Managed Linux servers: administration and ongoing operations
Patching, hardening, monitoring with response and backup management - for your servers at Hetzner, OVH, IONOS, netcup or in your own rack. Your servers remain with your provider and in your account.
On-premiseCompanies worldwide trust WZ-IT
The following are trademarks of their respective owners: Hetzner (Hetzner Online GmbH), OVHcloud (OVH Groupe SAS), IONOS (IONOS SE), netcup (netcup GmbH), Contabo (Contabo GmbH). WZ-IT is an independent service provider and has no business, partnership, or contractual relationship with these companies. We offer independent migration, installation, hosting, and operations services.
Service scope
Monitoring or full operations
With Monitoring Only, alerts go to your team; response by WZ-IT is not included. Your servers remain in your provider account. The first managed Linux server starts at €149.90; progressive volume pricing applies from the second server.
Providers deliver the hardware - nobody delivers operations
This is exactly the gap we close as a server management provider: server administration as a service, without your servers having to move.
The hoster is out
With unmanaged root and dedicated servers, the hoster documentation explicitly excludes OS maintenance, updates, monitoring and backups. You get bare metal with a network port - full responsibility for operations stays with you.
The admin bottleneck
A single admin on the team is an operational risk: vacation, illness or resignation, and suddenly patches pile up, backups run unverified and nobody knows the organically grown configuration.
Alerts without response
Monitoring tools deliver alerts reliably - but nobody responds at three in the morning. An alert without a defined response is not operations, just a notification about the outage.
Operations as a service - without forced migration
- Your servers stay where they are: with your provider, in your account. No forced migration.
- Patching, hardening and backup management - restore tests according to the agreed scope instead of blanket promises.
- Monitoring including response: we see the alert and act instead of just delivering it.
- Clear responsibility via SLA and documented operations with regular reports.
Linux system administration in ongoing operations
Six building blocks that together form operations - from server administration to reporting.
OS Patching & Dist Upgrades
Security updates promptly, larger updates in coordinated maintenance windows. Dist upgrades (e.g. Debian, Ubuntu LTS) are planned with testing and a rollback strategy.
Security Hardening
SSH hardening, firewall (nftables), fail2ban and a CIS-oriented baseline. We close the typical entry points before anyone finds them.
Monitoring incl. Response
Onboarding to our highly available Zabbix cluster, with maintained templates and escalation chains.
More about Managed ZabbixBackup Management & Recovery
We monitor the agreed backup jobs and retention. Restore tests, immutable backups and RTO/RPO are explicitly designed where required.
Incident & Abuse Handling
For incidents we analyze, fix and escalate - including coordination with the provider. We handle abuse reports before the hoster suspends the server.
Operations Documentation & Patch Reports
Your systems are documented, not just stored in heads. Regular reports show applied patches, handled alerts and backup status.
One operating model for your infrastructure and additional systems
The provider is only one operating location. WZ-IT connects servers, clouds, and on-premises systems into a documented environment with consistent monitoring, controlled access, and one coordinated service level.
Location and control
Contracts, accounts, and administrative control remain with you. We take over the agreed technical operations without moving the infrastructure into a closed hosting product.
Private connectivity
NetBird, WireGuard, or existing site connections integrate further clouds, Proxmox systems, and on-premises networks through controlled paths.
Operations and response
Monitoring, updates, backups, documentation, and incident response are designed across all participating systems and operated according to the selected service level.
Calculate server operations by quantity and service level
The calculator combines the BYOI base price with the required response model. Infrastructure remains in your account or data center.
Managed servers
Physical or virtual Linux servers in an existing customer infrastructure.
Progressive pricing per coherent customer environment: first server €149.90, servers 2–5 €119.90 each, servers 6–10 €99.90 each. From server 11 we provide a custom offer.
Enquiry
Request server management
For an initial assessment, an approximate server count, the provider and the required scope are sufficient. We only need access credentials after commissioning.
Have Your Servers Managed - at Your Provider
Whether you want a single root server managed or an entire cloud environment: we operate your servers where they run today. No move, no new hosting contract - we know the quirks of each provider.
