Plesk Server Hosting
Plesk Server Hosting
Plesk server hosting is used by both individuals and businesses who require Linux or Windows server hosting services which come with a web hosting control panel which will allow them to manage their own websites and offer web hosting services to others if they wish to. Plesk is one of the only cross platform web hosting control panels available and this is one of the main features that has helped to make it increasingly popular; by being cross-platform compatible it means that web hosting providers can use Plesk on both their Windows and Linux web hosting servers without too much variance in how the control panel functions. More or less every web hosting provider offering VPS server and dedicated server hosting services is able to offer the Plesk control panel for server hosting customers who require it; in some cases you will find that the control panel can be offered for free through a specialist partnership that your web hosting provider has with the creators, but a majority of web hosting providers charge extra for the Plesk web hosting control panel as some customers prefer to have blank VPS servers or dedicated servers which they can install whatever they like on. When it comes to managing a Plesk hosting server, you will find that a majority of the server administration tasks that you will need to undertake can be done through the administration side of the Plesk control panel; it is important to note that any programs that are installed by Plesk have probably been altered in one way or another to ensure that they work with the control panel and because of this it is recommended that you don’t alter or touch the programs concerned. If you feel that Plesk server hosting might be a bit out of your depth but that you still require some form of web hosting that makes use of the Plesk control panel then you can always purchase shared or reseller web hosting packages that are based on the Plesk control panel?
What makes Plesk different from other web hosting control panels?
There are several different features that help to make Plesk different from other web hosting control panels that are available, and these differences have helped to make Plesk the successful and popular product that it is today. Plesk is a cross-platform control panel which means that it can be used on both Windows and Linux web hosting servers, although some web hosting providers only choose to use it on their Windows web hosting servers; this can be beneficial for web hosting providers in the long term as it means that they only need to train their staff to work with one control panel, and it also means that customers only need to familiarize themselves with one web hosting control panel if they have Windows and Linux web hosting packages. Plesk server hosting services also come with advanced support for specific technologies when you are using Plesk on a Windows web hosting server; Plesk has support for Coldfusion and Python amongst other scripting languages/frameworks which aren’t supported by other web hosting control panels which have been designed for use on Windows web hosting servers. The fact that Plesk works on Windows is another thing which makes it different from other web hosting control panels as most are geared primarily towards the Linux web hosting market, but in all fairness Plesk is also available for Linux web hosting providers. In summary, the following factors help to make Plesk different from other web hosting control panels which are available:
- Cross-platform compability – the fact that Plesk works on both Linux and Windows web hosting servers allows web hosting providers to offer both forms of web hosting without having to use a different control panel for Linux and Windows servers which can help to save money on control panel licenses but also makes it easier for them to manage their web hosting servers as their support staff only need to be trained to use one web hosting control panel and not two – it can also make life easier for you as the customer as it means you only need to familiarise yourself with one web hosting control panel if you are going to be purchasing both Windows and Linux Plesk server hosting services
- Supported scripting languages/frameworks and applications – Plesk has advanced support for certain scripting languages and frameworks which aren’t supported by other web hosting control panels that are made for either Windows or Linux – for example Plesk comes with support for both Coldfusion and Python on Windows which are two features that other web hosting control panels made for Windows web hosting services lack – you will also find that Plesk 9.0 for Windows was one of the first web hosting control panels to come with full support for Windows Server 2008 and the new IIS 7 web server
- Windows compatible – there aren’t many web hosting control panels available for Windows servers, and even then a majority of those that are available either lack features or are unable to function reliably when being used in a live web hosting environment – Plesk however is probably the only stable and reliable web hosting control panel that is available for Windows servers, and since it is used by many web hosting providers both large and small you are able to ensure that the features which Plesk for Windows provides will be reliable and backed up by a reliable support team from the company that produces Plesk.
As Plesk has many factors which help to make it different from other web hosting control panels, it is well known throughout the web hosting industry as one of the most stable control panels available. It’s support for IIS 7 and Windows Server 2008 has helped to increase its market share in the Windows web hosting control panel market as more or less no other web hosting control panel has been able to accomplish this yet. Although Plesk’s market share of the Linux web hosting control panrl market may not be the biggest around, many web hosting providers still choose to use it for their server hosting services.
