What Do You Want In A Control Panel.

I Am Making One And I Am Looking What To Add.

[ComputerNerd8888]

Hello,

I am making a Web Host Manager Application.

I am looking on what to add to this Manager....

If you could please just List Things you would like to see in one and things that need to be in one...

Thanks,
Andrew!

[tombola]

Andrew, why re-inventing the wheel?
There is already a very good control panel: cPanel (cpanel.net).

Well, in case you still want to build one, you can check this site to see what they include ;-)

[Serchen]

Well wheels used to be made of wood, now theyre covered in rubber ;-)

[SlowMove]

Almost too much info at the following:
forums.cpanel.net/
www.cpaneltips.net/
www.webhostgear.com/cid_4.html

[ComputerNerd8888]

"Andrew, why re-inventing the wheel?"
-- Learning Pupores, Peslonal Project.

The scope of this project is not to get Publicy Knowen...

It might be nice to see if on some servers but it is more a learning tide and personal project.

This might be also uused for my server...

Andrew

[lizzie]

The cpanel is great. From the webhost manager I would like to be able to access the cpanels of my clients without having to type in the username and password each time and there is a little code already that can be installed that does this. This is all I would change.

[ComputerNerd8888]

Thank you, I have use Plesk and Cpanel before also, and I would say thats something I liked from plesk. (Loging into customers accounts with just clicking a link rather than typeing in there account name)

I have a pretty good list now and I think that is what I will start with.

This is my next question.

I need to find that most common applcations used on the server so I can make the panle repectfuly.

This is what I am thinking, Can you verfiy.

-----------------
DNS -- BIND
FTP -- ProFTPD
Web Server -- Apache
Secure Shell (SSH) -- OpenSSH
(This is were I'm not too sure)
SMTP -- Sendmail, QMail, or Postfix (Might implement all)
Post Office Protocol (POP) -- Qpopper (This is all I know, Dose QMail work on this end (Never Used It))
-----------------

Thanks,
A.D.B.
WSMA

[Rincewind]

CPanel works well - however it all to samy. Every host that offers CPanel has the same features. There is little scope of the host to customise their offering to create a unique product that can differentiate the host form the competition.

I'd like to see a more adaptive control system built on a modular structure. I'd like to be able to purchase or write my own add on modules and scripts.

I'd like a theme/skin system that could be easily cusotmised to match the hosts site (not just a logo stuck onto of a default skin). Ideally laying heavy on the css so that we can edit the panels appearance without studying pages of programming code.

[ComputerNerd8888]

Finaly some one saw it like I wanted it....

I hate not begging able to change the look. Not beeging able to add thing you want...

Adding custome scripts would be grate (never though of it) but it could have a high potinial of surcety risks and useing ones made by other users may be bad...

I also wanted to add where features could be add or taken away... I.E. if you make a reseller account and you want to let them make five (5) Name Servers you can do that. If you dont want them to amek anything at all then Name Servers wont even be showen as a option....

I think it will be very database heave...

This could make "plug-ins" and page layout editting every easy.

Thanks for you answer... Anything else would be grate...

Andrew

[Rincewind]

Adding custome scripts would be grate (never though of it) but it could have a high potinial of surcety risks and using ones made by other users may be bad...

Course it depends on the level that the scripts apply. The model I was thinking of was like the common CMS nuke look a like. If all the features were left to the core dev team, they would never be complete. By allowing the core dev to work on the main admin and backbone of the system and make a api that 3rd party developers could produce modules to enhance the functionality of the controls, you create a system that can become much more than the origonal dev could imagin. As long as you don't have to hack the core of the system to create a module, and just run everything through the core api, you can maintain security.

Further to having disabled features turned off for resellers and end users. It would be nice to have the choice of removing the link to the feature or pointing the link to a page advertising upgrade options for how to get that feature.

[ComputerNerd8888]

Course it depends on the level that the scripts apply. The model I was thinking of was like the common CMS nuke look a like. If all the features were left to the core dev team, they would never be complete. By allowing the core dev to work on the main admin and backbone of the system and make a api that 3rd party developers could produce modules to enhance the functionality of the controls, you create a system that can become much more than the origonal dev could imagin. As long as you don't have to hack the core of the system to create a module, and just run everything through the core api, you can maintain security.

Could you go into this idea in more detail?

Further to having disabled features turned off for resellers and end users. It would be nice to have the choice of removing the link to the feature or pointing the link to a page advertising upgrade options for how to get that feature.

This is what I was trying to get at also.... I hated that.

Andrew

[Rincewind]

The core of a control panel is quite simple.

Admin - Displays reports on server performance. Add/modify/delete reseller accounts. Sets allocation of resources to reseller. Reports on server usage/abuse.

Reseller - Add/mod/del user accounts. Set allocation of resources to users within limits set by admin. Report of resource usage/abuse

User - Tools for controlling server resources. Add/modify/delete pop email, mysql, ftp accounts.

This is the core of the control panel. This bit must be lean, flexible, secure, free form bugs, and updatable without disturbing other features/skins/modules of the control panel

Onto this, most control panels tack some additional features such as web mail like nero, hord or squirl, A web based file manager. A database manage e.g. myphpadmin, and some automated installers for popular scripts. But you are stuck with whatever addons the dev team included. Adding in additional functionality is not easy.

Many hosts use ticketing systems and/or forums to provide support to reseller and users. These are usually installed on the hosts main web site. Each system having it's own user database and passwords. The result is that customers can have 3 or more usernames and password sets just to manage the one hosting account (One for the control panel, one for the ticketing system and another for forum). If the core is designed correctly, then the host could use a module, added onto the control panel's core, to integrate a ticketing system or a forum into the control panel. Since the module would use the core's user database, only one login would be required.