Hetzner
Dedicated (AX/EX), Cloud, Robot, Storage Box
OVH
Bare metal & public cloud
IONOS
Dedicated servers & cloud
netcup
Root servers & vServers
Contabo
VPS & dedicated servers
DigitalOcean
Droplets, DOKS & Spaces
AWS
EC2, RDS & cloud operations
Azure
VMs, networking & cloud resources
Open Telekom Cloud
ECS, OpenStack & BSI C5 environment
STACKIT
Sovereign cloud by Schwarz Group
STRATO
Root servers and Linux VPS
Scaleway
Instances, Elastic Metal and cloud services
Exoscale
Compute, SKS and European regions
Own Rack / On-Premise
Colocation & your own hardware
How We Take Over Your Servers
Four steps from the first look at the systems to ongoing operations.
- 01
Server Audit
We assess the current state: security, update status, backups and monitoring gaps - documented and prioritized.
More about the server audit - 02
Takeover Plan
Prioritized measures: what gets hardened immediately, what goes into maintenance windows and who is responsible for what.
- 03
Monitoring & Access Onboarding
Your servers are connected to our Zabbix cluster, access and escalation chains are set up and documented.
- 04
Ongoing Operations with Reports
Patching, alerts, backups and regular operations reports - you always see what happens on your servers.
Renting a Managed Server vs. Having Your Server Managed
With a rented managed server, the hoster dictates the stack and its limits - often without root access. With us it remains your server, your root, your provider - we take over the responsibility.
| Server management (WZ-IT) | Rent a managed server | |
|---|---|---|
| Root access | Full root access, at any time | Often restricted or not available at all |
| Stack & versions | You decide - we operate what you need | The hoster dictates stack, versions and limits |
| Provider & contract | Your provider, your account - no forced migration | Server and contract sit with the hoster |
| Monitoring & response | Monitoring including response by our team | Basic checks on their own platform |
| Exit & switching | Your servers remain yours; exit and handover are contractually defined | Switching means migrating the entire system |
Operations that visibly relieve customers
Customer feedback on monitoring, updates, maintenance, support and stable production systems.
“Professional, honest and technically thoroughly sound: WZ-IT set up our Proxmox and backup infrastructure securely and future-proof. The consulting from Timo and Robin was objective and needs-driven, the implementation smooth and the final documentation exemplary. You can tell immediately that business-critical infrastructure is thought through holistically from the outset here and implemented with clear ownership.”
Pascal Block
Project Manager, Stadtwerke Brühl GmbH
Stadtwerke Brühl - municipal energy and infrastructure utility.
“WZ-IT provided very competent support in implementing our server and virtualization infrastructure. As part of the project, a Proxmox-based virtualization environment was set up along with a virtual machine for our application systems. Additionally, a structured backup concept was implemented. A particular focus was on security: the setup of a VPN tunnel and the clean implementation of encryption and access concepts were professionally executed. The structured consulting as well as the reliable and swift implementation deserve special mention. We are very satisfied with the services provided and are happy to recommend WZ-IT.”
John Hellmerichs
Managing Director, AInergy GmbH
AInergy - consultancy for energy and facility management.
“WZ-IT manages our Proxmox cluster reliably and professionally. The team handles continuous monitoring and regular updates for us and responds very quickly to any issues or inquiries. They also configure new nodes, systems, and applications that we need to add to our cluster. With WZ-IT's proactive support, our cluster and the business-critical applications running on it remain stable, and high availability is consistently ensured. We value the professional collaboration and the noticeable relief it brings to our daily operations.”
Pascal Hakkers
Aphy AG
Aphy AG - AI platform for hotel back-office.
“Communication with WZ-IT was open, friendly and professional from the very beginning. Mr. Wevelsiep and Mr. Zins responded to every one of our questions patiently, promptly and respectfully, and contributed their own suggestions and good ideas on how to modernize our server infrastructure and adapt it even better to our needs. Throughout, WZ-IT consistently kept our need for data sovereignty and GDPR compliance in mind. Even short-notice adjustments and change requests from our side were implemented quickly and patiently and integrated consistently into the overall concept. From planning to the final handover, every step was documented transparently and comprehensively - so if a provider change should ever become necessary, the documentation would let us onboard a successor into our infrastructure very quickly. We are extremely satisfied with WZ-IT and hope to continue working together for a long time.”
