Powered by happy clients

Service · 10 · Server Management Services (SMS)
ModernOps · Server

Servers,
run as a
service.

Managed hypervisors, HCI clusters, virtual machines, and Windows/Linux operating systems, with documented inventory, LogicMonitor health monitoring, ticket-driven VM operations, OS patching with rollback, and capacity planning.

How SMS works
Hypervisors managed
VMware Proxmox Hyper-V Nutanix AHV
Critical response
20minHigh severity
Capacity reviews
Monthly+ quarterly deep-dive
Patching
Pre / post+ rollback
TL;DR
ModernOps Server Management Services (SMS) operate physical hosts, hypervisors, VMs, and operating systems as a recurring infrastructure service across VMware, Proxmox, Hyper-V, Nutanix AHV, and Proxmox+Ceph HCI. Inventory documented, hosts and VMs in LogicMonitor, VM changes via tickets, OS patching with pre/post checks and rollback, capacity reviewed monthly, plus a Server & Virtualization Baseline Document delivered during onboarding.
01What is SMS

Compute
operated as a
managed
service.

Server Management Services is a managed operating model for the compute infrastructure a business runs on , physical hosts, hypervisors, hyperconverged clusters, virtual machines, and Windows/Linux operating systems. Infrastructure-layer operations: availability, performance, capacity, change control, monitoring, and patching.

ModernOps operationalizes server management through remote access via web consoles, RDP/SSH, or IPMI/iDRAC/iLO; LogicMonitor monitoring; ticket-based VM provisioning, resizing, snapshot, and migration requests; platform patching and upgrade planning; capacity planning; right-sizing advisory; and a Server & Virtualization Baseline Document delivered during onboarding.

Application-layer support is scoped separately when required, SMS is explicitly infrastructure-layer. Provisioning, changes, and snapshots run through ticketing, not chat or console drift.

Onboarding is documented: server/host inventory captured (make, model, CPU, RAM, storage, OS version, role), VM inventory captured (name, OS, vCPU, RAM, disk, purpose, backup status), cluster topology documented, hosts and VMs onboarded into LogicMonitor, backup coverage validated, and the VM provisioning/change request process defined.

Operations move toward standardized builds, monitoring, and governed change. The SOC 2 report describes a standardized process for new server and infrastructure device builds, a Patch Management Policy, proactive monitoring, and Change Control Board review for production changes.

02Who this is for

Built for the
teams that own
the platform.

Server operations show up in four conversations across IT. We answer each one with documented coverage and a defined operating model, not another spreadsheet of hosts.

01 / Executive
CIO &
VP of IT
A consistent, predictable, process-driven framework for daily IT operations and SLA-based service reporting, across hosts, hypervisors, VMs, and operating systems.
02 / Infrastructure
Infra & Systems
Engineering Lead
Operational coverage for physical hosts, hypervisors, HCI clusters, VM inventory, cluster topology, HA/failover, server monitoring, and capacity planning, all documented.
03 / Operations
IT Ops &
Service Desk
Requests, incidents, VM changes, patch work, escalations, and communication, all handled through ticketing with documented closure and clear severity-based response.
04 / Risk
Security &
Compliance Stake
Secure remote access, role-based access, encrypted credential storage, standardized builds, patch management, malware protection, and Change Control Board review on production changes.
03What we hear

Common
concerns,
addressed.

Server conversations almost always start with the same set of frustrations. We turn each one into an operating commitment, written into the SOW.

We have servers and VMs everywhere, but no clean inventory.
Onboarding collects host inventory (make, model, CPU, RAM, storage, OS, role) and VM inventory (name, OS, vCPU, RAM, disk, purpose, backup status).
Our virtualization platform is critical, but ownership is fragmented.
One operating model across VMware, Proxmox, Hyper-V, Nutanix, and Proxmox+Ceph HCI, with productized SKUs for Hosts, Managers, and Clusters.
Provisioning and changing VMs is too informal.
VM provisioning, resizing, snapshot, and migration requests run through tickets with documented closure, no console drift, no chat-driven changes.
We need OS patching without monthly fire drills.
Patch scheduling, deployment, validation, rollback planning, maintenance windows, pre-patch backup/snapshot checks, and post-patch validation.
We don't know when servers run hot until users feel it.
Hosts and VMs in LogicMonitor, CPU, disk, memory, network activity, and application processes via SNMP or WMI, with auto-created ITSM incidents.
Capacity planning is reactive.
Continuous monitoring, CMDB aggregation, trend analysis, forecasting, threshold alerts, monthly reviews, and quarterly comprehensive analyses.
We need a managed model around clusters, not just break/fix.
Cluster topology, nodes, networking, bridges, bonds, VLANs, storage pools, HA/DRS configuration, and failover behavior all documented.
We need server work tied into backup, storage, network, and service desk.
Onboarding confirms backup coverage for all VMs and links into Backup, Network, Storage, and Service Desk operations as in-scope.
04How we deliver

Documented.
Ticketed.
Reviewed.

