15 years' experience in Linux server administration. Hundreds of servers installed. And until recently, it was all in one head.
In 2025, LRob enriched and customised its hosting servers to such an extent that the limit was finally reached. Each installation required intense concentration to remember every detail, every new feature, every parameter. It had become a waste of energy.
So everything was put down in black and white. 15 phases. More than 100 steps. 900 lines of procedure. 750 lines of scripts. The complete procedure for installing a’LRob hosting, from ordering the equipment to the final monitoring check.
Contents
Why document now?
Because a process that only exists in one person's memory is a fragile process. Documenting means :
- Guarantee reproducibility. Each LRob server is now strictly identical to the previous one. No forgetting, no drifting.
- Improving efficiency. Less mental workload, faster deployment.
- Preparing for what comes next. LRob is becoming a limited company this year. The day a team takes shape, the know-how will be transferable.
And above all, by putting everything on the table, unnoticed areas of automation have come to the fore. With volumes increasing rapidly in recent years, now is the right time to take this step.
What the procedure contains
Here are the 15 deployment phases of a LRob hosting server, and what's behind each one. These web hostings also include resellers and web agencies.
Phase 1 - Hardware & supplier
Selection and configuration of the physical server. RAID configuration adapted to the number of disks (RAID 1, 5 or 10), and if the server combines NVMe and HDD, setting up a Hybrid RAID to use both types of storage. Control IP failover dedicated to web hosting.
Phase 2 - Network & DNS
Configuration of hostname, IP failover, and creation of all DNS records: A, AAAA, MX, SPF, DMARC, reverse DNS. Each LRob server has a complete, compliant DNS configuration from the first minute.
Phase 3 - System configuration
OS update, installation of essential tools, and activation of TCP BBR - the congestion algorithm developed by Google - to optimise network performance from the outset.
Phase 4 - Installing Plesk
Deployment of the Plesk management panel and initial configuration. At the same time, implementation of Netdata for real-time monitoring of server resources.
Phase 5 - Plesk configuration
The busiest phase. Installing and removing extensions, setting session parameters, rotating logs, activating the HTTP/3, fine configuration of the panel.ini IP security, Let's Encrypt renewal, 4096-bit RSA keys, deactivation of tracking and integrated promotional elements. Nginx optimisation with automatic workers.
Phase 6 - DNS Slave
LRob uses a distributed DNS infrastructure with three slave servers (ns1, ns2, ns3). Each new server is declared to the slaves so that DNS zones are replicated automatically. Fast, resilient DNS resolution.
Phase 7 - PHP
Installation of all available PHP versions, with exclusive activation of the Dedicated FPM - the most powerful. The default CLI limits are generous: 4 GB memory, 1 GB upload, extended timeouts. 99% needs covered without client intervention.
Phase 8 - MariaDB
Extensive optimization of MariaDB : RAM-sized buffer pool, slow query log to detect slow queries, default MB4 UTF-8 charset, and jemalloc as a memory allocator to prevent fragmentation. The kind of invisible detail that makes all the difference over time.
Phase 9 - Safety
Safety is a central pillar at LRob :
- ModSecurity (WAF) in thorough mode, with refined rules for WordPress compatibility.
- Fail2ban with customised jails: detection of scans of sensitive files (.env, .sql, .git, etc.), blocking of XML-RPC attacks, application anti-DDoS protection.
- Whitelisting trusted IPs (monitoring, legitimate crawlers, etc.).
- Reporting AbuseIPDB automatic every 15 minutes: malicious IPs are reported to the community.
Phase 10 - Email
Mail server configuration: message and connection limits, port submission, outgoing anti-spam protection with quotas per mailbox, per domain and per subscription, SPF strict with a customised error message linking to LRob documentation.
Phase 11 - DNS template
Each domain hosted by LRob automatically inherits a full DNS template NS to 4 DNS servers (1 master and 3 slaves), strict SPF, DMARC reject, CAA for Let's Encrypt, optimised SOA parameters. No DNS zone is left incomplete.
Phase 12 - Monitoring
LRob monitoring is multi-layered:
- Netdata for real-time monitoring (CPU, RAM, disk, network).
- Uptime Kuma with verification of each service (HTTPS, SMTP, DNS, ping) and Matrix alerts instant.
- An in-house script server statistics (domains, requests, bans, storage) on the lrob.fr dashboard.
- Monitoring of AbuseIPDB score on each server IP.
Phase 13 - Service plans
Create reseller plans and import hosting plans from a reference server. Each plan is finely tuned: quotas, permissions, access to tools (Git, Node.js, WP Toolkit, etc.).
Phase 14 - Backups
Automatic daily backup to a Dedicated Storage Box (Helsinki), incremental backup, monthly rotation over 12 months, snapshots of remote storage, and intelligent exclusion of unnecessary large files.
Phase 15 - Finishing
Verification of each monitoring point, definitive Plesk licence, email certificate, import of firewall rules. The server is ready to host sites.
Deployment time: 3 to 4 hours
15 phases, 100+ steps, much of it scripted. Each LRob server emerges from this procedure in a state that is strictly identical and compliant with the defined standards.
Behind the scenes: transparent migration
This professionalisation is already bearing fruit. LRob is currently carrying out a wave of migrations to a new server under Debian 13, with +15 to 35% performance for the sites concerned, thanks to a hardware upgrade to the current LRob standard. Host servers must have a minimum of 16 cores and 32 high-frequency threads with 128GB of RAM. They are also now equipped with a pair of mechanical disks in addition to large NVMe SSDs, in preparation for the return of the Nextcloud Hybrid Cloud offers large-scale storage at a low price.
For customers using LRob DNS, the migration is totally transparent: lower TTLs, seamless switchover, simple information email. No charges, no rate changes. A free gain for loyal customers - and that's how LRob maintains a retention rate of over 99%.
The direction for 2026
The line is clear: simplify, document and automate. Reduce the mental burden, save time, and lay the foundations for a structure that can grow. LRob will become a limited company this year, and each documented process is another step towards a solid, transferable business.
Every server deployed using this procedure is a server LRob is proud of. And this is just the beginning. 💪
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