How to transfer a server?

Question

linux

Greetings.
The question in the title is not entirely correct, but still.
Sometimes I need some service, I rent vps, install software and use this service for some time, like vpn, jabber,
etc. sometimes services become unnecessary for a while, then such a vpska is simply deleted, with all the configured software.
How to do it in such a way that it would be possible to simply take and restore the software with all the settings at the lowest cost?
In which direction to dig?
I don’t know Linux very well, I try to configure it according to the manuals, preference is debian, less often ubuntu server.

Answer 1

Start learning ansible, spend a week with benefit. Write yourself beautiful playbooks for all occasions.

Answer 2

I do this:
1. When setting up services, I record the setup process + detected errors (for example, in OneNote)
2. Backup settings to the clouds (Yandex drive \ Google drive)
https://serveradmin.ru/bekap-sayta-wordpress-na-ya ...

Answer 3

Be trendy - use docker.

Answer 4

Configuration management systems solve this problem perfectly.
We have already said about Ansible above, this is the easiest way.

Answer 5

DigitalOcean has the ability to take a "snapshot" of a VPS. This is her image, from which you can recreate exactly the same VPS. Snapshot storage costs $0.05 / Gb per month. The amount depends on the disk usage in the VPS.
Those. when you're happy with your VPS setup, create a Snapshot of it. While the services are not needed, turn off the VPS - delete it. And you are left with only a snapshot, for which you pay for storage. When the services are needed again, deploy the VPS from the saved snapshot - all settings are as they were at the time of saving. You are well done.
According to my ref. a link to an account in DigitalOcean is given $10, which is enough for a couple of months of a five-dollar VPS with 512Mb/20Gb - try it.

Answer 6

Every VPS has a "Snapshot", take one and store it on your computer. When you need it, just upload it to the VPS provider, for example, through ISPmanager.