Advantages of Plesk Server Hosting
There can be many advantages to using Plesk server hosting services, both from the viewpoint of an individual and a business. Plesk server hosting services can offer you a greater level of reliability than you’d get if you were using shared web hosting and reseller web hosting, and this is regardless of whether you choose to have the Plesk control panel installed on a Windows or Linux web hosting server. Plesk server hosting services also allow you to configure the Plesk control panel to work the way you want it to, for example if you purchased the Plesk Power Pack then you may want to configure the new features that you have such as the Helpdesk to make the most of your Plesk server hosting services; the same can also be said for the software which Plesk makes use of, all in all allowing you to create your own web hosting experience that has been tailored by yourself to suit the needs of your website. Plesk server hosting can also be used to sell off your own web hosting services, and if you have Windows and Linux web hosting servers then you can sell off both forms of web hosting using the same control panel; Plesk gives you the ability to manage both your own web hosting packages and your own clients which means that you haven’t the need for any other forms of web hosting management software. In summary, the main advantages of Plesk server hosting include:
- Reliability – Plesk isn’t a very resource intensive control panel which means that even on the lowest of servers you are unlikely to face any reliability issues, although there may be some problems if you choose to host a large number of websites on your Plesk hosting server – Plesk server hosting services in general are more reliable than lower forms of web hosting including shared web hosting and reseller web hosting as either VPS servers or dedicated servers are being used, both of which offer you your own dedicated environment and resources that can’t be used by anyone else
- Configuration – Plesk server hosting services allow you to configure your server and any programs that you have installed on it to work in the way you want them to which means that Plesk server hosting packages are ideal for those who have complex websites which need to make use of specific components or files that you can’t otherwise install in a shared or reseller web hosting environment – however, you should always be careful when altering any configuration files for the programs that you have installed on your server as you could end up finding that the program concerned won’t work
- Web hosting and management – Plesk is designed to be a web hosting control panel which means that its specialty is offering web hosting packages and services to your web hosting clients – you can use Plesk to create your own web hosting packages based on the specifications of your server which you can then sell on to those who need web hosting services – you can then use Plesk to manage your web hosting clients which means that you can monitor the resources that each client is using as well as see which domains each specific client is hosting on your Plesk server.
You should consider Plesk as your control panel of choice, regardless of the server operating system that you are running. As the control panel comes with a very intuitive GUI you should be able to adapt to using the control panel in no time, and since your web hosting clients will also be offered the same kind of control panel interface you are able to ensure that they can get use to using it in a short amount of time.
Disadvantages of Plesk Server Hosting
There can also be disadvantages to using Plesk server hosting services, although the extent that such disadvantages can affect you will depend on your knowledge of server management and your experience with using the Plesk control panel. The main disadvantage that you should be aware of is that you need to be able to manage your Plesk server from the console as well as by using the control panel interface; this means that you should have some knowledge on using SSH for managing Linux servers, and using Remote Desktop for managing Windows based web hosting servers. You will also find that Plesk itself needs to be updated on a regular basis, and because of this it is up to you to keep both your server and Plesk updated as this will help with your overall server security. Plesk server hosting services can be costly since you have to take into consideration the cost of your VPS server or dedicated server as well as the cost of the Plesk control panel license; the price that you pay for your Plesk control panel license will depend on the number of domains that you can host using the control panel and whether you have opted for the Power Pack or not. In summary, the main disadvantages of Plesk server hosting include:
- Server management – although there are fully managed Plesk server hosting services available which will allow you to have your web hosting provider manage your Plesk server for you, it is always a good idea to be able to manage your own server as in some cases there may be something which your web hosting provider may not be willing to do for you on server – if you are looking to Plesk server hosting then you should ensure that you can manage a Linux server via SSH if needed as this is how Linux servers are normally managed, but if you are looking into Windows Plesk server hosting then you should ensure that you can manage a Windows server via Remote Desktop
- Server security – keeping your server secure can be a hard task and this means that you will need to be updating all the software that you have installed on your server, including Plesk, on a regular basis to ensure that you are using all fo the latest versions available which will help to ensure that any software vulnerabilities that are around can be patched in a short amount of time – this can prove to be a disadvantage for some people as it means that they have to be doing this task regularly manually and can be easily forgotten about, although if configured correctly you can use cron jobs to update a majority of your software
- Costs – how much you pay for your Plesk hosting server will depend on whether you have a high or low specification VPS server or dedicated server as well as what kind of Plesk control panel license you are using on your web hosting server – Plesk control panel licenses are normally priced on how many domains you wish to host as well as whether you are going to be using the Power Pack or not – 30 domain, 100 domain and unlimited domain licenses are available for the Plesk control panel which means that you can take your pick based on how many domains you wish to host – the Power Pack will provide you with a number of advanced features and is available from most web hosting providers at an extra cost.
If you are an experienced user of server hosting services then you shouldn’t be affected by the disadvantages that come with Plesk server hosting, although if you have a low budget then you may struggle to find a Plesk server hosting package that is able to suit your requirements and is within your budget. If you have a higher budget but no experience then you should be able to afford a high end Plesk server hosting service which is fully managed which will allow you to take a back seat when it comes to the management of your Plesk hosting server.
In conclusion, Plesk server hosting services offer you access to a cross platform control panel which contains a number of features that you won’t find with other web hosting control panels. The advantages that come with Plesk server hosting services are likely to benefit you in one way or another, and as long as you know what you are doing and have a reasonable budget then you are unlikely to be affected by the disadvantages. However, you should always shop around for the best deal as this may allow you to get more than you bargained for.
