Linux Server Administration and Cloud Infrastructure in Calgary
Our core engineering work: administering the Linux servers, hosting, containers, cloud accounts, private OpenStack clouds, and databases your business runs on. We deliver dependable engineering across Linux servers, virtualization, web hosting, Docker containers, AWS, private cloud, databases, security hardening, backups, monitoring, migrations, and on-call 24/7 support. Every task is scoped in writing before billable work begins, with zero contract lock-in.
Why it matters
Disciplined server maintenance prevents unexpected outages and preserves operational autonomy.
Preventing emergency downtime through disciplined maintenance
Most Linux server failures are not sudden catastrophic crashes, but the cumulative result of neglected routine maintenance. Unmonitored log files gradually fill root filesystems, outdated TLS certificates expire unannounced, or unpatched vulnerabilities expose data. Having experienced administrators maintain your systems ensures infrastructure remains boring, predictable, and resilient.
Full documentation and total operational ownership
You always retain complete ownership and understanding of your server infrastructure. Every configuration tweak, systemd service file, and firewall rule is documented in clear, written runbooks. We never lock you into proprietary management tools or undocumented black-box scripts; any competent engineer can inspect and build upon our work at any time.
Workload isolation and hardware efficiency
Consolidating multiple isolated workloads onto disciplined hypervisors or container environments extracts maximum performance from physical hardware while preventing a single crashed service from impacting the rest of the business.
Transparent hourly billing with written project scoping
Infrastructure support is delivered on a transparent hourly basis ($115 to $150 CAD/hour) with agreed written estimates before work commences. Zero mandatory long-term retainers, zero per-seat licensing traps, and no surprise invoices.
Who this is for
Our server and cloud services are engineered for organizations that need senior technical care without full-time overhead.
- Calgary businesses running Debian, Ubuntu, RHEL, Rocky, or CentOS servers without a dedicated full-time systems administrator on staff.
- Software development agencies needing reliable production environments with reproducible server configurations, automated build pipelines, and zero surprise downtime.
- Companies dealing with inherited or orphaned Linux infrastructure where the original developer or contractor is no longer available to support it.
- Organizations preparing for cyber insurance renewals, compliance audits, or client security assessments requiring documented maintenance logs and patch histories.
- Growing teams migrating legacy internal workloads from aging on-premises hardware to modern, hardened Linux virtual machines or cloud instances.
- Businesses outgrowing shared hosting or standard VPS limits that need hypervisor consolidation, custom Docker stacks, or isolated private cloud clusters.
Direct Senior Systems Engineering
Work directly with senior engineers. Every production maintenance window, migration, or hardening task is estimated and agreed upon in writing before changes begin.
What is included
Comprehensive engineering covering the twelve core server, hosting, and cloud specializations across your infrastructure:
Linux Server Administration
Provisioning, patching, user and permissions management, systemd daemon configuration, and general upkeep for Debian, Ubuntu, RHEL, and CentOS servers across bare metal, VPS, or cloud hosts.
Virtualization with KVM & Proxmox
KVM and Proxmox VE virtual machines for isolating production workloads, consolidating services, and getting more compute capacity out of existing office and data center hardware.
Web Hosting & Server Setup
Production Nginx and Apache web stacks, automated TLS certificates, staging environments, and deployment pipelines configured and maintained for zero-downtime operations.
Docker & Container Services
Docker images and multi-container Compose stacks configured for reproducible deployments, health monitoring, and data persistence without turning into an unmaintained container sprawl.
AWS & Cloud Services
EC2, RDS, S3, and VPC architecture right-sized for a growing business, focused on predictable cost control, security baselines, and reliable operation rather than enterprise bill inflation.
Private Cloud with OpenStack
Your own private cloud on dedicated hardware: OpenStack architecture designed, deployed, and operated for organizations seeking data custody alternatives to public hyperscalers.
Database Administration
PostgreSQL and MySQL database tuning, replication clustering, automated backup validation, and query performance optimization to prevent latency and data loss.
