Easy Virtual Machine - Customer responsibilities

Introduction

This article explains what responsibilities customers have when using the Easy Software virtual machine (VM). Although the VM is preconfigured and ready for Docker-based hosting, it still requires regular maintenance, updates, and monitoring to work safely and efficiently. This article helps administrators understand what actions they need to take.

Target Audience

Administrator

Understanding Customer Responsibilities

Definition

Customer responsibilities include regular system care and configuration. The VM runs on the latest recommended version of Debian and comes without full system automation. The administrator must:

Perform regular updates
Set up resource monitoring
Create and manage data backups
Apply proper security policies

These tasks help ensure the long-term performance and safety of the system.

How It Works

Updates

Security updates must be done frequently—at least once per week. Before applying updates, always make sure a working backup is available.

Use the official Debian method for unattended upgrades:
UnattendedUpgrades Documentation

Resource Monitoring

Monitoring system resources (like memory and disk usage) is essential.

Easy Software recommends using Prometheus and Node Exporter
Node Exporter Setup
A ready-made dashboard is available:
Grafana Dashboard 1860

Administrators should also adjust VM resource limits, such as increasing RAM or CPU cores, depending on the site’s needs.

Note: If full support for performance, backups, and security is required, consider switching to Easy Software Cloud solutions.

Data Backups

There is no backup tool preinstalled in the VM. Customers must configure their own backup process. We recommend automated backups of both:

Database
Files

Also consider creating VM snapshots regularly.

A proper backup should:

Be verified after creation (check size or logs)
Be stored in a safe place
Be located in a different location than the server (at least a different city)
Be restored periodically to confirm recovery works

Database (DB)

Use mysqldump to create secure, version-independent backups.

Correct method (example):

mysqldump --add-drop-table --routines --triggers --flush-logs $DATABASE_NAME > path/to/file_where_db_will_be_stored.sql

Copying files directly from /var/lib/mysql is NOT a correct backup method.

Files

All uploaded attachments are located at:

/home/easy/docker/files

To back them up, simply copy the content of this directory.

Security Policies

There are no preconfigured firewall rules or SSH keys in the VM. The system administrator must:

Set up a firewall
Manage user SSH access securely
Apply internal security standards

Conclusion

Using the Easy VM comes with important responsibilities. Regular updates, proper monitoring, verified backups, and basic security policies are necessary. The VM provides a strong base, but ongoing care is required from the customer to keep it stable and secure.