Provision the server. We'll build the system.
BRS-Server runs on a Linux server your organization provides and controls. Start with the standard configuration below, give W3Patterns approved administrative access, and we take it from there.
A small Linux server is enough to get started.
For a standard BRS-Server deployment, W3Patterns recommends an Ubuntu LTS server with 2 vCPUs, 4 GB of memory, and 60 GB of SSD storage.
This configuration is intended for the focused BRS-Server system W3Patterns delivers. Organizations that later add substantially more checks, shorter verification intervals, or longer data retention may choose to increase resources.
Recommended BRS-Server
- Operating system: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
- CPU: 2 vCPUs
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Storage: 60 GB SSD
- Access: Administrative SSH access
- Network: Access to the capabilities the system will verify
Your cloud, data center, or private network.
BRS-Server does not require W3Patterns hosting. The server can be a cloud virtual machine or a Linux server inside your own environment, as long as it meets the requirements and can reach what you want to verify.
Public cloud
A Linux virtual machine from DigitalOcean, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, or another provider can host BRS-Server.
Private environment
Place BRS-Server inside your network when it needs approved access to internal applications, APIs, databases, files, or other private capabilities.
Customer controlled
Your organization owns the server and controls its credentials, network access, data, and ongoing operation.
The server needs to reach what BRS-Server verifies.
Public capabilities generally require normal outbound Internet and DNS access. Private capabilities require the appropriate routes and firewall permissions from the BRS-Server host to those systems.
W3Patterns uses customer-authorized administrative SSH access during deployment and validation. Key-based SSH authentication is preferred.
Before deployment
- Server is provisioned and running
- SSH administrative access is available
- DNS resolution and outbound HTTPS work
- Required private network routes and firewall rules are approved
- Alert delivery details are available when needed
Authorize W3Patterns using an SSH public key.
Your organization controls access to its server. When you're ready to authorize a deployment connection, add the W3Patterns public key to the authorized_keys file for an approved SSH account. Never send us a password or private key.
W3Patterns SSH public key
The complete public key, including its identifying comment:
ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIIyL/dVBBT9W1LT/wAOdbhvbOtVDEeJ/vTF/HNMpVpQd scott@w3patterns.comThis is a public key, not a secret. Confirm its fingerprint with W3Patterns through your established contact channel before authorizing access.
Install the key
On the Ubuntu server, sign in as the account that W3Patterns is approved to use (for example, a dedicated w3patterns deployment account). Run the following commands as that account:
mkdir -p ~/.ssh
chmod 700 ~/.ssh
printf '%s\n' 'ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIIyL/dVBBT9W1LT/wAOdbhvbOtVDEeJ/vTF/HNMpVpQd scott@w3patterns.com' >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keysUse an approved account with administrative privileges appropriate to the installation. Your administrator should grant and review those privileges separately; do not enable unrestricted passwordless sudo solely from these instructions.
What happens next
- Provision the server and review the requirements above.
- Submit the Start BRS-Server form to begin the readiness review.
- We'll confirm the operating system, resources, networking, and access approach with you before invoicing.
- When authorized, we'll test SSH connectivity and the approved administrative permissions before deployment.
For private networks, a VPN, bastion host, or another approved access method is fine. Do not expose SSH broadly to the Internet just for W3Patterns.
After handoff, you may revoke access by removing this key from the deployment account's authorized_keys.
You provide
- The Linux server
- Administrative access during deployment
- Required network access
- Environment details needed to connect the system
W3Patterns provides
- BRS-Core
- Prometheus
- Grafana
- Alertmanager
- Blackbox Exporter
- Configuration, integration, and validation
The server remains yours.
W3Patterns access is needed to install and validate BRS-Server. After handoff, your organization can retain approved W3Patterns access for future work or remove it according to your security policy.
No W3Patterns hosting is required. BRS-Server continues running in the environment you control.
Provision the server on your schedule.
Already own BRS-Core? When your server is ready, tell us you're ready to proceed. Don't have Core yet? Start there. After payment, download instructions are sent to the email address used at checkout. Move to BRS-Server when you're ready.