Recovery mode on linux dedicated server

Hi,

Luckily my server has been quite excellent over the last few years and needs very little nosing around anymore. However before that while i was learning (always learning) there were several times which i screwed up my server and had to start all over again. Mainly because i have never learned about how to work with restore mode. At that time i looked around in different places to try to find a video or something that would teach me how to work with restore mode on linux but i found very little if anything at all.

So what would happen back then is that the site would go down, the server company would look and if they could not get it going (i did not pay for the support option) then they would put the server into restore mode. Which is a whole new command learning curve to work with using strickly command line. I would have them just restart the server in normal mode and sometimes that fixed it. But several times (i am embarrassed to say how many lol) i had to have them wipe the drive and start all over again. Back then i also locked myself out of my own server 2x lol :o

I was thinking today that maybe its time for me to learn how to do this just in case and especially since i have alittle time on my hands.

I posted this here on the apache section because im working with apache and centOs and i didnt find any other place on the forum which might be appropriate. If you need to move this please do... :)

Does anyone know of a good resource, online course, book, or video which could help me learn about restore mode and what to do if that ever happens again so i dont have to start all over again.

Thanks so much :)

Corrected the title from restore to recovery.