As part of our infrastructure team, a big part of my day-to-day work revolves around managing Linux servers in the cloud. For us, AWS is the platform of choice. It gives us the flexibility to quickly deploy resources while keeping costs and security under control.

Why AWS Works for Us

AWS lets us scale up or down as needed, which is key for managing budgets and project timelines. When we’re building out new environments—whether for testing or production—we can start small and scale once we’re ready to go live. This helps avoid the common trap of over-provisioning resources that sit idle for months.

How We Build and Secure Servers

When setting up servers, we currently use a standard, secure base provided by AWS called Amazon Linux 2023. This helps us stay consistent and up to date with patches and security best practices.

We configure each server to:

• Sit inside the correct network environment (AWS VPCs and security zones)
• Have limited and controlled access (only specific users and IPs)
• Communicate with other AWS services (like storage or monitoring tools) if needed, but only with the permissions it requires

From the start, security is baked in. We restrict public access wherever possible and follow the principle of least privilege when it comes to user and system permissions.

Staying On Top of Monitoring and Uptime

Keeping services available and performing well is critical. We rely on a mix of AWS’s built-in tools and third-party monitoring platforms to track performance, uptime, and potential security issues.

If something does go down—or looks like it might—we have alerting systems in place that notify us immediately so we can take action.

Lessons Learned

A few things we’ve picked up over time:

• Tag everything early. It’s a headache to organize resources later
• Stay on top of backups. You don’t want to find out you missed one when you need it most
• EBS snapshots and orphaned volumes are easy to forget—schedule cleanup reminders
• Watch IAM security permissions closely. Small oversights can create big risks

Final Thoughts

Running infrastructure in AWS gives us speed and flexibility, but it comes with responsibility. By focusing on security, monitoring, and smart resource management, we’re able to deliver reliable and efficient systems to support the business.

If you’re exploring AWS or just curious about what goes on behind the scenes, contact OPG today to get an even closer look.