Christoph Mußmann
Project Officer, DGHO e.V.
DGHO - German Society for Hematology and Medical Oncology.
“Timo and Robin from WZ-IT set up a RocketChat server for us - and I couldn't be more satisfied! From the initial consultation to the final implementation, everything was absolutely professional, efficient, and to my complete satisfaction. I particularly appreciate the clear communication, transparent pricing, and the comprehensive expertise that both bring to the table. Even after the setup, they take care of the maintenance, which frees up my time enormously and allows me to focus on other important areas of my business - with the good feeling that our IT is in the best hands. I can recommend WZ-IT without reservation and look forward to continuing our collaboration! (translated)”
Sebastian Maier
Managing Director, Yonju GmbH
Yonju - business coaching and AI products.
“I got to know Timo and Robin as dedicated and professional partners who make a lot of things possible for their clients that initially seem impossible. I felt very well advised. The services offered have thoroughly convinced me. (translated)”
Andrea Pawlowski
Communications Manager, Golem.de
Golem.de - leading German IT news outlet.
“While looking for a partner to integrate a local AI solution, we came across Timo and Robin - and could not have made a better decision. They quickly understood our requirements and solved technical challenges competently and pragmatically. We were particularly impressed by the straightforward collaboration, their high level of expertise and the speed of implementation. We are delighted to have Timo and Robin at our side as reliable business partners and look forward to our next projects together. (translated)”
Henrik Jeche
Head of IT Administration
ml&s - full-service provider for the electronics industry.
“With Timo and Robin, you're not only on the safe side technically - you also get the best human support! Whether it's quick help in everyday life or complex IT solutions: the guys from WZ-IT think along with you, act quickly and speak a language you understand. The collaboration is uncomplicated, reliable and always on an equal footing. That makes IT fun - and above all: it works! Big thank you to the team! (translated)”
Sonja Aßer
Data Manager, ARGE
ARGE Neue Medien - master data & digital standards for plumbing and building technology.
“I recently worked with Timo and the WZ-IT team, and honestly, it turned out to be one of the best tech decisions I have made for my business. Right from the start, Timo took the time to walk me through every step in a simple and calm way. No matter how many questions I had, he never rushed me. The results speak for themselves. With WZ-IT, we reduced our monthly expenses from $1,300 down to $250. This was a huge win for us.”
Aleksandr Shuliko
CTO, EVA Real Estate
EVA Real Estate - leading real-estate agency in Dubai.
“We have had very good experiences with Mr. Wevelsiep and WZ-IT. The consultation was professional, clearly understandable, and at fair prices. The team not only implemented our requirements but also thought along and proactively. Instead of just processing individual tasks, they provided us with well-founded explanations that strengthened our own understanding. WZ-IT took a lot of pressure off us with their structured approach - that was exactly what we needed and is the reason why we keep coming back. (translated)”
Matthias Zimmermann
Managing Director, Annota GmbH
Annota - healthtech startup with an AI documentation assistant.
“Counting on WZ-IT team was crucial, their expertise and solutions gave us the pace to deploy in production our services, even suggesting and performing improvements over our configuration and setup. We expect to keep counting on them for continuous maintenance of our services and implementation of new solutions.”
Gabriel Sanz Señor
Managing Director, Odiseo Solutions
Odiseo Solutions - software engineering for the space industry.
“Professional, honest and technically thoroughly sound: WZ-IT set up our Proxmox and backup infrastructure securely and future-proof. The consulting from Timo and Robin was objective and needs-driven, the implementation smooth and the final documentation exemplary. You can tell immediately that business-critical infrastructure is thought through holistically from the outset here and implemented with clear ownership.”
Pascal Block
Project Manager, Stadtwerke Brühl GmbH
Stadtwerke Brühl - municipal energy and infrastructure utility.
“WZ-IT provided very competent support in implementing our server and virtualization infrastructure. As part of the project, a Proxmox-based virtualization environment was set up along with a virtual machine for our application systems. Additionally, a structured backup concept was implemented. A particular focus was on security: the setup of a VPN tunnel and the clean implementation of encryption and access concepts were professionally executed. The structured consulting as well as the reliable and swift implementation deserve special mention. We are very satisfied with the services provided and are happy to recommend WZ-IT.”