Server operations become a controlled service motion: document, operate, optimize, on a recurring rhythm, not a one-time onboarding that drifts in week three.

01
Document
Inventory &
topology
Server/host inventory, hypervisor platform & version, HCI topology, remote access established (web console, vCenter, PVE UI, RDP, SSH, IPMI, iDRAC, iLO), VM inventory captured, cluster topology documented, hosts and VMs onboarded into LogicMonitor, and backup coverage confirmed.
02
Operate
Ticket-driven
VM ops & patching
VM provisioning, resizing, snapshot, and migration via tickets. Incidents and requests logged, categorized, and prioritized. Patching with defined scope, maintenance windows, pre-patch snapshot/backup checks, post-patch validation, rollback procedures, and Patch Run Reports.
03
Optimize
Capacity &
right-sizing
Compute, storage, and network resource monitoring with trend analysis, forecasting, and threshold alerts. Monthly capacity reviews, quarterly comprehensive analyses, right-sizing advisory, and a Server & Virtualization Baseline Document delivered during onboarding.
05What changes

Before
& after.

Two snapshots of the same estate. One in the world without ModernOps server management, one with.

Before
Fragmented
inventories.
Manual VM changes.
Reactive patching.

Spreadsheet inventories, inconsistent hypervisor administration, console-driven VM changes, unclear backup coverage, monthly patch fire drills, and limited capacity forecasting. Cluster topology lives in someone's head. Application teams page the systems team for VM resizes mid-incident.

After · with ModernOps
Operated
platform.
Ticketed changes.
Forecasted capacity.

Health monitoring, patch planning, capacity forecasting, right-sizing, backup coverage validation, cluster documentation, escalation paths, and monthly/quarterly capacity reviews, all built into the recurring service. Server & Virtualization Baseline Document delivered during onboarding.

06Side by side

Legacy server ops
vs. ModernOps SMS.

Same hosts, hypervisors, and VMs. Different operating model. Seven dimensions where the work shifts off your team and into a documented service.

Dimension Legacy approach ModernOps with SMS
Inventory Spreadsheets, tribal knowledge, stale exports. Host and VM inventory captured during onboarding.
Virtualization ops Ad hoc admin per platform. Managed across VMware, Proxmox, Hyper-V, Nutanix, HCI.
VM change workflow Chat, email, console changes. Ticket-driven provisioning, resizing, snapshots, migrations.
Monitoring User-reported issues. LogicMonitor for hosts and VMs with auto-incident.
Patching Inconsistent, no rollback plan. Defined scope, windows, pre/post checks, rollback, Patch Run Report.
Capacity planning Reactive, surprises in production. Trend analysis & forecasting, monthly/quarterly reviews.
Governance Bypasses formal approval. Testing, peer review, Change Control Board approval, post-change notification.
07What you get

Six measurable
service
outcomes.

Each outcome maps to a specific operational deliverable, not a marketing promise.

Inventory you
can trust
Server/host inventory and VM inventory documented, OS, CPU, RAM, storage, role, purpose, backup status, maintained as a living artifact.
Hypervisor-aware
operations
VMware, Proxmox, Hyper-V, and HCI clusters with documented topology, networking, storage pools, and HA/DRS failover behavior.
Ticket-driven
VM changes
Provisioning, resizing, snapshot, and migration via tickets, with documented closure, severity-based response, and audit trail.
24x7 health
visibility
LogicMonitor for CPU, disk, memory, network activity, and application processes via SNMP or WMI, with auto-created ITSM incidents.
Capacity before
crisis
Continuous monitoring, trend analysis, forecasting, threshold alerts, monthly reviews, and quarterly comprehensive analyses.
Patching with
guardrails
Defined scope, maintenance windows, pre-patch checks, post-patch validation, rollback procedures, and Patch Run Report after first cycle.
08Patch lifecycle

Every patch run
follows the
same path.

From a defined maintenance window to a Patch Run Report in your inbox, every cycle runs through the same five steps. Pre-patch backup checks. Post-patch validation. Rollback ready.

Runbook · SMS-PATCH-01

Patch run
to validation
pattern.

Severity-based response: High within 20 minutes, Medium within 4 hours, Low within 24 hours. Patching includes pre-patch backup or snapshot checks, post-patch service checks, reboot confirmation, rollback procedures, and a Patch Run Report after the first cycle.

