Our world is so wonderful (props to Louis Armstrong for this masterpiece) and our lives are filled with so many diversities… Let’s take Drupal-site as an example: it can fly like an eagle or it can fly like a hit duck. Or it can barely crawl like an exhausted dying sloth with the worst outcome - site is down. It is the vilest baseness that if some troubles come out - they come out at the most inappropriate moment possible…
…And here it is, the worst scenario - your site is down. “What. Am I. To do?” - asks almost every owner seconds before panic… Let me give you an answer below :)
There have been cases when we have received Skype-calls of a common topic, smth like: “Guys! Drupal developers! It doesn’t work! It’s broken! SOS! ASAP!” Makes us feel like ambulance, website lifesavers, to be honest. And you know what? We are ready to take this role and to operate! First aid is to check server-side:
1. What’s up with the database: its configuration and general condition.
2. Check services: their run, their work.
3. Presence of some strange parameters and values.
4. Drupal settings: both on server side and its own.
5. Last repo commits: who and when (to have a possibility to find the needed contact in social networks or via email address and to chat).
...6-48 (lots of boring technical points)...
49. Setting up our own systems for server monitoring (from basic available disk space to a detailed server apps logs).
Thus server is being fixed and run. The next operation is held on site itself:
1. Code review;
2. Data security audit;
3. Load speed;
4. The latest core and modules updates.
Such an autopsy allows to detect all the issues and to plan portal resurrection steps. So the last thing is owner`s approval. If we get it - we fix it. Further site technical support is provided as well, no problems with it.