Server management is an essential part of operating modern IT systems, and it requires professionalism to ensure availability, performance, and security. With the constant expansion of technological infrastructures, server management tools have become more essential than ever. These tools enable system administrators to manage and monitor servers automatically, reduce response times to malfunctions, and improve decision-making capabilities through real-time data.
Among other things, server management tools help automate routine tasks, backups, updates, and permissions management, while minimizing human error. Proper use of advanced server management tools can reduce operating costs and improve system stability and user experience. Here are some server management tools that everyone in the field should be familiar with in 2025.
Graylog - Log Management and Monitoring
Graylog is an advanced open-source log management and monitoring platform designed to collect, process, and analyze log data from a variety of sources within an organization. The system is based on Java and relies on Elasticsearch for data storage and indexing, enabling it to handle large volumes of information efficiently.
Key Features
- Log collection from diverse sources: Graylog supports protocols such as Syslog, GELF, and Beats, enabling data collection from servers, applications, network equipment, and security systems.
- Advanced search and analysis interface
- Dashboards: Graylog allows you to create custom dashboards for displaying visual data.
- Alerts: Custom alerts can be set up for unusual events, enabling rapid response to malfunctions or security threats.
- Scalability: The system is designed to handle large amounts of log data and is suitable for organizations of all sizes.
Advantages of using Graylog for server management
- Rapid fault detection
- Process automation: Alerts and automation reduce the need for manual intervention, minimize human error, and increase operational efficiency.
- Improved information security: Graylog helps identify potential security threats by analyzing logs from different systems, enabling a quick response to unusual events.
- Customization and flexibility
Ansible - Server Management Automation
Ansible is an open-source automation tool designed for configuration management, application deployment, and IT task orchestration. The system was developed in Python and is lightweight and flexible. Ansible operates in an agentless model, using the SSH protocol to communicate with servers.
Key Features
- Ansible enables the definition and management of system configurations using Playbooks written in YAML, which define the desired state of the systems.
- Application Deployment: The system supports automatic deployment of applications in different environments. SSH-based security
- Modularity and flexibility: Ansible includes hundreds of modules that enable integration with a wide range of services and technologies, including cloud services, databases, and various operating systems.
Advantages of using Ansible for server management
- Simplicity and ease of use: YAML settings and readable syntax allow system administrators to define configurations and tasks in a clear and understandable way, even without in-depth programming knowledge.
- The fact that there is no need to install agents on the servers reduces operational complexity and minimizes information security risks.
- Scalability: Ansible is suitable for managing a small number of servers up to hundreds and thousands of servers, with the ability to easily expand the scope of management.
- Integration with cloud services
- Active community and broad support
Zabbix - System monitoring
Zabbix is an enterprise-level open source platform for monitoring IT systems, servers, networks, applications, and services.
Key features
- Zabbix can monitor a wide range of parameters, including CPU usage, memory, disk space, network traffic, service availability, and application performance.
- The system supports various data collection methods, such as SNMP, IPMI, JMX, Zabbix agents, and custom scripts.
- Powerful alerting system: You can set triggers based on thresholds and receive alerts via email, SMS, or integration with fault management systems.
- Distributed monitoring: Zabbix supports proxy deployment for monitoring remote or large environments, with centralized management via a web interface.
Advantages of using Zabbix for server management
- Open source and free
- The system is suitable for monitoring from a small number of servers to thousands of devices, with the ability to handle millions of checks per minute.
- Security and reliability: Zabbix provides secure authentication mechanisms, support for encrypted connections, and the ability to deploy in high availability configurations to ensure service continuity.
Nginx
Nginx (pronounced "Engine X") is an open source web server focused on high performance and efficient resource utilization. It was developed by Igor Sysoev in 2002.
Key Features
- Nginx uses an asynchronous, event-driven architecture, which allows it to handle a large number of connections simultaneously with minimal resource utilization.
- The server excels at serving static files such as HTML, CSS, and images, which improves website loading times.
- Load Balancing: Able to distribute traffic across multiple servers, thereby improving application stability and performance.
Advantages of using Nginx for server management
- High performance: Nginx's unique architecture allows it to handle high loads and a large number of simultaneous connections with low memory consumption.
- It is known for its stability and ability to handle heavy traffic without crashing, making it a preferred choice for high-traffic websites.
- The server supports a wide range of modules and can be customized to specific needs, including integration with applications such as WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla.
- Server settings can be updated and changes applied without the need to restart, ensuring service availability.
IPTables - Firewall for network traffic management
IPTables is a powerful command-line tool for managing firewalls on Linux systems, allowing system administrators to define rules for filtering incoming and outgoing network traffic. The tool acts as a front end to the Netfilter module in the Linux kernel, providing an interface for defining system-level security policies.
Key Features
- Packet Filtering: The tool allows you to define precise rules for filtering network packets based on IP addresses, ports, protocols, and other characteristics, thereby controlling which traffic is allowed and which is blocked.
- Network Address Translation (NAT): The tool supports Network Address Translation, which allows routing and changing packet IP addresses, thereby enabling Internet connection sharing and hiding internal networks.
- Stateful Inspection: Able to track connection status (such as new, existing, or related connections) and apply rules accordingly, enabling more dynamic and accurate security.
- IPTables organizes rules into chains and tables, enabling flexible classification and ordering of actions for network traffic management.
Advantages of using IPTables for server management
- Full control over traffic: IPTables provides system administrators with precise control over network traffic, allowing them to set customized security policies for each server or network.
- High performance: As part of the Linux kernel, IPTables operates with high efficiency and minimal impact on system performance.
- Flexibility and Customization
- Easy integration with additional tools