01
Scope &
schedule
Patch scope confirmed against device inventory. Maintenance window agreed. Change ticket opened. Customer notified of expected impact and rollback path.
02
Pre-patch
checks
Backup or snapshot validation per VM. Baseline service checks captured. Critical workloads flagged for HA / DRS coordination. Go/no-go confirmed.
03
Deploy &
monitor
Patches deployed via Action1 (ModernOps-managed devices) or customer tooling (Azure Arc, Intune). LogicMonitor watches host and VM health throughout the window.
04
Validate or
roll back
Service checks, reboot confirmation, application validation. If anything fails the gate, snapshot/backup-based rollback executes within the same window.
05
Report &
RCA
Patch Run Report delivered after the first cycle and on cadence thereafter. RCA produced when a patch causes an incident, with timeline and follow-up action items.
09Operating flow

The fleet,
seen in three
dimensions.

Three racks rendered in isometric. Each unit blinks in steady state. Patch runs sweep top-to-bottom through a rack. A VM migrates between racks along an arcing trail. The picture is the work.

Live Fleet view · iso 3D · 24 hosts · 224 VMs
PATCH2417 · OS · rolling
VM MIGRATINGsql-prod-02 → esxi-07
SNAPSHOT88 VMs · 48h retain
PROVISION+ 6 VMs · rds pool
PATCH WAVE
MIGRATION
SNAPSHOT · 88 VMs
224 / 224 HEALTHY
10Supported platforms

One operating
model, many
platforms.

Hypervisors, HCI clusters, operating systems, hardware, remote access methods, and patching tooling, all consolidated under a single managed service motion.

Hypervisor · 01
VMware
vSpherevCenterESXi
Hypervisor · 02
Proxmox VE
PVE UIClusterQEMU/LXC
Hypervisor · 03
Hyper-V
Win Svr 22FailoverSCVMM
HCI · 04
Nutanix
AHV
PrismAcropolis
HCI · 05
Proxmox
+ Ceph
RBDOSDVXLAN
OS · 06
Windows
Server
20192022AD / DC
OS · 07
RHEL / Linux
RHEL 8/9UbuntuDebian
Hardware · 08
Dell &
HPE
PowerEdgeProLiantiDRAC/iLO
Hardware · 09
Cisco
UCS
B-SeriesC-SeriesUCSM
Patching · 10
Azure Arc
+ Intune
Win/LinuxCustomer tools
Patching · 11
Action1
MO devicesCollectors
Monitoring · 12
LogicMonitor
SNMPWMIAPI
11Live fleet view

A fleet that
explains itself.

A representative slice of hosts, VMs, and clusters, the kind of view your monthly review opens with, not closes with.

12Proof points

Service metrics
& coverage.

Productized SKUs, response targets, capacity cadence, and representative MRR, so commercial conversations have something concrete to anchor on.

Productized
SKUs
4Guest OS · Host · Manager · HCI
Monitoring
platform
LogicMonitorSNMP · WMI · API
High severity
response
20 minMed 4 hr · Low 24 hr
Capacity review
cadence
Monthly+ quarterly deep-dive
New monitoring
points active
2 DAYS3 days for proactive device monitoring
Monitoring
coverage in scope
24×7365 · in scope
13Onboarding

30 days
from assess to
optimize.

Three repeatable phases. Predictable handoffs. Collectors deployed, dashboards live, alerts tuned, and review cadence in place by day 30.

Phase 01 / Days 0 – 10
Assess
scope & intake
  • Confirm server scope and host inventory
  • Confirm hypervisor platform & version
  • Document HCI node count and storage pool layout
  • Capture VM inventory (OS, vCPU, RAM, disk, role)
  • Confirm backup status per VM
Phase 02 / Days 10 – 20
Implement
access & topology
  • Establish remote access (vCenter, PVE, RDP, SSH, IPMI, iDRAC, iLO)
  • Store credentials in vault
  • Document cluster topology, networking, storage pools
  • Document HA / DRS & failover behavior
  • Onboard hosts and VMs into LogicMonitor
Phase 03 / Days 20 – 30
Optimize
change & capacity
  • Confirm backup coverage end-to-end
  • Define VM provisioning & change workflows
  • Plan patching schedule & upgrade cadence
  • Provide capacity planning & right-sizing advisory
  • Deliver Server & Virtualization Baseline Document
14Why ModernOps

Why customers
choose ModernOps.

The operating choices that separate a managed server program from another break/fix relationship.

