What to do, and when, in the first twelve months.
DAY ONE
Change root password, set up SSH keys, disable password authentication and root login Configure the firewall Apply all updates Set hostname, timezone, reverse DNS Configure backups Configure monitoring and alerting
WEEK ONE
Install and configure the stack Deploy applications Issue certificates Test everything Document what you built
MONTH ONE
Review actual resource usage and adjust specifications if needed Verify backups are running and test a restore Confirm alerting reaches you Tune based on observed load rather than assumptions
QUARTERLY
Test a restore Review users, keys and firewall rules Review installed packages Update documentation
ANNUALLY
Rotate credentials Check the distribution is still supported Review whether the specification still fits Review whether a VPS is still the right choice
THE TWO THAT MATTER MOST
Applying updates, and testing a restore. Everything else is refinement.
