Any great web site out there, especially those on a dedicated sever, need to have an equally as great backup plan.  Thankfully if you are using Plesk, this is an easy process to step through.

First thing you need to do is login to your Plesk control panel, and then click on the "Back up" icon.  You can then backup locally or remotely.  For convenience, you can enter your FTP details and store them for future sessions.  To do so, click on FTP Account Properties and then fill out all the blanks, giving Plesk your FTP information to remember.  Now that you have that done lets backup our files.  Click on Create Backup on the main Backup page, and then you should see a screen labeled Backup file creation.

Now click on the backup method, either local, download or remotely on an FTP server.  You can also create a multivolume backup from here too.  Now under FTP settings, you should see that everything has been filled out for you.  Give your backup file a name, leave a comment to help your remember what it was about and also you can put in your e-mail address so you will be notified as soon as the backup is done.

When your ready, click on the "Back up" button.  After doing so you may wish to play with other options you have such as enabling backups on a schedule so you don’t have to actually login and do all of this to get it done each time.  You can also browse through the backup file repository too.

Need to get a message out in a hurry?  Autoresponders are a great option for this and they are easy to create with your dedicated hosting plan using the Plesk control panel. 

First thing you need to do is to login to your Plesk control panel, and go to the Mail section under Services.  Next locate the existing POP account that you would like to make an autoresponder.  Click on it, and then select the "Autoresponder" menu item.

If you would like to send an attachment with the autoresponce, you will need to upload the file to the attachment repository.  You can do that by going to "Attachement Files" under the Mail autoresponders screen.  Browse for the file you need and then hit the "send file" button on the screen.  After that has been done it will be added to the repository. 

Now go back to the main Mail autoresponder page and click on "Add New Autoresponder" to get going.  You can from there give the autoresponder a name.  This can be anything you’d like and is for reference only. You can also have a copy forwarded to a specific address.   Next you need to setup the rules for the autoresponder.  You can set it to always respond or just when there is or is not specific words in the message body or subject.

Next setup your reply to address if needed, and select your mail sending format to be plain text or HTML.  Under the "Reply" section you can then type in the text you need for your autoresponce.  To make sure you stay within your e-mail limits if needed, you can limit it to only send this message to not more than "X" amount of people.

Now save your settings and your autoresponder should be ready on your dedicated hosting account using the Plesk control panel.

LAMP web hosting is probably the most popular and affordable server setting for webmasters these days. If you aren’t already aware, LAMP stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP and defines how your dedicated server will run – it will be Linux hosting with an Apache server, MySQL databases, and PHP development.

The first step to create a LAMP server setup is to install Apache on your Linux machine.

1) Download Apache from Apache Software Foundation.

2) Uncompress the archive using gunzip and tar and replace apache_1.3.11.tar.gz in the example here with the name of the current live version you just downloaded:

gunzip < apache_1.3.11.tar.gz | tar xvf –

This should create an apache_1.3.11 directory.

3) Move into the new directory you just created and use cd apache_1.3.11.

4) ./configure in the root so that your screen appears as such:

# ./configure
Configuring for Apache, Version 1.3.11
…
Creating Makefile
Creating Configuration.apaci in src
Creating Makefile in src
+ configured for Linux platform
+ setting C compiler to gcc
+ setting C pre-processor to gcc -E
+ checking for system header files
+ adding selected modules
+ checking sizeof various data types
+ doing sanity check on compiler and options
…
Creating Makefile in src/modules/standard

5) make so that your screen looks like this:

# make
===> src
make[1]: Entering directory `src/httpd/apache_1.3.11′
make[2]: Entering directory `src/httpd/apache_1.3.11/src’
===> src/regex
…
[several lines later]
…
gcc  -DLINUX=2 -DUSE_HSREGEX -DUSE_EXPAT -I../lib/expat-lite

make[1]: Leaving directory `src/httpd/apache_1.3.11′
<=== src
#

6) Install your new Apache with # make install and you’re done!

Now you are welcome to start Apache to make sure it’s working if you’d like.

As root, type /usr/local/apache/bin/apachect1 start and your browser at your brand new web server at yourdomain.com. If you see the Apache standard “It worked!” homepage, you are set.

What is a Rootkit?

