Parallels Plesk 12 Review. VPS Trial Version Free
Recently, Plesk 12 and PowerPack for Plesk have become available for order to Infobox users. In this article we will look at what Plesk 12 is and what new features technology provides. This article is for users who are not familiar with the innovations of Plesk 12. If you are already a Plesk guru, just try the free trial of the new version. To do this, use the freevps code at http://infobox.ru/vps/linux/ to order a free trial version of VPS up to 2048 Mb in Amsterdam (if ordered for a year VPS 1024 Mb and higher, Plesk 12 Web Pro as a gift).
Also Plesk 12 is available for purchase for self-installation in cloud VPS from Infobox . On classic Linux VPS, Plesk 12 is installed automatically.
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Parallels Plesk 12 is a control panel for automating web hosting and web management, allowing IT professionals to manage DNS, mail servers, databases, and other services using a universal interface. From a technical point of view, the panel occupies an intermediate position between system services and users. For example, when a user creates a site, Plesk sends this request in the background to a web server, and the latter in turn adds a new virtual server to the system.
The new version includes server-site security tools, full-featured WordPress tools, and new email account and spam management features.
The Plesk 12 version is available in four different editions, each of which has features designed specifically for web administrators, application developers, web studios and hosting providers.
The goal of each of the Plesk 12 editions is to simplify infrastructure management for hosting websites and web applications for four different audiences. Each of the editions includes a new kernel based on the Fail2ban and ModSecurity systems , the most popular security tools on the market today for hosting websites and web applications. In addition, Plesk 12 introduces a new WordPress Toolkit, which allows you to centrally manage and ensure multiple WordPress installations (available in the Web PRO and Web HOST editions).
As an extension, PowerPack for Plesk 12 is available, which includes support for Parallels Plesk Mobile Manager App, Kaspersky Anti-Virus (up to 5 email boxes), Parallels Web Presence Builder license (on 10 sites), Unity One Mobile Site Builder (on 2 sites) , Tomcat, ColdFusion, and MSSQL / PostgreSQL.
Revision Comparison
Built-in WordPress management tools . WordPress Toolkit greatly simplifies the daily tasks of managing and ensuring the security of WordPress sites and allows web studios, hosters, and, if desired, their clients:
Enhance security . New core security in Plesk 12 combines support for ModSecurity, Fail2Ban and Outbound Antispam. This allows:
The new version (in the Web APP, Web PRO and Web HOST editions) contains the Dev Pack, which allows you to manage your PgSQL, MSSQL, Tomcat and ColdFusion installations.
Complete list of changes to the Linux – version of Plesk 12
Full list of changes to the Windows – version of Plesk 12
If you are engaged in WordPress sites, this feature will greatly ease your life, saving time on installing and updating sites, themes, plug-ins, as well as allowing you to ensure the safety of sites. You can be sure that all sites are updated on time and all security updates for all users are installed on time. WordPress installed from Plesk applies the recommended security settings automatically.
Let's install the site with WordPress in Plesk 12. Then we will look at the possibilities for managing extensions, themes, security and other Wordpress settings. Then we will install another site and see how to manage multiple instances of WordPress.
Installing WordPress is so simple that it comes down to choosing an application from the list available in the "Applications" section in the control panel and clicking on the "Install" button, as shown in the screenshot above.
Database configuration is done automatically, without requiring user attention.
Installation takes a few seconds. The screenshot above shows the admin panel, available immediately after installing WordPress. It presents an overview of the installation. The main details are also visible there, including the site name, site address, and administration settings. On the right, there are links to the basic WordPress settings: plugin, theme and security management. Let's look at them in more detail.
All WordPress installations contain a set of pre-installed themes and plug-ins and are activated simply by selecting the appropriate item in the list and pressing the “OK” button.
Here you can and manage: install, delete and activate themes.
Plug-in management is exactly the same.
In light of recent stories with the vulnerability of Heartbleed, this is a very important topic. You can manage the security aspects of WordPress in one click by clicking on the “Secure” link under the “Manage Plugins” link.
The main security categories include:
As you can see in the screenshot above, there are security issues with the wp-contents and wp-includes folders. All that is needed to correct problems is to mark problem items and click “Secure”. Plesk will make the necessary security changes. These two items are on a separate list because they are optional - turning them on will make Wordpress safer, but some plugins may stop working. Therefore, by default, these items do not apply when installing Wordpress from Plesk.
If we want to cancel the action, you must click "Rollback".
Even if you have a large number of clients with WordPress sites, Plesk 12 is not a problem.
The process of installing new WordPress sites is the same as installing the first one. Once completed, you can see all installed WordPress instances in one list.