John Hellmerichs
Managing Director, AInergy GmbH
AInergy - consultancy for energy and facility management.
“WZ-IT manages our Proxmox cluster reliably and professionally. The team handles continuous monitoring and regular updates for us and responds very quickly to any issues or inquiries. They also configure new nodes, systems, and applications that we need to add to our cluster. With WZ-IT's proactive support, our cluster and the business-critical applications running on it remain stable, and high availability is consistently ensured. We value the professional collaboration and the noticeable relief it brings to our daily operations.”
Pascal Hakkers
Aphy AG
Aphy AG - AI platform for hotel back-office.
“Communication with WZ-IT was open, friendly and professional from the very beginning. Mr. Wevelsiep and Mr. Zins responded to every one of our questions patiently, promptly and respectfully, and contributed their own suggestions and good ideas on how to modernize our server infrastructure and adapt it even better to our needs. Throughout, WZ-IT consistently kept our need for data sovereignty and GDPR compliance in mind. Even short-notice adjustments and change requests from our side were implemented quickly and patiently and integrated consistently into the overall concept. From planning to the final handover, every step was documented transparently and comprehensively - so if a provider change should ever become necessary, the documentation would let us onboard a successor into our infrastructure very quickly. We are extremely satisfied with WZ-IT and hope to continue working together for a long time.”
Christoph Mußmann
Project Officer, DGHO e.V.
DGHO - German Society for Hematology and Medical Oncology.
“Timo and Robin from WZ-IT set up a RocketChat server for us - and I couldn't be more satisfied! From the initial consultation to the final implementation, everything was absolutely professional, efficient, and to my complete satisfaction. I particularly appreciate the clear communication, transparent pricing, and the comprehensive expertise that both bring to the table. Even after the setup, they take care of the maintenance, which frees up my time enormously and allows me to focus on other important areas of my business - with the good feeling that our IT is in the best hands. I can recommend WZ-IT without reservation and look forward to continuing our collaboration! (translated)”
Sebastian Maier
Managing Director, Yonju GmbH
Yonju - business coaching and AI products.
“I got to know Timo and Robin as dedicated and professional partners who make a lot of things possible for their clients that initially seem impossible. I felt very well advised. The services offered have thoroughly convinced me. (translated)”
Andrea Pawlowski
Communications Manager, Golem.de
Golem.de - leading German IT news outlet.
“While looking for a partner to integrate a local AI solution, we came across Timo and Robin - and could not have made a better decision. They quickly understood our requirements and solved technical challenges competently and pragmatically. We were particularly impressed by the straightforward collaboration, their high level of expertise and the speed of implementation. We are delighted to have Timo and Robin at our side as reliable business partners and look forward to our next projects together. (translated)”
Henrik Jeche
Head of IT Administration
ml&s - full-service provider for the electronics industry.
“With Timo and Robin, you're not only on the safe side technically - you also get the best human support! Whether it's quick help in everyday life or complex IT solutions: the guys from WZ-IT think along with you, act quickly and speak a language you understand. The collaboration is uncomplicated, reliable and always on an equal footing. That makes IT fun - and above all: it works! Big thank you to the team! (translated)”
Sonja Aßer
Data Manager, ARGE
ARGE Neue Medien - master data & digital standards for plumbing and building technology.
“I recently worked with Timo and the WZ-IT team, and honestly, it turned out to be one of the best tech decisions I have made for my business. Right from the start, Timo took the time to walk me through every step in a simple and calm way. No matter how many questions I had, he never rushed me. The results speak for themselves. With WZ-IT, we reduced our monthly expenses from $1,300 down to $250. This was a huge win for us.”
Aleksandr Shuliko
CTO, EVA Real Estate
EVA Real Estate - leading real-estate agency in Dubai.
“We have had very good experiences with Mr. Wevelsiep and WZ-IT. The consultation was professional, clearly understandable, and at fair prices. The team not only implemented our requirements but also thought along and proactively. Instead of just processing individual tasks, they provided us with well-founded explanations that strengthened our own understanding. WZ-IT took a lot of pressure off us with their structured approach - that was exactly what we needed and is the reason why we keep coming back. (translated)”
Matthias Zimmermann
Managing Director, Annota GmbH
Annota - healthtech startup with an AI documentation assistant.