01
Infrastructure-layer clarity
Explicitly defined as infrastructure-layer management; application-layer support is scoped separately so the operating boundary is clear from day one.
02
Broad server coverage
Physical hosts, hypervisors, virtual machines, guest OS, and HCI clusters, all with productized SKUs and a unified operating model.
03
Multi-platform virtualization
VMware, Proxmox, Hyper-V, Nutanix, and Proxmox+Ceph HCI, one operating model across the platforms you actually run.
04
Ticket-driven VM ops
Provisioning, resizing, snapshot, and migration via tickets, with documented closure and severity-based response.
05
Monitoring embedded
Hosts and VMs onboarded into LogicMonitor with auto-created ITSM incidents, not a separate monitoring contract.
06
Capacity discipline
Compute, storage, and network monitored with trend analysis, forecasting, monthly reviews, and quarterly comprehensive analyses.
07
Backup-aware
Backup coverage confirmed for all VMs during onboarding and tied into the Backup service when in scope.
08
SOC 2-aligned
Standardized builds, Patch Management Policy, proactive monitoring, incident management, and Change Control Board review on production changes.
15FAQ

Frequently
asked
questions.

Service definition, SKUs, supported platforms, change & patching workflow, capacity reviews, and how SMS relates to Network and Storage Management, all in plain language.

Q.01What is Server Management Services?+
A managed service for physical hosts, hypervisors, hyperconverged clusters, virtual machines, and Windows/Linux operating systems. Infrastructure-layer operations, availability, performance, capacity, change control, monitoring, and patching, with productized SKUs for Guest OS, Host, Manager, and HCI.
Q.02What platforms are supported?+
VMware, Proxmox, Hyper-V, Nutanix AHV, and Proxmox+Ceph HCI on the virtualization side; Windows Server and Linux on the guest OS side. Inventory, monitoring, change, and patching are unified across all of them.
Q.03What are the four SMS SKUs?+
Guest OS (Windows / Linux operating systems), Host (physical or virtual servers and hypervisor hosts), Manager (vCenter, Proxmox cluster manager, Hyper-V SCVMM, Nutanix Prism Central), and HCI (hyperconverged clusters, Nutanix, Proxmox+Ceph).
Q.04Is the application layer included?+
No. SMS is explicitly infrastructure-layer. Application installation, configuration, and support are scoped under separate service lines so the operating boundary is clear from day one.
Q.05How are VM changes handled?+
Ticket-driven. Provisioning, resizing, snapshot, and migration requests flow through the ticketing system with documented closure and severity-based response targets.
Q.06What does onboarding include?+
Server/host inventory, hypervisor platform & version, HCI topology, remote access established (web console, vCenter, PVE UI, RDP, SSH, IPMI, iDRAC, iLO), VM inventory captured, cluster topology documented, hosts and VMs onboarded into LogicMonitor, backup coverage confirmed, and a Server & Virtualization Baseline Document delivered.
Q.07How is remote access established?+
Web consoles (vCenter, Proxmox UI, Nutanix Prism), RDP/SSH for guest OS access, and out-of-band channels (IPMI, iDRAC, iLO) for host-level recovery. Credentials are stored in vault.
Q.08How is health monitored?+
Hosts and VMs onboarded into LogicMonitor, CPU, disk, memory, network activity, and application processes via SNMP, WMI, or API, with auto-created ITSM incidents on threshold breach.
Q.09How is OS patching handled?+
Per a documented Patch Management Policy, with pre/post checks and rollback. Patches deploy via Action1 on ModernOps-managed devices, or via customer tooling (Azure Arc, Intune) where applicable.
Q.10What about capacity planning?+
Compute, storage, and network resource monitoring with trend analysis, forecasting, and threshold alerts. Monthly capacity reviews, quarterly comprehensive analyses, and right-sizing advisory.
Q.11What are the response SLAs?+
High severity within 20 minutes, Medium within 4 hours, Low within 24 hours. RCA provided when required after service restoration.
Q.12Are backups included?+
Backup coverage is confirmed for all VMs during onboarding and tied into the Backup service when in scope. SMS does not replace a backup contract, it ensures the operating estate is backup-aware.
Q.13How does SMS handle change control?+
Production changes are reviewed through ModernOps' Change Control Board per the SOC 2 report, with standardized build process for new servers and infrastructure devices.
Q.14Does SMS include HCI?+
Yes, Nutanix and Proxmox+Ceph HCI clusters are a productized SKU. Node count, storage pool layout, HA / DRS / failover behavior, and capacity are documented and operated as part of the recurring service.
Q.15How does SMS relate to Network and Storage Management?+
SMS handles hosts, hypervisors, VMs, and guest OS. MNS adds active management of network devices and configuration; STaaS adds active storage administration; OaaS provides the monitoring layer underneath all three.
16Get started

Start with a
server
assessment.

ModernOps will review your physical hosts, hypervisors, HCI clusters, VM inventory, cluster topology, HA / failover behavior, monitoring coverage, patch posture, capacity headroom, and backup status, then map a practical path to a fully-operated server and virtualization estate.