If you need to change something in a particular site, just click on the desired site and make settings for it only. On the other hand, if you need to change the settings of several sites at once, including the management of themes, plugins and security, select the ones you need from the list and make changes for several sites at once.
Plesk 12 also supports manual Wordpress. To search for such applications, click the Scan button.
You may ask: “Why do we need the functionality that already exists in WordPress”? For simplicity, efficiency and safety! You do not need to switch between different applications and track their status separately. One tool does the routine work for the required number of sites as easy as for one. For security, Parallels offers features that WordPress simply does not have. Some of this plugins can do, but not all. Full automation is possible only through Plesk, but not from within WordPress.
The new version of Plesk includes a large number of security technologies:
Let's look at the purpose of some security technologies: ModSecurity, Fail2Ban and limitations of outgoing email messages.
One of the major security extensions of Plesk 12 is ModSecurity , a free firewall for web applications designed to help detect and prevent attacks against web applications such as WordPress and Joomla.
ModSecurity provides protection against a wide range of attacks on web applications and allows you to monitor HTTP traffic and analyze it in real time without significant impact on performance.
For the user, ModSecurity allows you to remain calm about the security of your sites that will remain online. In real time, many attacks will be detected and prevented.
It should be noted that ModSecurity is not valuable in itself, but only with a reliable supplier of rules. Parallels works with the best supplier, Atomic, which provides quality rules for Plesk.
The following security technology in Plesk 12 is Fail2Ban. The technology scans the logs of files and blocks IP addresses that look suspicious, for example when trying to guess a password. Fail2Ban uses updated firewall rules to block IP addresses.
Fail2Ban allows you to configure the rules for detecting attempts to hack your site and how to respond to them. The scope of protection of Fail2Ban includes not only websites, but also FTP and email accounts.
If a hacking attempt is recorded, the firewall can automatically block the source of the attack.
The third security feature discussed in this article is the restriction of outgoing email messages. The feature was implemented in Plesk 12 to protect server IP addresses from blacklisting spam.
If your business uses email, this feature will be useful for you. It is very difficult for many owners of spam lists to get through. Do not believe? Try to reach Google.
Restrictions can be set in three ways:
Depending on your needs, you can customize email restrictions as needed.
In this article, we paid a lot of attention to WordPress, but with the help of Plesk 12 you can install hundreds of other applications and content management systems, including the popular Joomla and Drupal. Users can simply install applications as easily as with WordPress and use them.
Developers can expand the audience of their web applications by packaging applications according to the APS 1.2 standard, which is supported in Plesk 12.
Parallels Plesk 12 seriously simplifies the life of site administrators. Plesk features are so vast that it is difficult and wrong to try to talk about all of them in one article. Therefore, we offer a set of useful links to documentation on various aspects of Plesk 12 (in English) for further study:
Administrator's Guide
Customer's Guide
Reseller's guide
API RPC 1.6.6.0 Manual
Advanced Administration Guide
Installation, Upgrade, Migration, and Transfer Guide
Reference for Command Line Utilities (Linux)
Reference for Command-Line Utilities (Windows)
Developer's Guide: Read Me First
How to Scale Your Business with APS
Extensions SDK Guide
How to Localize Parallels Panel
How to Meet PCI DSS Requirements for Parallels Plesk Panel
How to Create a Custom Theme (Skin) for Parallels Plesk Panel
Do not forget about the possibility to try Plesk 12 for free on VPS from Infobox up to 2048 mb in Amsterdam, using the freevps promo code. When ordering for a year VPS 1024mb or higher as a gift, Plesk 12 Web Pro is free. If you want to test cloud VPS, register by this link .
If you can not ask questions on Habré, you can ask them in the comments to the article in the InfoboxCloud Community or by email .
Successful use of Plesk 12 and let the administration routine be less!
Also Plesk 12 is available for purchase for self-installation in cloud VPS from Infobox . On classic Linux VPS, Plesk 12 is installed automatically.
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Introduction
Parallels Plesk 12 is a control panel for automating web hosting and web management, allowing IT professionals to manage DNS, mail servers, databases, and other services using a universal interface. From a technical point of view, the panel occupies an intermediate position between system services and users. For example, when a user creates a site, Plesk sends this request in the background to a web server, and the latter in turn adds a new virtual server to the system.
The new version includes server-site security tools, full-featured WordPress tools, and new email account and spam management features.
Editorial staff
The Plesk 12 version is available in four different editions, each of which has features designed specifically for web administrators, application developers, web studios and hosting providers.
