Shared Hosting + Plesk Integration with the Automation Platform

Owned by Former user (Deleted)
Last updated: May 09, 2018
5 min read

Summary 

This section helps you understand how Shared Hosting service operated on Plesk control panel be integrated with the Automation Platform.

Pre-requisites 

  • Shared Hosting Infrastructure set-up in your local Data Centre/cloud.
  • Plesk ONYX installed on Plesk server.
  • Details of plans and pricing information for launching shared hosting service.
  • Appropriate privileges in the automation platform to add plans.

Version of product supported 

Plesk ONYX 

Billing model supported 

Pre-Paid

Benefits of Integrating

  • Automatic provisioning of Shared Hosting Service.
  • Access your Plesk control panel via Single Sign-on from your automation platform control panel.
  • Suspend, terminate and un-suspend Shared Hosting services with complete automation.

Step by Step process of integration

Before integrating the service you have to perform the following tasks outside the automation platform:

  • Set-up Shared Hosting Infrastructure as per your local needs
  • Set-up Plesk servers as per guidance from Plesk
  • Create plans in Plesk servers that you will want to launch in the marketplace

Perform these tasks in the automation platform:


1.) Add Plesk Hosting server to Automation Platform 

In this step you will need to add all the Plesk servers that need to be managed via the automation platform. Follow instructions as below:

Home >> Settings >> Products/Services >> Hosting Servers

-       Login to your Automation Platform panel.

-       Go to Home > Settings. (Find theicon in the upper right corner of the home page)

-       Select Hosting Servers under the Products/Services section.

-       Click on Create New Server.

-       This will open the Create New Server Window.

-       Mention the Name and Hostname of the server. (You can choose the name for the server per your choice) 

-       Mention the IP Address of the Plesk Server and Maximum number of accounts. The number of accounts just signify the limit that can be set. There is future enhancement planned to automatically direct provisioning of Plesk accounts to another server if the maximum limit is reached.

-       Fill the nameservers.

-       Fill the Administrator/Root Username and Password of Plesk control panel in the Server Details section.

-       Select Plesk in the module type.

-       Tick the Secure checkbox yes, if you are using SSL mode for connections.

-       Click on Save.

2.) To create the Hosting Server Group  

All Servers that you may add here could be logically grouped under a Server group for better manageability. If you need to create a Server group, please do so by the following method:

On the Hosting Servers page, click on Create Server Group located on the upper right corner.

-      Mention the Hosting Server Group Name.

-      Select the hosting server from the dropdown to be assigned to the Group.

-      Click on Save.

3.) To create Product 

This section will help you create the product in the automation platform and this needs to mirror the same details as in Plesk Panel.

Home >> Settings >> Products/Services >> Packages

-       Go to Home > Settings.

-       Select Packages under the Products/Services section.

  • Create Product Type

-        Click on Add Product button on the Add Product Group window.

-        Select Product Type from the dropdown.

-        Add a name for the Product.

-        Click on Save.

  • Create Product Group (logical grouping of products into a category)

-        Click on Product Group on the packages section.

-        This will open the Add Product Group window.

-        Select the product name from the drop-down.

-        Mention the Product Group.

-        Fill the other fields with the help of the tooltips provided.

-        Click on Save.

  • Create Plan

-         Click on the Create a New Plan button provided on the packages section page.

-         Select the Venture from the drop-down (if you have different business units selling different products etc.).

-         Select the created product type from the Product Type drop-down.

-         Select the product name from the Product Name drop-down.

-         Select the Product Group from the Product Group drop-down.

-         Create the Plan Name.

-         Click on Save.

4.) Configure Plans 

This section lets you configure the plan for the product that you created in the previous step.

-         Go to Home > Settings.

-         Select Packages from the Products/Services section.

-         Click on the edit icon located in front of the plan which you want to configure.

-         This will open a window with complete details of the plan.

-         Click on the Pricing Tab. Here, you can edit the pricing of the plan. you can define the Setup Fee of the product and the Price. The prices you set here will be displayed on the order page of the product plan. Click here to know more about pricing. 

-         Next, click on the Module Settings.

-         In the module setting, select the module name “Plesk” from the dropdown.

-         Select the Product Group from the drop-down.

-         In the Service Plan Name, write the plan name. You will get the plan name in your Plesk Panel. Under the Hosting Services >> Service Plans. This name has to match exactly as mentioned in the Plesk Panel. If this is NOT done, then this integration will NOT work.

-        Click on save.

5.) To Order the Product from the Automation Platform 

As soon as the module settings related to product are done and saved, the order URLs will be generated. These are unique URLs per plan per billing frequency. You will be able to use this and hyperlink to this via your website.

-         Click on Links from the Product Details page.

-         Select the link and run it on the browser.

-         You may choose the details of the plan and then be able to place an order for the same once payments are done (in pre-paid scenario).

You may wish to create a new page in the marketplace with the details of the plans and hyperlinked to the Order links.

7.) Notification mails 

In this section, you can select the welcome mail template for the product/service which will be sent to the customer as soon as an order provisioning is done. It will include the entire details of the service. 

-         Click on Notification Mails tab. 

-         Select the mail template from the Welcome Email drop-down. 

-         Click on Save. 


In case of Tiered model of selling (Distributors selling to Partners and then Partners selling to Customers):

Partners can sell only those services which the service provider allows them to sell. 

The service provider's admin can do this by:

-         Go to Home >> Settings >> Products/Services >> Packages. 

-         On the Packages window, where all product plans are listed, there is an coloumn named  "Applicable on Partner Website." The admin can ON and OFF a particular product/plan. If ON the partner will be able to sell that product through his website and if OFF the partner will not be able to sell it. 

Configuring Pricing for the plan by Partner

The partner can configure pricing of those products which the service provider has allowed him to sell. 

For this: 

-         Go to Home >> Settings >> Products/Services >> Packages. 

-         Click on the edit icon located in front of the product/plan which you want to edit. 

-         This will open the service details of the product. 

-         Click on Pricing tab. Here, the partner will be able to see his cost price (price at which he is getting the service from the service provider). He can then set his selling price (Price at which he sells the product to his end customer) He can define the setup fee and price. For unselecting any billing cycle, he can simply put -1 in the Price text box. Please note that the price cannot be 0.

-         On successful configuration of the product, the partner will get the order URLs.

-         The partner can then run the Order URL on the browser or hyperlink it to the Order now buttons in the marketplace and place order for the product.