Rather than the core developer having to conceive of every possible addon that the hosts may wish to install. The dev could create a extendable system that allows for the creation of new modules or the modularization of existing scripts. The developer may create a small selection of basic modules like file manager or web mail. But by allowing 3rd parties to produce compatible modules, you can build a wider set of functionality than would be possible. It would allow hosts with a function idea, to write a module to add that function. Or maybe allow an existing module to be edited to create a new version.

Some examples of modules

FAQ module, support ticketing module, forum module, file manager, webmail, instant messenger/chat module, callback module (click the button and the support staff will phone you rather than you phoning them), Visitor Stats, mysql manager, broadcast module (to send mail to all system users), script installer (for installing popular cgi and php script like forums and shopping carts into user's accounts), billing/accounting/invoicing module.

I'm sure there are a load of other modules that could be developed, just a matter of letting the rest of the world think them up and add them onto your core.

[ComputerNerd8888]

Hello,

very nice lay out. The more customizable it is the better it will be.

Admin - Displays reports on server performance. Add/modify/delete reseller accounts. Sets allocation of resources to reseller. Reports on server usage/abuse.

Reseller - Add/mod/del user accounts. Set allocation of resources to users within limits set by admin. Report of resource usage/abuse

User - Tools for controlling server resources. Add/modify/delete pop email, mysql, ftp accounts.

Yes I agree with that but with a few little changes...

Admin - Displays reports on server performance. Add/modify/delete reseller accounts. Sets allocation of resources to reseller. Reports on server usage/abuse. (The Admin should be able to create normal user accounts also. They should also have things like POP, EMAIL, MYSQL, and FTP choice (for the main page with out having to make a different account))

Reseller - Add/mod/del user accounts. Set allocation of resources to users within limits set by admin. Report of resource usage/abuse (This should also come with on built in site (I.E. this part controls things like POP, SMTP, MYSQL, and FTP (but only from ONE (or more if wanted my Admin) Domain.)

User - Tools for controlling server resources. Add/modify/delete pop email, mysql, ftp accounts.

I really like the ideas from the rest of the post. I am thinking of a way I could impalement this and that WILL be something that will show up in the release.

Andrew

[Rincewind]

I assumed that admin would contain the rights of reseller and user just as reseller would contain the rights of user. However, don't assume that every admin will want to create users or have their own user level account on the server. Likewise some resellers may only wish to create user level accounts for customers and not have an account for themself. For example. I may have 3 servers, each with the control panel installed on them. I only need one user level account for my own hosting sales site and email services. One server may only have user level accounts and no resellers while another server may have only user accounts inside resellers. Likewise, a reseller may have more than one reseller account (maybe with a different host) and so would not need his own user level account. Give the admin the option to create reseller and/or user level rights for his account and give resellers the option to create user level rights inside their account.

It would also be nice to manage all my servers with just one admin point. Rather than having a separate admin on every server.

[robert adams]

This all sounds a lot like WHM/CPANEL
that is already on millions of servers around the world.

luck,
robert

[ComputerNerd8888]

Yes I understand where you are comming from. My intension is to have the option to allow this, but if I am a Server Admin I dont want to have to log into a reseller account to add accounts or log into a enitherly differnt account for my web page. I would rater have the abuilt to have this all in one account. Same this for a reseller account, I would not want to have to log into a doamin i add to change my account settings for my domain and a speart to change things in my reseller account like you use in the CPANLE set up.

I know most of this in the other control panles but this one will be differnt... I mean I want to add file server support, and game server support...

Right now this will be just a web server though...

Andrew

[denisdekat]

I want security and stability first, ease of use and features second, and great support.

[Rincewind]

Further: What if admin/reseller/user had more than one user account. For example, a typical web host may have one site for pro hosting. Anther site for budget hosting. A third site for their dedicated servers or domain names. Maybe yet another for design or SEO services. Currently on one of my cpanel reseller accounts, I have 20 or so personal sites that I manage. That means 20 logins for each site plus anther for the reseller account. Couldn't they be consolidated into just one login for the highest level account (in this case reseller) from which I could navigate down into the other accounts. Kinda like most domain resellers (eg enom) have where you login once and can manage all you domains and resellers and the resellers domain form one point.

Another: What about accounts with multiple users. For example, a user may be working on a site with a friend. Rather than giving the friend his own user/pass combo, he could create a second login to the user account for that friend. Then remove that sub user if you want later on. Likewise, the user may wish to create sub users that only have access to sections of the controls. (think of it as assigning rights to individual modules of the panel). For example, you may wish to give the personnel department access to manage email accounts but not want them in at the files, ftp or mysql. Or from the admin point of view, you may wish to give one group of your staff the ability to manage the user and reseller accounts but block them out of altering server settings or editing the company's personal accounts. And you may wish to let your server admin into the panel to adjust the server settings but lock away from the customer management stuff.

[Rincewind]

I want security and stability first, ease of use and features second, and great support.

Ditto. Let the devteam concentrate on creating a solid stable core and just the basic features. Then let 3rd parties add in the toys.

[ComputerNerd8888]

I want security and stability first, ease of use and features second, and great support

I also agree and it is all ready being created... Information I can gather here though will help out later in the development process...

Very good point. And I see how you are coming from now. Adding support so the Admin could control all domains under them with just logging into there account will be much easier. Also the Sub Users are a grate idea and I and adding it to the to do list.