The goal of each of the Plesk 12 editions is to simplify infrastructure management for hosting websites and web applications for four different audiences. Each of the editions includes a new kernel based on the Fail2ban and ModSecurity systems , the most popular security tools on the market today for hosting websites and web applications. In addition, Plesk 12 introduces a new WordPress Toolkit, which allows you to centrally manage and ensure multiple WordPress installations (available in the Web PRO and Web HOST editions).
Powerpack
As an extension, PowerPack for Plesk 12 is available, which includes support for Parallels Plesk Mobile Manager App, Kaspersky Anti-Virus (up to 5 email boxes), Parallels Web Presence Builder license (on 10 sites), Unity One Mobile Site Builder (on 2 sites) , Tomcat, ColdFusion, and MSSQL / PostgreSQL.
Revision Comparison
- Plesk Web Admin Edition : edition optimized for individuals, individuals and organizations who work with websites and mail of their company, client or with their own.
- Plesk Web App Edition : focused on hosting web applications and games, for developers who work on them for themselves or their clients, and most often deploy only one application on a single web server. It allows you to restrict user rights in the product, administer your servers and domains from any mobile devices, as well as protect yourself from typical software attacks.
- Plesk Web Pro Edition : for web studios and digital agencies that practice website creation themselves or on the basis of a CMS (for example, WordPress). It allows you to manage sites, mail, user accounts, server, security level installed WordPress and provides general protection of sites and server.
- Plesk Web Host Edition : for hosters that offer shared hosting for multiple users. This edition has additional features for organizing multi-user access, support for resale of services by resellers, subscription and account management, as well as built-in security tools for websites and the server in general and WordPress sites in particular.
Key new features
Built-in WordPress management tools . WordPress Toolkit greatly simplifies the daily tasks of managing and ensuring the security of WordPress sites and allows web studios, hosters, and, if desired, their clients:
- Manage multiple WordPress installations, plugins and themes from a single interface;
- Easy to install, update and remove WordPress, as well as activate and remove plugins and themes;
- Safely implement WordPress and enhance the protection of existing installations using the most common recommended security settings with the possibility of their selective cancellation (in case of any compatibility issues).
Enhance security . New core security in Plesk 12 combines support for ModSecurity, Fail2Ban and Outbound Antispam. This allows:
- Protect servers by protecting them from targeted attacks against known or recently discovered vulnerabilities;
- Automatically prevent real-time attacks by intruders on sites by interrupting web requests before connecting to the site;
- Preventively block accounts from which spam is sent, preventing the servers from blacklisting servers.
The new version (in the Web APP, Web PRO and Web HOST editions) contains the Dev Pack, which allows you to manage your PgSQL, MSSQL, Tomcat and ColdFusion installations.
Complete list of changes to the Linux – version of Plesk 12
Full list of changes to the Windows – version of Plesk 12
Built-in Wordpress Management Tools
If you are engaged in WordPress sites, this feature will greatly ease your life, saving time on installing and updating sites, themes, plug-ins, as well as allowing you to ensure the safety of sites. You can be sure that all sites are updated on time and all security updates for all users are installed on time. WordPress installed from Plesk applies the recommended security settings automatically.
Let's install the site with WordPress in Plesk 12. Then we will look at the possibilities for managing extensions, themes, security and other Wordpress settings. Then we will install another site and see how to manage multiple instances of WordPress.
Site installation
Installing WordPress is so simple that it comes down to choosing an application from the list available in the "Applications" section in the control panel and clicking on the "Install" button, as shown in the screenshot above.
Database configuration is done automatically, without requiring user attention.
Installation takes a few seconds. The screenshot above shows the admin panel, available immediately after installing WordPress. It presents an overview of the installation. The main details are also visible there, including the site name, site address, and administration settings. On the right, there are links to the basic WordPress settings: plugin, theme and security management. Let's look at them in more detail.
Manage themes and plugins
All WordPress installations contain a set of pre-installed themes and plug-ins and are activated simply by selecting the appropriate item in the list and pressing the “OK” button.
Here you can and manage: install, delete and activate themes.
Plug-in management is exactly the same.
Security Management
In light of recent stories with the vulnerability of Heartbleed, this is a very important topic. You can manage the security aspects of WordPress in one click by clicking on the “Secure” link under the “Manage Plugins” link.
The main security categories include:
- file and directory permissions
- directory permissions
- folder security wp – contents and wp-includes
- key security
As you can see in the screenshot above, there are security issues with the wp-contents and wp-includes folders. All that is needed to correct problems is to mark problem items and click “Secure”. Plesk will make the necessary security changes. These two items are on a separate list because they are optional - turning them on will make Wordpress safer, but some plugins may stop working. Therefore, by default, these items do not apply when installing Wordpress from Plesk.