Security & Hardening
Host firewalls, SSH key lockdown, vulnerability patching cadence, and comprehensive security reviews that keep business infrastructure protected and audit-ready.
Backup & Disaster Recovery
Automated local and offsite backups, routine test restores, and documented recovery runbooks so a hardware failure is a routine procedure rather than an emergency.
Monitoring & Maintenance
Real-time uptime, resource saturation, and system log monitoring with automated alerting that reaches senior engineers before users notice an outage.
Migration Services
Migrating workloads off aging physical hardware, legacy hosting providers, or between cloud platforms with downtime planned, tested, and agreed in advance.
On-Call Server Support
After-hours escalation and emergency troubleshooting for production outages, with response targets and engineering coverage agreed in writing.
Process and written scope
Every server and cloud engagement follows four disciplined milestones before changes touch production:
1. Comprehensive System Audit & Inventory
We begin by cataloging every listening daemon, network port, cron job, active user account, package version, kernel release, and existing backup routine before making any changes.
2. Security Baseline Hardening & Remediation
We close unneeded public ports, enforce Ed25519 SSH keys while disabling password authentication, configure host firewalls, remove obsolete packages, and establish clean log rotation.
3. Scheduled Patching & Maintenance Windows
Security errata and kernel updates are scheduled during agreed low-traffic windows, preceded by filesystem snapshots and followed by service health validation tests.
4. Proactive Health Monitoring & Incident Response
Disk space, memory utilization, CPU load averages, and critical daemons are continuously monitored with automated alerting and documented escalation runbooks.
Practical guide & common pitfalls
Recurring infrastructure failure patterns we identify and eliminate across business environments:
The Unmonitored Log File Trap
Unchecked application logs or core dumps can quietly consume 100% of the root filesystem, leading to sudden database corruption and frozen system services. We enforce automated logrotate policies and proactive disk quota alerting.
Unverified and Untested Backups
A backup job completing with an exit code of zero does not mean your data is recoverable. Backups must be validated with regular automated restore tests to non-production environments to ensure data integrity.
Orphaned SSH Access & Password Auth
Leaving password authentication enabled or failing to revoke SSH keys when contractors or employees leave creates significant security vulnerabilities. We enforce strict Ed25519 key authentication and least-privilege sudo policies.
Over-Allocating Hypervisor Resources
Overcommitting CPU and RAM without proper NUMA node awareness or disk I/O scheduling leads to unpredictable virtual machine latency spikes. Host hardware capacity must be measured against real workload requirements.
Rates
$115–$150 per hour
Server and cloud infrastructure services in Calgary. Fixed-scope project quotes are available on request, and scope and cost are confirmed in writing before work starts.
Frequently asked questions
Do you manage servers you didn't originally set up?
Yes. Much of our work begins with inherited systems: auditing existing configurations, documenting services, fixing immediate security or stability issues, and establishing ongoing maintenance.
Which Linux distributions do you support in production?
Debian, Ubuntu LTS, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), Rocky Linux, and CentOS. We work with both bare-metal installations and virtualized environments.
How is Linux server and cloud infrastructure support billed?
Work is billed at our published rates between $115 and $150 CAD per hour depending on technical complexity, with all tasks scoped and approved in writing before billable time begins.
Can you provide emergency support if our server goes down?
Yes. We offer incident response and troubleshooting for critical server outages, focusing on root-cause diagnosis, service restoration, and post-incident hardening.
Do you provide on-site service in Calgary if physical hardware fails?
Yes. While routine administration is handled remotely, we provide on-site diagnostics, hardware replacement coordination, and local data recovery across the Calgary area.
Does virtualization introduce noticeable performance overhead?
Modern KVM hypervisors with hardware virtualization extensions (Intel VT-x / AMD-V) typically introduce less than 2-3% CPU overhead, making it ideal for isolating production workloads.
Describe the infrastructure problem you need help with
Describe your setup and what is bothering you. You get a straight answer on scope and cost, not a sales script.