Looking for professional maintenance for your Hetzner servers? WZ-IT takes over operations, updates and monitoring of your existing infrastructure. View our Managed Hetzner Services or directly request a Server Audit.
Hetzner provides cloud and dedicated infrastructure with transparent plans. For Cloud and dedicated servers, operation, maintenance, and security of the instance remain the client's responsibility according to Hetzner's responsibility matrix. Hetzner's own Managed Server is a separate product and provides clients without root access. When the Managed Server is enough and when a managed root server fits better is covered in Hetzner Managed Server vs. server management.
For many companies and agencies, this becomes a problem. The server is initially set up, but there's no time for maintenance in day-to-day business. Updates are postponed ("Never touch a running system"), backups aren't verified and monitoring often doesn't exist.
This is exactly where we come in. We take over professional maintenance of your existing Hetzner servers.
Table of Contents
- The Problem: Managing Servers "On the Side"
- The Solution: Managed Operations (Server Adoption)
- Our Services in Detail
- Special Case: Proxmox & Legacy Systems
- How much does Hetzner server management cost?
- How Does the Handover Work?
- Our Approach at WZ-IT
- Sources
The Problem: Managing Servers "On the Side"
In many companies, the lead developer or CEO manages Linux servers "on the side". This is risky:
Security vulnerabilities: An outdated kernel or unpatched Docker version are gateways for ransomware.
Flying blind: Without monitoring, full disks, unavailable services, or unusual load are often first reported by users.
Vacation risk: What happens when the server fails while the only "admin" is on vacation?
The Solution: Managed Operations (Server Adoption)
We offer a managed service on your infrastructure. This is what sets us apart from traditional managed hosters:
The server stays with you: You keep your Hetzner account, contracts and full commercial control.
No migration needed: We take over ("adopt") the server where it is. Whether AX-Line, EX-Line or Cloud Instance.
Transparency: We work via SSH on your system. You see exactly what we do.
Our Services in Detail
When we take over maintenance, we handle the stability and security of the operating system (Linux):
1. Patch Management
We assess security updates for the operating system and agreed system services on a risk basis. Regular and major updates are planned in maintenance windows, with restarts and dependencies considered in advance.
2. 24/7 Monitoring & Hardware Health
We install our monitoring agents. We monitor not just "Is the server up?" but deep metrics:
- Disk and RAID: Where hardware and configuration expose suitable signals, health and error indicators are monitored.
- System load and memory: Thresholds surface unusual developments.
- Backup status: Agreed backup jobs are checked for execution status and errors.
Monitoring runs around the clock. Whether and how quickly WZ-IT handles an alert depends on the selected service level. With Monitoring Only, our team reviews alerts and notifies your team during service hours.
3. Managed Backups (Hetzner Storage Box)
A backup on the same disk does not protect against a system failure. We set up encrypted offsite backups, for example on Hetzner Storage Boxes or another separate target. BorgBackup or Restic can encrypt and deduplicate data before transfer. Retention, deletion rights, and restore tests are defined around RPO, RTO, and data volume.
4. Firewall & Security Hardening
We configure the Hetzner Cloud Firewall (upstream) and local firewalls (nftables/ufw) to open only absolutely necessary ports. SSH access is hardened (Key-Only, Fail2Ban).
Special Case: Proxmox & Legacy Systems
Do you have a Proxmox cluster or use older software (legacy)? We manage that too.
Proxmox: We handle updates, Ceph storage health and complex network routing on Hetzner (vSwitch, failover IPs).
Legacy: We only take over systems with an end-of-life operating system after a risk assessment and with an agreed upgrade or migration path.
How much does Hetzner server management cost?
Monitoring Only starts at EUR 49.90 net per server and month; our team reviews alerts and notifies your team during service hours. Standard operations for one existing Linux server start at EUR 149.90 net per month. Progressive volume pricing applies to additional similarly operated servers in the same client environment. Final scope is confirmed after the technical audit; infrastructure charges continue to be billed directly by Hetzner.
How Does the Handover Work?
The process is standardized and secure:
- Server Audit: First, we conduct an inventory (security check, log analysis) to assess the condition.
- Onboarding: We set up our monitoring users and SSH keys.
- Operations: Patching, monitoring, backups, and incident handling begin under the documented scope and selected service level.
Our Approach at WZ-IT
When taking over existing servers, we proceed systematically:
- Inventory: Which services are running? Which versions? Are there known issues?
- Risk assessment: Where are the biggest gaps (outdated packages, missing backups, open ports)?
- Prioritization: Critical security issues first, then stability, then optimization.
- Documentation: We document everything we do – for transparency and in case you no longer need us someday.
We see ourselves as an extension of your team, not a black box.
Conclusion: Focus on Your Business
Hetzner provides the infrastructure. WZ-IT can add planning, migration, and agreed ongoing operations.
Want to put your servers in professional hands?
Check out our Managed Hetzner Services or start directly with a Server Audit.