If we want to cancel the action, you must click "Rollback".
Several installations
Even if you have a large number of clients with WordPress sites, Plesk 12 is not a problem.
The process of installing new WordPress sites is the same as installing the first one. Once completed, you can see all installed WordPress instances in one list.
If you need to change something in a particular site, just click on the desired site and make settings for it only. On the other hand, if you need to change the settings of several sites at once, including the management of themes, plugins and security, select the ones you need from the list and make changes for several sites at once.
Plesk 12 also supports manual Wordpress. To search for such applications, click the Scan button.
What for?
You may ask: “Why do we need the functionality that already exists in WordPress”? For simplicity, efficiency and safety! You do not need to switch between different applications and track their status separately. One tool does the routine work for the required number of sites as easy as for one. For security, Parallels offers features that WordPress simply does not have. Some of this plugins can do, but not all. Full automation is possible only through Plesk, but not from within WordPress.
Security technology
The new version of Plesk includes a large number of security technologies:
- Security policies;
- SSL certificates;
- Subdomain creation restrictions;
- Add administration accounts;
- Administrative access restrictions;
- Prohibited domain names;
- ModSecurity;
- Fail2Ban;
- Limitations of outgoing email messages.
Let's look at the purpose of some security technologies: ModSecurity, Fail2Ban and limitations of outgoing email messages.
Modsecurity
One of the major security extensions of Plesk 12 is ModSecurity , a free firewall for web applications designed to help detect and prevent attacks against web applications such as WordPress and Joomla.
ModSecurity provides protection against a wide range of attacks on web applications and allows you to monitor HTTP traffic and analyze it in real time without significant impact on performance.
For the user, ModSecurity allows you to remain calm about the security of your sites that will remain online. In real time, many attacks will be detected and prevented.
It should be noted that ModSecurity is not valuable in itself, but only with a reliable supplier of rules. Parallels works with the best supplier, Atomic, which provides quality rules for Plesk.
Fail2Ban
The following security technology in Plesk 12 is Fail2Ban. The technology scans the logs of files and blocks IP addresses that look suspicious, for example when trying to guess a password. Fail2Ban uses updated firewall rules to block IP addresses.
Fail2Ban allows you to configure the rules for detecting attempts to hack your site and how to respond to them. The scope of protection of Fail2Ban includes not only websites, but also FTP and email accounts.
If a hacking attempt is recorded, the firewall can automatically block the source of the attack.
Limitations of outgoing emails
The third security feature discussed in this article is the restriction of outgoing email messages. The feature was implemented in Plesk 12 to protect server IP addresses from blacklisting spam.
If your business uses email, this feature will be useful for you. It is very difficult for many owners of spam lists to get through. Do not believe? Try to reach Google.
Restrictions can be set in three ways:
- For individual boxes;
- For the domain;
- For multiple domains;
Depending on your needs, you can customize email restrictions as needed.
Support for APS packaged applications
In this article, we paid a lot of attention to WordPress, but with the help of Plesk 12 you can install hundreds of other applications and content management systems, including the popular Joomla and Drupal. Users can simply install applications as easily as with WordPress and use them.
Developers can expand the audience of their web applications by packaging applications according to the APS 1.2 standard, which is supported in Plesk 12.
Conclusion
Parallels Plesk 12 seriously simplifies the life of site administrators. Plesk features are so vast that it is difficult and wrong to try to talk about all of them in one article. Therefore, we offer a set of useful links to documentation on various aspects of Plesk 12 (in English) for further study:
Administrator's Guide
Customer's Guide
Reseller's guide
API RPC 1.6.6.0 Manual
Advanced Administration Guide
Installation, Upgrade, Migration, and Transfer Guide
Reference for Command Line Utilities (Linux)
Reference for Command-Line Utilities (Windows)
Developer's Guide: Read Me First
How to Scale Your Business with APS
Extensions SDK Guide
How to Localize Parallels Panel
How to Meet PCI DSS Requirements for Parallels Plesk Panel
How to Create a Custom Theme (Skin) for Parallels Plesk Panel
Do not forget about the possibility to try Plesk 12 for free on VPS from Infobox up to 2048 mb in Amsterdam, using the freevps promo code. When ordering for a year VPS 1024mb or higher as a gift, Plesk 12 Web Pro is free. If you want to test cloud VPS, register by this link .
If you can not ask questions on Habré, you can ask them in the comments to the article in the InfoboxCloud Community or by email .
Successful use of Plesk 12 and let the administration routine be less!
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/234111/
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