Welcome to Dedicated Server Hosting with InMotion. You’ve got serious infrastructure now: a full physical server dedicated entirely to your websites, applications, and business needs. This guide will help you manage it effectively.
Whether you’re migrating from shared hosting, scaling up from VPS, or managing enterprise-level applications, dedicated servers give you complete control over your hosting environment. Managed Dedicated Servers provision with cPanel and WHM on Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 LTS, or AlmaLinux 8 or 9, and day-to-day management in WHM works the same on either operating system. Here you’ll find step-by-step tutorials for common tasks like initial server configuration, website transfers, email setup, and security hardening, plus advanced topics like performance optimization, resource monitoring, custom software installation, and server-level troubleshooting.
Get More Done with Premier Care
Managing a dedicated server takes time and technical knowledge. If you’d rather focus on your business instead of server administration, InMotion Premier Care gives you everything you need in one package: Launch Assist consulting hours with our Solutions team, Monarx security monitoring, 100GB of automated backup storage, cPanel license with 100 accounts, and 24/7 Advanced Product Support. Premier Care customers get faster assistance and proactive protection, plus expert help whenever they need it.
The Dedicated Server Journey
Six phases, in the order you’ll actually do them. Start at phase 1 if you just provisioned your server, or jump in anywhere if you already know where you are.
Welcome & Orientation
~15 minGet familiar with your Account Management Panel (AMP), locate your server credentials, and log into WHM for the first time. Then schedule your free Launch Assist session: every Managed Dedicated Server includes two hours with our system administrators, available only during your first 30 days.
Configure the Server
~1 hourSet up cPanel/WHM the way you want it: create accounts, add SSH keys, set your time zone, and configure the basics. Foundation work that saves headaches later.
Move Your Sites & Email In
variesTransfer cPanel accounts with the Transfer Tool, migrate non-cPanel sites, move email, and install your SSL certificate. Verify everything works, then point your DNS at the new server and keep the old host live until propagation finishes. Set up SPF, DKIM, and reverse DNS early: a fresh server IP has no sending reputation yet.
- How to Transfer from cPanel to cPanel in WHM
- How to Transfer from a non-cPanel Server
- Moving Emails to your Dedicated Server
- Exporting your Database for Transfer
- How to Install or Move an SSL in WHM
- How to Change Your Domain Nameservers in AMP
- InMotion Hosting Nameservers
- SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and PTR Records: Complete Setup Guide
Secure & Back Up
do this earlyHarden your server, schedule backups, and test a restore before you need it. If you only do one thing after migration, do this.
Operate Day to Day
ongoingMonitor resources, manage users, and check logs. The steady-state rhythm of running a server.
Scale & Optimize
advancedTune your stack, upgrade hardware, and know when to bring in our Advanced Product Support team for the big stuff.
Browse by Task Area
For when you know what you’re looking for. The same articles, organized by topic.
Getting Started with WHM
Transferring Your Websites & Data
Common Server Tasks
Server Configuration
Server Optimization
Basic Server Security
Hardware & Specs
Backups & Restore
Email Service Configuration
Popular Articles
The articles dedicated server customers read most.
- How to Log into WHMControl panel
- How to Install or Move an SSL in WHMSecurity
- How to Transfer from cPanel to cPanel in WHMMigrations
- The Complete Guide to cPanel BackupsBackups
- How To Manage SSH Keys for Your ServerAccess
- How to Create cPanel Accounts in WHMControl panel
- Dedicated Server RAM (Memory) GuideHardware
- Using Backup Manager on Bare Metal ServersBackups
Understand the Concepts
For decisions, not tasks. Read these before you buy, choose, or plan.
What moving to a bare metal server involves and how to plan the migration.
What root access unlocks, what it risks, and how to decide if you need it.
What InMotion can handle for you and what you manage as the server admin.
How cPanel licensing works and what it means for your billing and account count.
When virtualizing your dedicated server makes sense, and how ProxMox does it.
What the two protocols mean for your server’s addresses and your visitors.
Getting Help When You Need It
Our Support Center contains hundreds of articles covering dedicated server management, from basic tasks to complex configurations. Can’t find what you need? Contact our Live Support team for expert support from real humans.
Open a ticket in AMP
Submit server-specific issues from your Account Management Panel.
Log into AMP ›Support for your server
What’s included with your Dedicated Server Hosting package and how to use it.
Read the guide ›More Dedicated Server Management Articles
- How to Use IPMI in AMP (Dedicated Servers)
- How To Manage SSH Keys for Your Server
- Dedicated Server Disk Space and Storage Options
- Dedicated Server RAM (Memory) Guide
- Cisco ASA Firewall Specs
- Dedicated Server Software RAID
- Dedicated Server CPU Specifications
- IPv4 vs IPv6 from a Consumer’s Point of View
- How to Turn Your Dedicated Server into a VPS Node Using ProxMox
- Migrating to Bare Metal
- How to Access Your Dedicated Server with Remote KVM
- Dedicated Backup Storage
- How to Setup Multiple Destinations for your Dedicated Server Backups
- How to Get Your Dedicated Server Backups Restored
- Getting Support for your Dedicated Server Hosting Package
- Using a Secondary Hard Drive on a Dedicated Server