Rootkits are programs designed to access your dedicated server systems to intrude on and compromise your server. These rootkits are often designed as Trojans so that you do not suspect but can open a backdoor to your dedicated server so that they can attach and upload suspicious programs and applications to degrade your performance or bring down your website.

What is Rootkit Detection?

Rootkit detection can be handled in two ways:

1. Via Managed Hosting from your dedicated web hosting provider.
2. Via rootkit detection programs, which are a way you can self-manage your web server.

How do rootkit detection programs work?

Rootkit detection software is designed to detect rootkits and distinguish them from normal hidden files that are not suspicious and concealed for a purpose either by you as a webmaster or by the operating system by default. Most often, rootkit detection programs compare various views of your server system to find mismatches. When there is a mismatch, it usually points to something suspicious and the rootkit check will alert you to suspicious software, programs, Trojans, spyware, or malware on your machine.

Originally, rootkit checks would perform a check on the entire dedicated server system to view all files while inside the OS and then boot the Recovery Console to see that file list for comparison. In the second list, the rootkit program will search for files that do not show up in the first list. These hidden files are often rootkit culprits!

Do they work?

As with all software programs, it depends. Rootkit management programs are not meant to be used as a standalone system for customers new to dedicated server hosting. If you fall into that category, you are still better off purchasing Managed Hosting from your dedicated service provider, as they are professionals who will know the difference between default hidden files and corrupted malware.

Also, take note that rootkit programs are sold or downloaded AS IS, so there is never any guarantee of their success.

The Application Vault for Plesk via your dedicated hosting account can be a useful tool to have at your fingertips.  Think of it like Fantastico is for cPanel, for those more familiar with that interface and control panel selection.

Application Vault allows you to easily auto-install selected third party scripts into your web site.  To access, login to Plesk, and then go to the Application Vault icon.  Click that and then click on the icon to "Add New Application".  That should be located under "Tools".  There is also a "Site Application" section on this screen which is where your installed apps will live after being added to your dedicated hosting plan.

Next you will be taken to a screen with all the site application packages that are available for you.  You can see version numbers, names, and descriptions for each.  Make sure you have set the target URL as the right URL you want to use, and then pick the radio box for the application you wish to install.  Once you have done that, go to the top of the screen and hit the "Install" link. 

Now you can create a button for the Plesk panel to use (sort of like a shortcut) and setup other options such as the destination directory or if you would like to install it to http:// or https://.  Plesk will automatically pre-populate certain fields with default entries.  Feel free to modify them.

The last thing you will do to get your application installed would be to hit the OK button.  You should be redirected back to the first page and configure or remove your application from there.

As a webmaster, you know the importance of a good spam blocking and virus protection program, and maybe you have learned from our dedicated server tutorials how to set con jobs for scheduled tasks, how to protect your system or administer backups, but did you know that there may be things you are unaware of trying to hack your server?

One of these necessary evils of dedicated server hosting is called a rootkit. A rootkit is simply a program usually designed by hackers who attempt to take control of your dedicated server without authorization. They can gain complete access to your system or install themselves as drivers, kernel modules, or other malware. They often go undetected and can seize control of your operating system and obscure the presence of potentially harmful viruses, commands, or Trojans.

Oftentimes, once a rootkit has hidden utility programs in your system, they open a backdoor to your server at any time of the day and can thus be severely harmful to the health of your dedicated server.

If your dedicated web host has a Managed Hosting option, you should look into it, as they often perform rootkit checks to ensure the security of your dedicated server. Remember, a good dedicated web hosting provider doesn’t want your server brought down either and will do everything in their power to keep you a happy customer.

Using a good anti-virus program is key to protecting yourself, your visitors and the server from being infected by something nasty.  Here is what you need to do to use Dr. Web Antivirus in Plesk.

Select the mailbox for which you wish to configure Dr. Web. Once you have clicked on the e-mail address from the Plesk mail management screen,  you can enable Dr. Web for both incoming and outgoing mail.  Select the choice you want, and then hit OK.  Also it is worth taking note of the fact that you could do it for an either/or situation too.

That is all you have to do.  Now your protected from any viruses getting to you from this direction.  Did you know that Dr. Web offers leading frequency of updates and a comprehensive database of viruses? 

They track more than 100,000 of them. 

The heuristic virus scanning technology detects new and unknown viruses without the traditional virus fingerprints and this makes Dr. Web an effective anti-virus solution.

