Welcome to the MiServer Managed Service. Here are some important steps designed to assist you with connecting and configuring your access to your virtual server.
Join MCommunity Group
To begin, please make sure you are a member of the MiServer Notify group in MCommunity. This group is used to notify members of all system maintenance, service issues and other announcements.
To join the MiServer Notify group, visit the MiServer Notify entry in MCommunity and click the Join Group button.
Log in to Your Managed Server
1. Prerequisites and Initial Setup
Ensure the following items are configured on your local machine before attempting to connect to your server:
- U-M VPN Connection: You must be connected to the U-M Virtual Private Network (VPN) to access the MiServer network segment.
- Active U-M Credentials: Your U-M Uniqname and associated UMICH password are required for login.
- Admin Group Membership: Your U-M Uniqname must be a member of the MCommunity Admin Group that was specified when the MiServer was provisioned. Membership in this group grants you remote login rights and necessary administrative privileges (sudo) on the server.
- SSH Client: You will need a Secure Shell (SSH) client application on your local machine (e.g., Terminal, PuTTY, MobaXterm).
2. Connecting to Your Server via SSH
The industry-standard, secure method for remote connection to a Linux server is SSH (Secure Shell).
Connection Command
Open your preferred SSH client (Terminal) and use the following command.
| Connection Detail | Value |
| Protocol | SSH |
| Username | Your U-M Uniqname |
| Hostname/IP | The Hostname or IP address provided by the MiServer team. |
Replace [YourUniqname] and [ServerAddress] with your actual information:
ssh [YourUniqname]@[ServerAddress]Example:
ssh jdoe@[your-server-name].miserver.it.umich.edu- First-Time Connection: If you are prompted about the authenticity of the host, type yes and press Enter to accept the host key.
- Authentication: When prompted for your password, enter your UMICH Password.
Two-Factor Authentication
Managed Linux servers are configured to use Duo two-factor authentication for SSH connections. Before login you will need to make sure you have registered your account(s) in Duo.
First-Time Setup: Enroll a Device in Duo
3. Initial Administration
As a managed service customer, the MiServer team handles the core operating system, patching, monitoring, and backups. Your primary task is the installation and management of your applications.
A. Elevated Privileges (sudo)
Members of the MiServer Admin Group are automatically granted sudo (superuser do) access. You must use sudo to perform any commands that modify system-wide settings, install software, or manage services.
- To run a command with administrative privileges, simply prepend it with sudo. You will be prompted for your UMICH Password once per session or every few minutes.
B. System Updates and Package Management
While system patching is managed, you will need to use a package manager to install any application software. Use the command appropriate for your server's Linux distribution:
| Task | RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux) | Ubuntu |
| Install Software | sudo dnf install [package-name] (or sudo yum install [package-name]) | sudo apt install [package-name] |
C. Secure File Transfer (SCP/SFTP)
Use Secure Copy (SCP) or Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) to move files between your local machine and the MiServer.
To upload a file from your local machine to the server:
scp /path/to/local/file [YourUniqname]@[ServerAddress]:/path/to/server/destination
To download a file from the server to your local machine:
scp [YourUniqname]@[ServerAddress]:/path/to/server/file /path/to/local/destination
D. Local Firewall
By default, ssh is available from campus networks, including MWireless. No other ports are open. Please do not remove the pre-existing rules.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (firewalld)
In firewalld, an IP will only reach one zone. If you add your service to the public zone, you probably want to add it to the umich and mwireless zones, as well, or it will not work from campus.
Show Current Rules
sudo firewall-cmd --list-all # For default zone
sudo firewall-cmd --zone=ZONE --list-all
sudo firewall-cmd --list-all-zones # Show all zones and rulesAdd Port
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=ZONE --add-port=PORT/protocol # e.g. 80/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --reloadUbuntu (ufw)
Show Current Rules
sudo ufw status # Simple view
sudo ufw status numbered # Numbered list for easy deletion/editingAdd Port (allowing from anywhere)
sudo ufw allow PORT/protocol
# Example: sudo ufw allow 80/tcpAllow Port From a Specific Network
sudo ufw allow from IP_or_CIDR to any port PORT proto protocol
# Example: sudo ufw allow from 192.168.0.0/24 to any port 22 proto tcp4. Support and Management
- Server Outages/Access Issues: For urgent issues where your server is unresponsive or inaccessible, contact the ITS Service Center and explain that your priority is High/Critical.
- Modifying Server Configuration: To request changes to your server's RAM, CPU, or disk space, submit a request via the ITS Service Request System.
- Account Access Management: Manage who can log in to the server by adding or removing individuals from the associated MCommunity Admin Group.
Review the Service Overview Document
Please review the MiServer: Managed Linux: Service Overview document for important information about the default configuration of your new server.
Scheduling Maintenance Periods
The MiServer service monitors alerts for your managed servers 24/7 or during business hours, depending on the type of support you selected. Because of the shared administration model you can reboot or shut down your server as needed, please remember to create a maintenance period in the Zabbix monitoring system so that it does not generate an alert to MiServer staff during planned maintenance activities.
To Schedule a Maintenance Period
- Refer to the Creating a Zabbix maintenance period to suspend monitoring document
- Visit the Zabbix monitoring system