Removing optional software

[RRJimlad]

Folks, I am in the process of preparing some new Windows 2016 servers for live use. Part of that process is to "cleanup" the machine to remove any optional products, services, files, etc. I notice an installed product called Cloudbase-Init 0.9.11, 82MB of the Python 3.5 runtime, and two services called Nydus. Running I see 5 instances of the "non-sucking service manager" with Python child processes and open TCP/IP ports.

Forum searches hint that Nydus is used by the web management screens to report usage, but there is no discussion of the other components.

I want to completely remove all of the components and files I've mentioned, but I want to check in this forum first to be sure there will be no harmful side-effects. Comments and advice are welcome.

Thanks, Greg

[Zulfiqar]

Hello RRJimlad, I hope you are well. If you're no longer using an application, we recommend uninstalling it. This not only frees up space on your hosting account, it also makes your account less susceptible to malware and other security compromises.

To Uninstall an Application From Your Hosting Account

1. Log in to your GoDaddy account.
2. Click Web Hosting.

Click one of the following, based on the type of hosting you have. You can tell this by the second word in your hosting's description beneath your hosting account's domain name, e.g. Deluxe Web correlates to Web/Classic (Hosting Control Panel).

For more info;

• https://pk.godaddy.com/help/uninstalling-hosting-quick-install-applications-1736#4gh
• https://pk.godaddy.com/help/uninstalling-hosting-quick-install-applications-1736#cpanel
• https://pk.godaddy.com/help/uninstalling-hosting-quick-install-applications-1736#plesk
• https://pk.godaddy.com/help/remove-addon-domains-8343

[RRJimlad]

I'm afraid that the instructions in the links do not match anything in my screens. From the Home page » My Products » Servers (drop down list) I can see the Win2016 server I want. It's labelled as type Enhance Getn4 VPS Windows. Clicking Manage for that server produces a 404 not found error repeatedly except for a single time when (by luck?) I entered the management screen, but there was no option to manage "Popular Apps" or "My Applications". The web UI experience is very unreliable.

There must be a serious misunderstanding. Perhaps I'm in the wrong part of the portal or management screens completely and we're looking at different things.

If I want to uninstall the items I mentioned like Cloudbase, Nydus and Python, should I do that through the web management pages that I can't find, or can I just do it using standard Windows admin techniques?

Thanks, Greg

(REPOST DUE TO ERROR PAGE ON FIRST ATTEMPT)

[scottj · Accepted solution]

@RRJimlad

I recommend not removing any of those services mentioned.

Cloudbase-init is necessary for VM creation and configuration.  It would again be required for restoring a VM from backup or a VM upgrade.

For nydus services, see this related post: https://www.godaddy.com/community/VPS-Dedicated-Servers/nydus-ex-and-nydus-ex-api-on-process-manager....  Nydus also makes use of the NSSM service as well (https://nssm.cc/).

Hope that helps.

[RRJimlad]

Hi Scott @scottj, after following the links and investigating the services and files installed on the new server I have come to the following conclusions.
 
We have little to no interest in monitoring the VM through the web portal, so Nydus is superfluous. I have stopped and disabled the two services.
 
Since VM creation, configuration, restoration or upgrade is a rare occurrence, I have also disabled the cloudbase-init service, but I can restart it if the need arises in the future.
 
I then noticed service hosted Python.exe processes continued to run, which I eventually found were caused by the LogService service, which I have also disabled. I also had to disable the thespian.director service.
 
At this point I thought I had a "clean" server with the ability to enabled the services manually if the need arises. However, I notice that cloudbase-init continues to appear in the process list unpredictably, and I'm quite angry that I can't quickly figure out what's launching it.
 
I hope GoDaddy understands that some customers consider having unfamiliar services running under the System account is undesirable on a production server, even if they claim to only be management tools. It's also troubling that most of the processes are shelled-out Python four year old runtimes and that there is a "non-sucking" service whose purpose seems to be ensuring other services keep running, a concept that is disturbingly amateurish. So in the interest of maintaining a "clean" OS I have taken the steps I described. Please let me know if you think I may unwittingly expose others risks by disabling the services.
 
Greg

[wxazygy]

somehow, an administrator user account named "nydus" has been created on my Windows Server 2016, and not by me. why?

[Distarcio]

You can also use additional software for recovery in the case of vmware inaccessible. It recovers both VMDK and flat VMDK and it's very easy to set it up. All your data will be safe.

[globosoft]

We purchased 3 Windows VPS servers today to move some things off Azure and faced the same problem. Unauthorized services running on unauthorized port with unauthorized user account (Nydus) with Admin privileges. Not only that, but some unknown HTTP service was also running by default on port 80 and 443 that blocked us from running our own web server. I am not sure that GoDaddy cloud services understands the meaning of "PRIVATE" in "Virtual Private Servers". Tech support on live chat seems to know very little about this and gave use links to some random pages on godaddy and stackoverflow. Like <removed> (and coming in from Azure) we too expected a clean system but had to figure out how to stop and block those unauthorized services and ports. Apparently this issue has been festering for quite some time and no adequate response from GoDaddy.

<removed> seem to be the employee, so I request you to

1. Provide details on everything extra that GoDaddy has installed on the windows VPS.

2. How to stop/remove those services?

3. What is the impact of removing them? Any IP address issues in future? Update issues?

We have 30 days before we cancel, get refund and move back to Azure. So, will appreciate a response before that.

[TLH]

Hi @globosoft,

Welcome to the Community! 

Please keep in mind this is a community forum rather than an official GoDaddy support team forum. The people participating here are GoDaddy users like yourself and can assist with issues you are having using any GoDaddy products, but they have no access to your product specifically or to your account. It's also not monitored by any of the staff you have called out for assistance.

If you have any questions on how to use the products purchased, you can ask fellow server admins here. If you need help in your account in particular, you will need to contact our support teams in the link below.