Monthly maintenance checklist for WHM/cPanel: What should I be checking and updating?

Chris Worner · Sep 21, 2023

Hello fellow WHM/cPanel enthusiasts,

I'm responsible for managing a server running WHM/cPanel, and I want to ensure that it stays secure, optimized, and up-to-date. I'm aware that regular maintenance is crucial for server health, but I'd like to hear from the experienced members of this forum about what specific tasks I should be performing on a monthly basis.

Could you please share your insights and recommendations on the monthly maintenance checklist for WHM/cPanel?

AlbaHost · Sep 21, 2023

As per maintenance, get imunify360 premium which will take care for infected files and prevent anyone to upload it on the server, kernelcare will patch you kernel without having to reboot the system each time you update the kernel/system and you dont need almost anything else...

OffshoreDedicated · Sep 21, 2023

There is no need of monthly maintenance list. You just need to keep it updated. Keep your server and package up to date, nothing else required. Everything can be automated, it helps keeping multiple servers up and running fine with ease.

ManagedCpanel · Sep 23, 2023

Operating System Security

Ensure OS packages are up-to-date
Change SSH port to a non-standard port
Add your SSH key to authorized_keys for secure access
Disable Password Authentication
Do not expose anything publicly that needs to be exposed

cPanel/WHM

Keep cPanel Updated
Ensure Operating System is most up to date OS supported by cPanel/WHM
Install all https://configserver.com/ free scripts, if not all, ConfigServer Security and Firewall as a very minimum

There's a couple things that can be done to automate these tasks, including but not limited to using Ansible, Puppet, Chef, etc. but that'll take some more diving into but worth it if you don't like doing the above for ever single server.

ManagedCpanel · Sep 23, 2023

Keep an eye on your OS page here: https://docs.cpanel.net/installation-guide/system-requirements/

Make sure operating systems are always up to date with a supported cPanel/WHM OS version

Paying attention to these areas as well and making sure to enable auto updates and keeping cPanel up to date as well as removing packages that are out of date or update them:

Software

System Update
Update Server Software
EasyApache 4

Harry P · Sep 29, 2023

Maintaining your WHM/cPanel server is vital for its health and performance. Here's a concise monthly maintenance checklist I would suggest to you and of course is how to do them:

Security Updates:
- Access WHM dashboard.
- Navigate to "Server Configuration" > "Update Preferences."
- Choose the update tier (STABLE recommended) and set automatic updates.
Backup Verification:
- Go to "Backup Configuration" in WHM.
- Ensure backups are scheduled and running without errors.
- Periodically restore a backup in a test environment to verify its integrity.
Malware Scans:
- Install a reliable antivirus software like ClamAV.
- Run regular scans through SSH with commands like clamscan -r /home.
Resource Monitoring:
- Utilize tools like WHM’s "Server Status" to monitor CPU, RAM, and disk usage.
- Identify resource-intensive processes using tools like top or WHM’s "Process Manager."
SSL Certificate Checks:
- Use tools like SSL Labs to check SSL certificates’ validity and security.
- Set up notifications for certificate expirations using WHM’s "SSL/TLS Status."
Log Analysis:
- Access raw log files in WHM or via SSH.
- Use log analysis tools like AWStats or cPanel’s "Metrics Editor" to visualize data.
User Access Review:
- Regularly review user accounts in WHM’s "List Accounts."
- Disable or remove inactive or suspicious accounts.
- Audit permissions using WHM’s "Manage Wheel Group Users."
Software Audit:
- Use package managers (yum or EasyApache in WHM) to update server software.
- Regularly check websites and applications for updates, especially CMS platforms and plugins.

Monthly maintenance checklist for WHM/cPanel: What should I be checking and updating?

Chris Worner

Well-known member

AlbaHost

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Chris Worner

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OffshoreDedicated

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Chris Worner

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ManagedCpanel

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Chris Worner

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ManagedCpanel

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Harry P

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