“Counting on WZ-IT team was crucial, their expertise and solutions gave us the pace to deploy in production our services, even suggesting and performing improvements over our configuration and setup. We expect to keep counting on them for continuous maintenance of our services and implementation of new solutions.”
Gabriel Sanz Señor
Managing Director, Odiseo Solutions
Odiseo Solutions - software engineering for the space industry.
“Professional, honest and technically thoroughly sound: WZ-IT set up our Proxmox and backup infrastructure securely and future-proof. The consulting from Timo and Robin was objective and needs-driven, the implementation smooth and the final documentation exemplary. You can tell immediately that business-critical infrastructure is thought through holistically from the outset here and implemented with clear ownership.”
Pascal Block
Project Manager, Stadtwerke Brühl GmbH
Stadtwerke Brühl - municipal energy and infrastructure utility.
“WZ-IT provided very competent support in implementing our server and virtualization infrastructure. As part of the project, a Proxmox-based virtualization environment was set up along with a virtual machine for our application systems. Additionally, a structured backup concept was implemented. A particular focus was on security: the setup of a VPN tunnel and the clean implementation of encryption and access concepts were professionally executed. The structured consulting as well as the reliable and swift implementation deserve special mention. We are very satisfied with the services provided and are happy to recommend WZ-IT.”
John Hellmerichs
Managing Director, AInergy GmbH
AInergy - consultancy for energy and facility management.
“WZ-IT manages our Proxmox cluster reliably and professionally. The team handles continuous monitoring and regular updates for us and responds very quickly to any issues or inquiries. They also configure new nodes, systems, and applications that we need to add to our cluster. With WZ-IT's proactive support, our cluster and the business-critical applications running on it remain stable, and high availability is consistently ensured. We value the professional collaboration and the noticeable relief it brings to our daily operations.”
Pascal Hakkers
Aphy AG
Aphy AG - AI platform for hotel back-office.
“Communication with WZ-IT was open, friendly and professional from the very beginning. Mr. Wevelsiep and Mr. Zins responded to every one of our questions patiently, promptly and respectfully, and contributed their own suggestions and good ideas on how to modernize our server infrastructure and adapt it even better to our needs. Throughout, WZ-IT consistently kept our need for data sovereignty and GDPR compliance in mind. Even short-notice adjustments and change requests from our side were implemented quickly and patiently and integrated consistently into the overall concept. From planning to the final handover, every step was documented transparently and comprehensively - so if a provider change should ever become necessary, the documentation would let us onboard a successor into our infrastructure very quickly. We are extremely satisfied with WZ-IT and hope to continue working together for a long time.”
Christoph Mußmann
Project Officer, DGHO e.V.
DGHO - German Society for Hematology and Medical Oncology.
“Timo and Robin from WZ-IT set up a RocketChat server for us - and I couldn't be more satisfied! From the initial consultation to the final implementation, everything was absolutely professional, efficient, and to my complete satisfaction. I particularly appreciate the clear communication, transparent pricing, and the comprehensive expertise that both bring to the table. Even after the setup, they take care of the maintenance, which frees up my time enormously and allows me to focus on other important areas of my business - with the good feeling that our IT is in the best hands. I can recommend WZ-IT without reservation and look forward to continuing our collaboration! (translated)”
Sebastian Maier
Managing Director, Yonju GmbH
Yonju - business coaching and AI products.
“I got to know Timo and Robin as dedicated and professional partners who make a lot of things possible for their clients that initially seem impossible. I felt very well advised. The services offered have thoroughly convinced me. (translated)”
Andrea Pawlowski
Communications Manager, Golem.de
Golem.de - leading German IT news outlet.
“While looking for a partner to integrate a local AI solution, we came across Timo and Robin - and could not have made a better decision. They quickly understood our requirements and solved technical challenges competently and pragmatically. We were particularly impressed by the straightforward collaboration, their high level of expertise and the speed of implementation. We are delighted to have Timo and Robin at our side as reliable business partners and look forward to our next projects together. (translated)”
Henrik Jeche
Head of IT Administration
ml&s - full-service provider for the electronics industry.
