Advanced Web Deployment With Plesk on Vultr

Introduction

Plesk is a powerful web hosting control panel that simplifies server and website management for users of all levels. It provides a user-friendly interface to manage domains, websites, emails, databases, and security, making it ideal for both beginners and advanced administrators. Compatible with both Linux and Windows servers, Plesk supports a wide range of CMS platforms like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. Its modular design allows for easy integration of plugins and extensions, offering flexibility for customization, security enhancements, and performance optimization. Plesk automates routine tasks, streamlining server management for web hosting companies, developers, and IT professionals.

In this article, you will deploy Vultr’s Plesk Marketplace Application to manage your web application.

Deploy Vultr Optimized Cloud Instance

Sign up and log in to the Vultr Customer Portal.
Navigate to the Products page.
From the side menu, select Compute.
Click the Deploy Server button in the center.
Choose Optimized Cloud Compute as the server type.
Choose a server Location.
Choose Plesk as the marketplace application.
Choose a suitable plan.
Choose any Additional Features if required.
Click Deploy Now.

Set Up a Plesk Administrator Account

The Plesk web interface service runs on port 8443. To start using the interface, set up an administrator account by following the steps below:

Visit the following URL on a browser window. Replace <server-ip> with your Plesk Cloud Compute instance public IP address
```
https://&lt;server-ip&gt;:8443
```
Enter root as your Plesk username and server password in the password field.
Set a password for administrator login and click Enter Plesk to move forward.
The Plesk setup can take upto 5 mins to complete.

Add a Domain Name to Plesk

Plesk allows you to add new domain names via the dashboard. Depending on where you’ve acquired your domain name, you should point the domain name DNS records to Vultr name servers. Follow the steps below to add a new domain to Plesk.

Click Add Domain in the initial screen.
Choose Blank Website to proceed.
Select Registered domain name, enter the domain name in the text box, and click Add Domain.

Customize the Plesk Domain Name and Add an SSL Certificate

A valid SSL/TLS certificate allows you to secure sensitive data between users and the website or web application. You’ll secure your domain with a Let’s Encrypt certificate. Let’s Encrypt is a free and automated SSL certificate offered by the Internet Security Research Group (ISRG). Follow the steps below to install the certificate.

Select Tools & Settings from the left menu. Then, navigate to General Settings and choose Server Settings.
Enter the domain name in the Full hostname field and click Save.
Select Tools & Settings from the left menu. Then, navigate to General Settings and choose DNS Settings.
Add ns1.vultr.com and ns2.vultr.com as two new ns records and click update.The update procedure may take a few minutes until then you may see errors related to DNS not resolvable.
After the DNS update is finished, select Tools & Settings from the left menu. Then, navigate to SSL/TLS Certificates.
Click + Let’s Encrypt.
Enter the administrator’s email address and the domain name. Then, click Re Issue to generate the Let’s Encrypt certificate.Plesk should now secure the domain name with an SSL certificate.
Visit your domain at https://<your-domain>. Upon visiting the domain you will be able to see the default plesk page just like the on below.

Plesk Features & Benefits

Centralized User Management: Easily manage multiple users with customizable roles and access permissions for websites, domains, and server settings.
Automation: Automates routine tasks like backups, software updates, and server monitoring to reduce manual work and improve efficiency.
Multi-Language Support: Supports a variety of languages, making it accessible to users worldwide and suitable for global hosting environments.
Reseller Management: Provides tools for creating hosting plans, setting resource limits, and managing resellers and their clients effectively.
Backup and Recovery: Integrated backup and recovery features allow users to schedule automated backups and restore websites or data quickly when needed.

Do More With Vultr

Conclusion

In conclusion, deploying Plesk on a Vultr Optimized Cloud Instance offers an efficient way to manage websites, domains, and server settings. With its user-friendly interface, automation, and robust features like centralized user management, SSL integration, and backup capabilities, Plesk simplifies server management for web hosting professionals.

This is a sponsored article by Vultr. Vultr is the world’s largest privately-held cloud computing platform. A favorite with developers, Vultr has served over 1.5 million customers across 185 countries with flexible, scalable, global Cloud Compute, Cloud GPU, Bare Metal, and Cloud Storage solutions. Learn more about Vultr