Before you go live: a practical server launch checklist

A successful launch is more than a page that loads. Make sure you can maintain the server, detect problems, and recover your data before you send production traffic to it.

Keep a reliable way back in

Set up individual administrator access, use SSH keys where possible, and test a second session before changing login settings. Keep access to your provider console available in case a firewall or network change interrupts SSH.

Expose only the services you need

Check which ports are listening and configure the host firewall for your application. Databases usually do not need to be reachable from the public internet. Keep security updates current, and schedule restarts when an update requires them.

Protect the complete connection

Enable HTTPS and test certificate renewal. If a proxy or CDN sits in front of the server, check encryption between the proxy and the origin as well as between visitors and the proxy.

Make recovery a routine

Back up both files and databases. Keep a copy away from the production server, define a retention period, and restore a backup into an isolated environment. A completed backup job is useful evidence; a successful restore is stronger evidence.

Watch the workload

Monitor memory, disk space, availability, and application errors. Record a normal baseline so that you can spot a change. Decide who receives alerts and what they should check first.

Keep this checklist with your deployment notes and revisit it whenever your application or infrastructure changes.