–4GB RAM (depending on the panel)
• Fully qualified hostname
• Updated package repository

12. Storage & File System Management

Storage and file system planning is essential for long-term stability, performance, and data safety.

File System Options

• EXT4 — Default and stable
• XFS — Optimized for large files (RHEL-based systems)
• ZFS — Offers snapshots, checksums, and redundancy features

LVM (Logical Volume Manager)

Recommended for environments where dynamic resizing of volumes is required.

RAID (Dedicated Servers Only)

• RAID 1 — Mirroring for redundancy
• RAID 10 — Best overall performance + redundancy
• RAID 5/6 — Offers storage efficiency but slower rebuild times

Disk Monitoring Commands

df -h        # Disk space usage
du -sh *     # Folder size breakdown
iostat       # Disk I/O
smartctl -a  # Disk health (Dedicated servers only)

13. Backup Policy

Backup inclusion depends on your purchased plan. Linux VPS or dedicated servers do not include backups unless ordered separately.

iCoreHosting Backup Scope

• Backups provided only when purchased as an add-on
• Backup retention varies based on your selected plan
• Restorations can be requested via support

Customer Responsibilities

• Maintain off-site backups
• Avoid storing backups on the same server
• Schedule and test backup restores regularly
• Monitor disk space to prevent backup failures

Recommended Backup Tools

• rsync — Reliable and lightweight
• tar + gzip — For compressed archive backups
• mysqldump — Database backups
• ZFS snapshots — Instant rollback (if supported)
• rclone — Cloud storage backups (Google Drive, S3, Backblaze)

14. Monitoring & Logs

Monitoring helps ensure performance, detect early failures, and maintain long-term stability.

System Monitoring Tools

• top / htop — CPU and RAM usage
• vmstat — Virtual memory performance
• iostat — Disk I/O performance
• nload / iftop — Network throughput

Key Log Files

• /var/log/messages
• /var/log/secure
• /var/log/nginx/ or /var/log/httpd/
• /var/log/mysql/
• /var/log/syslog (Debian/Ubuntu)

15. Performance Optimization

Performance tuning ensures a smoother, faster, and more efficient server environment.

Kernel & Network Tuning

net.core.somaxconn = 1024
net.ipv4.ip_local_port_range = 1024 65000
net.ipv4.tcp_fin_timeout = 15

Web Server Optimization

• Enable Redis or Memcached caching
• Enable gzip or Brotli compression
• Use PHP-FPM with optimized configurations

Database Optimization

• Enable slow query logs
• Right-size InnoDB buffer pool
• Keep indices updated

16. Advanced Server Hardening

Advanced hardening is recommended for enterprise or production-level servers.

Advanced Protection Methods

• Install WAF (ModSecurity / NGINX WAF)
• CrowdSec or OSSEC intrusion prevention
• File integrity checks using AIDE
• Systemd service isolation
• Rate limiting using firewall rules

Admin Interface Protection

• Restrict access to admin panels by IP
• Enable 2FA for supported applications
• Avoid default login URLs

17. Inodes & File Usage

Inodes represent the number of files your server can store. Even with available disk space, inode exhaustion can prevent file creation.

Check Inodes

df -i

Common Sources of Inode Overload

• Thousands of small cache files (Laravel, Node.js, Magento)
• Large mailboxes with outdated emails
• Log file explosions
• Session files stored in /tmp

Preventing Inode Problems

• Schedule periodic cleanup tasks
• Automate log rotation
• Monitor cache directories
• Clean mail queues regularly

18. Common Misconfigurations

Misconfigurations are a major cause of downtime, performance issues, or security breaches. Below are the most frequently encountered issues on Linux VPS and dedicated servers.

DNS Misconfigurations

• Incorrect A, MX, or SPF records
• Split DNS across multiple providers causing propagation issues
• PTR not matching hostname when running mail services

Firewall Blocking Required Ports

• Ports 80/443 blocked, causing website downtime
• SMTP ports blocked unintentionally
• SSH port changed without updating monitoring or whitelists

PHP & Web Server Issues

• Multiple PHP versions conflicting
• Insufficient memory_limit or max_execution_time
• PHP-FPM pool exhausted due to incorrect settings

Database Configuration Errors

• Improper buffer pool settings causing memory exhaustion
• Wrong bind-address preventing remote connections
• Missing database indexes causing slow queries

Backup Failures

• Backups stored on same server leading to data loss risk
• No retention policy configured
• Lack of restore testing causing downtime during disaster recovery

Security Oversights

• No firewall configured
• SSH password login enabled
• No Fail2Ban installed
• Using outdated PHP or software versions

19. Pre-Launch Checklist

Before going live with production applications, ensure all important items are properly completed.

Server Foundation

• Hostname properly set
• Latest OS updates applied
• Kernel updated and server rebooted
• Time zone configured

Security & Access

• SSH key-based login enabled
• Password authentication disabled
• Firewall fully configured
• Fail2Ban active and tested
• Unnecessary ports closed

Network & DNS

• A, AAAA, MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC verified
• DNS propagation checked
• PTR record validated (if email is used)
• Hostname and rDNS correctly matched

Web & Database Stack

• NGINX or Apache configured
• SSL certificate installed
• PHP-FPM properly tuned
• Database secured and optimized

Backup & Monitoring

• Backup system configured
• Off-site backup location verified
• Restore testing completed
• Server monitoring tools installed

20. Responsibility Breakdown

iCoreHosting Responsibilities

• Data center infrastructure (power, cooling, physical security)
• Network uptime and connectivity
• Hardware replacement for dedicated servers
• Hypervisor-level availability for VPS environments
• IP allocation and routing
• Compliance with Malaysian regulations when required

Customer Responsibilities

• Server operating system updates and patching
• Firewall and security configuration
• SSH access control and password management
• Application installation and maintenance
• Database configuration and optimization
• Backup scheduling and off-site backup retention
• DNS management (unless using iCoreHosting DNS)
• Compliance with all Malaysian laws and MCMC regulations

Not Included by Default

• Software coding or debugging
• CMS-level support (WordPress, Magento, Laravel, etc.)
• Email deliverability troubleshooting for self-hosted mail
• Application security or optimization
• Content management responsibilities

21. Support Information

For technical assistance, billing inquiries, or server management requests, please contact us through the following channels:

• Support Portal: https://www.icore.com.my/support
• Billing Portal: https://billing.icore.com.my

Information to Include in Support Tickets

• Domain name or server hostname
• Detailed description of the issue
• Time the issue occurred
• Steps taken before contacting support
• Relevant logs or screenshots

iCoreHosting – Linux VPS & Dedicated Server Onboarding Guide v3