“With Timo and Robin, you're not only on the safe side technically - you also get the best human support! Whether it's quick help in everyday life or complex IT solutions: the guys from WZ-IT think along with you, act quickly and speak a language you understand. The collaboration is uncomplicated, reliable and always on an equal footing. That makes IT fun - and above all: it works! Big thank you to the team! (translated)”
Sonja Aßer
Data Manager, ARGE
ARGE Neue Medien - master data & digital standards for plumbing and building technology.
“I recently worked with Timo and the WZ-IT team, and honestly, it turned out to be one of the best tech decisions I have made for my business. Right from the start, Timo took the time to walk me through every step in a simple and calm way. No matter how many questions I had, he never rushed me. The results speak for themselves. With WZ-IT, we reduced our monthly expenses from $1,300 down to $250. This was a huge win for us.”
Aleksandr Shuliko
CTO, EVA Real Estate
EVA Real Estate - leading real-estate agency in Dubai.
“We have had very good experiences with Mr. Wevelsiep and WZ-IT. The consultation was professional, clearly understandable, and at fair prices. The team not only implemented our requirements but also thought along and proactively. Instead of just processing individual tasks, they provided us with well-founded explanations that strengthened our own understanding. WZ-IT took a lot of pressure off us with their structured approach - that was exactly what we needed and is the reason why we keep coming back. (translated)”
Matthias Zimmermann
Managing Director, Annota GmbH
Annota - healthtech startup with an AI documentation assistant.
“Counting on WZ-IT team was crucial, their expertise and solutions gave us the pace to deploy in production our services, even suggesting and performing improvements over our configuration and setup. We expect to keep counting on them for continuous maintenance of our services and implementation of new solutions.”
Gabriel Sanz Señor
Managing Director, Odiseo Solutions
Odiseo Solutions - software engineering for the space industry.
Further Guides
The right entry points and additions to server management.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the most important questions
The BYOI operations base is progressive within one coherent customer environment: the first server is €149.90 net per month, servers 2 to 5 are €119.90 each and servers 6 to 10 are €99.90 each. From server 11 we provide a custom offer. Essential is included; Business, Priority, Production and Critical can be added per customer environment. Final scope is confirmed after the infrastructure audit. Monitoring-only without operational takeover starts separately at €79.90 per month.
No. Your servers stay where they are: with your provider, in your account and under your contract. We only need administrative access (SSH key, technical user). There is no forced migration and no vendor lock-in - you retain full commercial and technical control.
Debian, Ubuntu and RHEL derivatives such as AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux are our daily business. We also take over older systems (e.g. CentOS 7 or Ubuntu 18.04) - including hardening the current state and a joint plan for a dist upgrade or migration to a supported version.
We do not provide staff leasing or an arbitrarily on-demand individual administrator. WZ-IT takes responsibility for a documented operating scope as a team, including cover, monitoring, maintenance processes, and an agreed service level. Clearly scoped projects or additional planned work are proposed separately.
Monitoring runs around the clock in every service level. Contractual 24/7 human response applies to P1 incidents in Production within 60 minutes and Critical within 30 minutes including callback. Essential, Business and Priority use defined Monday-to-Friday service windows.
We analyse and contain the incident within the agreed action boundaries, for example by isolating a specifically compromised system or account. Restoration of production data requires explicit approval or an agreed runbook and recovery scope. Actions and causes are documented.
Yes. The agreed operating scope includes traceable documentation of patches, handled alerts, incidents and backup status. Restore tests and special recovery evidence are separately agreed in scope so reporting matches the service actually delivered.
We usually start the server audit within a few business days. Monitoring onboarding and access takeover follow right after. How quickly we assume full responsibility depends on the state of the systems - we define the takeover plan together after the audit.
Let's talk about your project - honest and no strings attached
- Straight with Timo and Robin - no sales team, no pitch
- An honest take, including when we are not the right fit
- Concrete next steps for infrastructure, software or AI
No risk: worst case, you leave with a clearer understanding of your project than before.
“WZ-IT's advice on our Azure migration was technically sound and completely non-binding right from the intro call - we took away a great deal.”
Let's Talk About Your Idea
Whether a specific IT challenge or just an idea - we look forward to the exchange. In a brief conversation, we'll evaluate together if and how your project fits with WZ-IT.
Arrange a callback
Companies worldwide trust WZ-IT