Migrated cloud servers: Getting started
Migrated cloud servers: First steps
For migrated Cloud Servers, which are managed in the Cloud Panel
In this article, you will learn how to set up a migrated Cloud Server and which steps you need to take after the setup. The most important functions of the Cloud Panel are also explained.
Managing a migrated cloud server
You can manage your migrated Cloud Server in the Cloud Panel. To open the Cloud Panel, proceed as follows:
- Log in to your IONOS account.
Click on the Server & Cloud tile. If you have multiple server contracts, select the desired contract.
To restart the server, suspend it, open the remote console or reinstall an image, click on Actions in the Infrastructure > Server area and then on the desired action.
To assign a new, additional IP to the server, click on Network > Assign IP in the Infrastructure > Server area. Select the IP address type to be assigned to the server and click Yes.
To call up the detailed information of the server, activate the desired server. All important information about the server is then displayed.
Further information on managing the server in the Infrastructure > Server section can be found in the IONOS Help Center in the Administration section of the migrated Cloud Servers category:
Administration
Standard server configuration
By default, your Cloud Server is provided with the following settings:
Public IP
With a public IP, your server is accessible from outside. This is necessary so that your customers can access your website. A public IPv4 address is assigned to the server by default. If required, you can assign several IPv4 addresses or several IPv6 addresses to a server.
The IPv6 addresses are configured automatically in these operating systems. After assigning the IPv6 addresses or after reinstalling the operating system, restart the server so that the assigned IPv6 addresses are displayed.
If you assign two IPv4 addresses and at least one IPv6 address to a Cloud Server, you must configure these IP addresses manually in your operating system.
Firewall
For security reasons, the server is always protected with an external hardware firewall that can be configured in Cloud Panel. This firewall blocks incoming data traffic for all ports, with the exception of those configured in the rules.
By default, a firewall policy is configured according to the requirements resulting from the installed image:
- Linux Server: Incoming traffic is allowed for ports TCP 22, 80, 443, 8443 and 8447.
- Windows Server: Incoming data traffic is allowed for the ports TCP 80, 443, 3389, 8443 and 8447.
You can create additional rules at any time to enable additional ports and/or protocols.
Notes
For security reasons, the SMTP port (25) is closed by default. This measure prevents emails from being sent from your server. If you need to open the port, please contact customer service.
We recommend that you keep all unnecessary ports closed by default to increase the security of your server.
Further information on firewall policies can be found in the following article:
Edit firewall policy (VPS and migrated cloud servers)
For more information on the ports that Plesk uses, see the following article
Install Plesk
Plesk is not included as standard in the images offered for your Cloud Server. To use Plesk, you must install this software manually. You can generate the required licence key in the Cloud Panel.
You can find instructions on how to set up Plesk with the standard configuration in the following articles:
Installing Plesk (VPS Linux and migrated Cloud Servers)
Installing Plesk (VPS Windows, VPS Linux and migrated Cloud Servers)
Monitor the performance of the server
You can find an overview of the programmes that you can use to monitor the performance of your server here:
Note
You can only monitor servers that have been assigned an IP address.
Establish a connection to the server
You can find the access data for your migrated Cloud Server in the Cloud Panel under the detailed information for your server. To establish a connection to your server, make a note of the following data:
- IP/Hostname
- User name
- Initial password
Note
Only passwords that are automatically generated during the creation or reinstallation of a server can be displayed in the server details.
The following articles explain how you can establish a connection to your Cloud Server:
Connecting a client computer with the Microsoft Windows operating system to a Cloud Server with the Microsoft Windows operating system:
Connecting to Windows Server via Remote Desktop
Establishing a connection from a client computer with the Microsoft Windows operating system to a Cloud Server with the Linux operating system:
Establish an SSH connection to your Linux server on a computer with Microsoft Windows
Establish a connection from a client computer with the Linux operating system to a Cloud Server with the Linux operating system:
Establish an SSH connection to your Linux server on a Linux computer
If your server is running but can no longer be reached via SSH or remote desktop connection, you can log in to the server using the remote console. The remote console allows you to remotely maintain the system as if you were sitting in front of it. You can follow the system messages just like on a "real" screen and interact with the server at any time. For example, the server can be booted with different boot options in the event of start-up difficulties. The remote console is particularly suitable for advanced troubleshooting. You can find instructions on how to establish a connection to your Cloud Server using the remote console in the following article:
Using the remote console for server access (VPS Linux and VPS Windows)
Configuring a domain
You can access your server directly via the public IP or the automatically generated host name. However, to make your website easily accessible to your customers, you need a domain name. Connect this domain to the static IP address of the server so that the domain points to your server. This is possible by configuring an A record (Address Resource Record) or an AAAA record. How to do this is explained in the following articles:
Order domain as IONOS customer
Safety recommendations
Create backups
Protecting your server is crucial for the security of your data. This is particularly important in the event of a server failure. We therefore strongly recommend that you create regular backups.
You can use Cloud Backup, for example, to create backups of your servers. This backup solution is particularly suitable for planned, medium and long-term backups. These backups are managed by you in a backup console. You can find more information about Cloud Backup in the following article:
Keeping your operating system up to date
When you order a server from IONOS, it is always delivered with the latest available update for the operating system or the respective distribution. After deployment, you should always keep the server up to date. This task is up to you or your administrator.
Operating system updates mainly provide two types of functionality: new features, or fixing bugs or security vulnerabilities. If there is a security vulnerability in the operating system installed on a server and it is not fixed, cyber criminals can exploit this vulnerability to gain access to the server. Patch management is therefore an important part of maintaining your systems. As the timely application of security updates is one of the most important and effective things you can do to protect your server, your patch management should be as efficient as possible.
For more information on server security, see the following articles:
Important Security Information for Your Linux Server (Part 1 of 2)
Important security information for your Linux server (part 2 of 2)
Important security information for your Windows server (part 1 of 2)
Important security information for your Windows server (part 2 of 2)