Many webmasters who utilize dedicated server hosting use it for media servers or, more exactly, for streaming video servers. It might be helpful for those of you in the market to run the next YouTube.com to be aware of what you’ll need to accomplish this.

Firstly, you may be wondering what the heck streaming servers or streaming video is! A streaming video server is just a dedicated web server setup to stream videos on demand. Your dedicated server needs to be configured to stream media effectively, by offering a compressed file version that can be easily viewed and listened to by your customers, fans, or regular surfers at the same time that it’s being delivered and processed on the server.

Methods of Streaming Media

You can use a true streaming method, which means your video is almost constantly streamed exactly while it’s being downloaded. Think of YouTube.com for this example. In true media streaming, the dedicated server and streaming video software does all the work, which produces a great end result for the user but which can also be very costly for management! Oftentimes, adding streaming media software to an already existing dedicated server is the most affordable option.

The other option is downloading, which we’re all pretty familiar with. This is far cheaper because the entire video file is downloaded and saved as a temporary file on the computer. However, this method is not suitable for a YouTube.com type dedicated server.

There is a plethora of free streaming media software available on the internet for your perusal and use.

Why Stream Media Live?

If you are running any of the following server types on your dedicated server, your visitors will appreciate live streaming of video or audio for their convenience:

* A YouTube.com clone
* An adult website (make sure you choose an adult web host)
* A video-sharing website
* A podcasting server
* Silverlight media server

What kind of dedicated server do I need?

Go with something BIG because you will need it! I would recommend the following features:

* Dual or Quad Core Xeon Processor
* at least 2 x 1024 MB RAM
* at least 2 x 500 GB SATA Hard Drives
* Raid 4 or 5
* at least 3,000GB bandwidth

Please take a look at our dedicated hosting coupons for the best dedicated server deals you can find, which are sure to knock down the primarily steep price for you!

You may be thinking why do I want to block IP addresses from my dedicated server? If you have never run a dedicated server before, you might not be aware that there are people who attempt to hack entire servers to bring websites down. There are many types of server attacks, and one of the most popular can occur from a single dedicated IP address – a DdoS attack!

In order to subdue the attacker and ban them from coming back, you will need to block their IP address from your dedicated server entirely. Luckily, you can do this in one simple step.

Add the following code to your .htaccess file, which can be found in your web server’s document root directory. More than likely this is named public_html, httpdocs, or webdocs.

<Limit GET>
order deny,allow
deny from 209.23.123.110
</Limit>

Adding this to .htaccess will block a single IP across your entire website and server! Be aware though: spammers and hackers alike can change their IP addresses very easily and most IPs that come from a home computer, for example, are not static and may update often. You can always add more IPs to your server, but this really showcases the importance of having a workable managed hosting solution on your dedicated server.

Do you want to keep yourself updated to know what you’re using on your dedicated server and when? This kind of information can be especially helpful if you are allotting a certain amount of disk space, bandwidth, or email accounts to specific clients on your dedicated server. Plus, knowing what you are using and how often will assist you in keeping your server up to date and if you need to upgrade, you will know before any issues arise.

In Plesk, via Windows or Linux hosting, you can find this information easily.

First, click on Limits

Limits displays the resource limits allocated to your account. For example, it shows you the maximum number of subdomains allowed, disk space, maximum traffic or bandwidth, maximum number of web users, maximum number of databases, maximum number of mailboxes, mailbox quota, maximum number of mail redirects, maximum number of mail groups, maximum number of mail autoresponders, maximum number of mailing lists, and a ton more.

To see account resources limits and usage, click on Report.

Report options will display all resource limits and usages, as well as users and a full list of all available scripts, utilities, and resources. For example, you’ll see Web Statistics, Web Stats, Web Stats SSL, FTP Stats, Traffic History, and can manage Report Delivery.

If you click on FTP Stats, this will show you a history of FTP activity in your website, both in upload as well as download.

If you click on Traffic History, this will display information on traffic usage by Months and Years.

To view detailed traffic statistics used by various services at the domain, click on the Traffic button.

If you’d like to keep yourself updated, you can also choose to send a copy of the report to any email you specify.

Or, you can setup a schedule for automatic delivery of reports by clicking on Report Delivery.

Accessing this information can assist you in self-managing your dedicated web hosting.