Vote Multi Server features prioritization

[Anthony]

Hi all,

As many of you know from our Roadmap, we are planning resellers support in Multi Server only when centralized DNS and mail will be implemented.

As I can see the support for resellers can be a blocker for migration of our customers.

At this stage, we are planning to release major updates (with one or more main features) each 1 - 1,5 months.

In this thread, I would like to clarify with you the Multi Server features prioritization and resellers support feature in particularly.

Please vote for one of the answers above.

Feel free to comment what can be changed in Multi Server Roadmap, let's discuss it.

As a reminder, if you would like to provide more feedback, fill our survey.

 

[craigueH]

Hi Anthony

In my opinion, few will migrate any customers until centralised mail and DNS are implemented so it probably goes without saying that ability to migrate Resellers is a must but will not be pertinent until the former two features are already implemented.
(but that is just my opinion).

 

[Anthony]

@craigueH,

Thank you for sharing your opinion with us.

 

[Janko1000]

Hi,
we want to migrate over 50 Servers to Plesk MultiServer but we wait for the "Mail Feature".
At the Moment we give the Customers as POP/IMAP/SMTP Hostname "mail001.domain.com mail002.domain.com" and so on....
At this Point we are unable to migrate single Customers to other Servers and i hope this ends with centralized Mailservice.... one SSL Cert and one Hostname for all Users... no matter on wich Server the Account is.

90% of our Support Qustions have to do with EMail... wich Hostname, wich Port and wich SSL Settings and so on...
One MailServer with Client AutoSetup for any Device...
THAT would be great!

 

[trialotto]

@Janko1000

To be honest, if you would need to migrate 50 servers to Plesk MultiServer, there probably is a better way to organize your hosting infrastructure.

In essence, any cloud based server infrastructure would do the trick quite easily, without having to bother about the MultiServer extension and/or lack of features thereof.

For instance, an Azure based server infrastructure is easy to setup ........ it is just a hint (and I am happy to give you more information, just start a conversation with me).

Nevertheless, it is or should not be about cloud or MultiServer, when talking about potential problems due to the "Mail Feature" (as you call it).

The general idea is that you can always use a dedicated server or server node to host your mail servers:

- mail data ends up on the particular server or server node,
- DNS points to that server or server node,
- the "business end" of mail (as used by the administrator and customers) can remain on the various Plesk instances,

and the only thing you have to do is to tweak the mail configuration a bit.

Note that the degree of difficulty of before mentioned tweaking will increase if you do not have an internal network with attached storage.

But then again, if you have 50 servers to migrate, you should already have an internal network or consider migration to a cloud based server infrastructure.

Anyway, you can imagine by now why the "Mail Feature" is barely relevant: just use an external server/server node (or a mail cluster, if you will).

By the way, I must agree that it is not good (at all) that the MultiServer extension does not allow for a mail server node or a mail cluster.

It has always been possible to have a Plesk instance using an external mail server, so there is no reason why Plesk MultiServer would not allow for this.

Regards..........

 

[Anthony]

Hi @trialotto,

By the way, I must agree that it is not good (at all) that the MultiServer extension does not allow for a mail server node or a mail cluster.

It has always been possible to have a Plesk instance using an external mail server, so there is no reason why Plesk MultiServer would not allow for this.

Multi Server supports using external mail servers like a single Plesk. The customers are expecting automated centralized mail configuration w/o tweaks and manual configuration.

 

[Janko1000]

Hi,
@trialotto
we dont want to add all ~50 Server to one SingleCluster ;-)

@Anthony
Can you say when centralized mails are coming? Q2-Q3-Q4 2017?

 

[Anthony]

@Janko1000,

It's planning to the end of Q2'2017.

 

[trialotto]

@Janko1000

we dont want to add all ~50 Server to one SingleCluster ;-)

Obviously.

But that is why you should consider to use a cloud based server infrastructure.

Consider Azure (Microsoft Cloud) for instance.

You have an internal network (a VNet) to which multiple VMs (virtual machines) and storage accounts can be attached.

This will result in safe traffic within the VNet, amongst VMs.

This will also allow you to share file storage across VMs (very handy for common files, like packages) or add separate file shares per machine.

In essence, one does not need the MultiServer extension and associated licenses when using Azure.

One can simply add unlimited VMs without breaking Plesk licensing model: one only needs ONE license (if one is a little bit handy when designing the server infrastructure).

Again, you can imagine by now why "it should not be about the Mail Feature" or even "about Plesk MultiServer".

Did you realize for instance that you will encounter some issues when trying to return specific nodes from the MultiServer model to the "single Plesk instance model"?

And that is just the tip of the iceberg.........there are much more arguments than "waiting for the Mail Feature".

Regards........

 

[trialotto]

@Anthony

You stated

Multi Server supports using external mail servers like a single Plesk. The customers are expecting automated centralized mail configuration w/o tweaks and manual configuration.

and you really give a strange twist to what I was saying.

The mail feature in Plesk MultiServer should not be that relevant, in the sense that there is always the alternative of the external mail server setup.

However, it is relevant that the mail feature is still missing in Plesk MultiServer, given the facts that

- Plesk already had a centralized mail solution in the past (although being part of another package, in the era that Plesk was still called Parallels)
- Plesk can simply implement or apply some common scripts to create the centralized mail feature, without a necessity of tweaks or manual configuration

and there can hence not be a logical explanation as to why this (by customers desired) feature still remains absent.

Maybe Parallels should not have been split up in (on the one hand) Odin and (on the other hand) Plesk.

But even without that "split up", there is still the simple fact that it is both odd and not good that the (centralized) mail feature is not present in Plesk MultiServer.

And that is exactly what I am and what I was saying.

Regards......

PS I also want to make clear that external development of the (centralized) mail feature is possible and quite easy, but it is not worthwhile for any external developer to create a Plesk extension if Plesk team announces to introduce a similar functionality in the "near future" (whatever time span that involves). It really becomes troublesome for customers if Plesk Team does not deliver the announced functionality and external development cannot become effective, if external developers are waiting for Plesk Team on their turn. Catch 22!

 

[Niehaus_1301]

Hello!
Can someone estiminate when resellers will be supported?

 

[Anthony]

Hi @Niehaus_1301

Resellers support is tentative and we can't provide exact ETA for this feature. Not sure if it is will be available even in this year.

Could you briefly describe it's use cases in your business?

 

[Niehaus_1301]

We're a german hosting provider who resells services (compare it to resellerclub.com). For web hosting reselling we use Plesk and we need to step up to multi-server. But now we have a problem since Plesk Multi Server doesn't support Resellers.

 

[Anthony]

@Niehaus_1301 Thank you for clarification. We will take it into account.

 

[NicolasL51]

Hello everybody,

What date for the next update?

 

[Anthony]

Hi @NicolasL51,

The date of the next release is still unknown.

 

[NicolasL51]

Hello,

Ok, waiting ... Tic Tac, Tic Tac

 

[Adam Dobruczky]

Do we know about the next ETA ?

 

[Anthony]

Do we know about the next ETA ?

Hi Adam,

I can not say for sure. Our team is working on the next release of Plesk in March 2018 and I do not expect updates to the Plesk Multi Server before this time.

 

[Janko1000]

After the Price Increase, we change slowly all Server to other Panels.
Plesk creates every Day new Addons and pump it into the Market but the really important Functions for Hosters are not there after Years.