Always wondered, how to run scheduled tasks on windows hosting. For example, under the Plesk control.
At the first look, everything is ok. We have scheduled task and “command line” for it. But what to write there? This is a big question.

Somebody says – no problem, I’ll write “iexplore http://example.com/track.aspx”

But I’m wondering, who closes this internet explorer process on server, and what if you are going to run this task each 5minutes?

I don’t like this way. So, where is the answer? Answer inside VB. All what we need – is to create vb script and run it inside command string.
This script creates Microsoft.XMLHTTP instance (yes, we don’t need to check anything like in AJAX deal, because we are certainly in Microsoft environment). And using this instance request your ASPX page to do all the job.

So, when I’ve asked my hosting support, how to call aspx page scheduled – they said – this impossible. Call PHP page and there request your ASPX if you want. No, thanks.

Plesk screen… to add scheduled task. “Path to executable” should be set to ABSOLUTE path to vbs file on server. Where you can get this path… First of all, you hoster should give you info about your site’s folder. If not, write a simple aspx page with Server.MapPath(“my.vbs”);

So, what inside VB file?

Download shedule.vbs (587.00 bytes)

VPS hosting has taken off over the last few years and with its popularity stems greater demands. In this environment, the average management tools usually do not cut it, rather this only present a new level of complexity. One critical area providers can’t afford to slack in is the control panel. And with more people moving up to VPS hosting, it is no surprise that the leading control panel software would step up to meet the challenge.

A new version of cPanel was released earlier this year, a product specifically designed for the VPS platform. Aptly named as cPanel VPS Optimized, this version comes with numerous improvements, optimized to consume a minimal amount of memory when the program is idle and not in use. The new control panel offers many of the features you will find on the standard cPanel but is finely tuned for VPS hosting. This optimization allows web hosting companies and end-users to comfortably host multiple domains per server as more memory will be available.

There have been many tests to rate the performance of the new cPanel. In one particular test, a virtual private server with 500 MB RAM showed that the standard cPanel installation left 248 MB RAM free, even when the program is idle and not being used. This means that cPanel claimed more than half the memory on the server. The VPS version showed that when idle, cPanel uses no more than 90 MB RAM and leaving around 495 RAM to be used by other programs and services.

The developers of cPanel were able to optimize the control panel and ensure lower memory consumption by reconfiguring the Apache component associated with it. The Apache server application is what serves the web pages from the virtual private server to the people who wish to view them. While Apache is known to be a memory hog, the VPS version of cPanel was tweaked to keep things running at the same speed without consuming too many resources. By reducing the amount of memory cPanel and its neighboring programs utilize, VPS hosts are able to effectively allocate their servers and offer a more affordable hosting solution.

Aside from the performance tuneup, the new cPanel still provides a simple user interface with an array of great features. With this program, you can handle various tasks that cannot be performed with standard versions. From creating email accounts and password protecting your directories to uploading files and installing software, it can all be done without using the command line. The VPS version supports a number of add-ons which allows you to customize the appearance, enhance functionality and incorporate custom applications. Combining extensive system management and an intuitive GUI, the new cPanel offers the flexibility you need to succeed in VPS hosting.

cPanel VPS Optimized is currently only available in Edge, Current and Release versions. This control panel is however, available through partners and distributors who offer cPanel VPS licenses with their web hosting packages. Because the program is still in testing stage, experts recommend getting hands on with a demo version before using it on a live VPS hosting account.

For the most part, web hosting control panels are platform specific, meaning they are designed to function with a particular operating system. While Linux users get the benefit of the industry leading cPanel software, those who prefer Windows are not left out in the cold. This article will introduce you to Helm, the preferred control panel for the Windows platform.

What is Helm?

Created by software developer Parallels, Helm is a powerful control application that offers numerous benefits to web hosting companies, providing the ability to automate and control their operation with ease. Its flexibility is able to support companies of all sizes, running seamlessly on a single server or across thousands of machines. Helm streamlines the server-to server to communication in a secure manner, allowing providers to be more efficient while cutting back tremendously on administrative time.

Scalability

Although most web hosts start out with just a few servers, having the ability to upgrade to hundreds more is crucial. Helm provides that scalability that enables a hosting company to go from one to hundreds to thousands of servers with no lag in performance. Its powerfully unique service distribution facility has the ability to run multiple services on any server and is even compatible with services from other providers.

Centralized Interface

Helm is a straightforward control panel that offers all the essential features and services right from the interface. This allows companies to easily manage their customer base regardless of how many or what types of servers are being used. Helm allows you to administer sites on everything from mail servers to remote servers.

Built-in Communication System

Helm’s simplistic approach adds ease to the task of customer relations as the integrated communications system is designed in a manner that allows you to stay in touch with your clients. Helm automates many of these processes including the distribution of invoices and payment reminders.

Advanced Billing System

Helm is perfectly suited for a web hosting business as it providers the ability to sell virtually any type of service. For example, customers with complex hosting packages consisting of various add-ons can be invoiced for all those services in one simple, itemized invoice. The software also allows you to automatically bill customers for services used on a weekly, monthly or yearly basis and offers payment options such as credit card, PayPal or bank account.

Customization

Helm gives you the ability to completely brand your business into the control panel. You can incorporate custom HTML headers and footers as well as helpful links into your customers’ control panels. What this means is that it allows you to give Helm the look and feel of your business without losing any of its power.

Helm is the ideal control panel for web hosting solutions. The software is highly functional yet very user-friendly to the savvy administrator. Helm’s greatest attribute is the fact that it passes along a similar level of power and simplicity down to the end-user. Whether you’re looking to be a web host or tackle another business, the Helm software makes a great Windows control panel.

Regardless of the company, every web host offers some type of control panel. This software application is what allows a webmaster to manage and control all the essential aspects of their web hosting account. You generally get administrative control over your domains, email accounts, databases and web stats among other features. While the functionality varies among programs, most control panels are designed with user-friendliness in mind, allowing you to manage just about everything from a centralized interface. A good program will give you the ability to manage your account with ease regardless of technical experience.

The main objective of a control panel is to enrich the webmaster’s experience by providing a number of tools that dramatically reduce administrative challenges. One of the most widely used control panels on the market is cPanel and its counterpart WHM (Web Host Manager). Both are incredibly easy to use, offering a Graphical User Interface with icons well designed on the main page. cPanel comes integrated with a variety of features and tools that allow you to control various aspects of your web hosting account and even provides details on bandwidth and other vital statistics.

Similar to most technologies related to the web hosting arena, control panels have evolved tremendously over the years. Aside from the basic functionality such as creating email accounts and adding domains, most of today’s software offer the ability to transfer files via FTP, database management, marketing tools and backup utilities. The average control panel typically comes included with pre-designed templates and software that allows you to build your entire site. Other advanced functionality that has become common is the inclusion of application installers. For example, cPanel is integrated with Fantastico which enables the easy one-click installation of additional software such as WordPress, Cube Cart and Joomla.

There are several factors that must be considered when looking for web host and the control panel is one of the most important of all. Although the software for you will largely depend on your personal requirements, a good control panel should offer the following qualities:

Interface: The control panel interface is the main page and the first thing you will see upon logging into your account. Look for a program that has all the essential features located on the interface as this will make your management tasks much easier.

Platform: In the web hosting world, platform simply refers to the operating system installed on the web host’s server. The platform is crucial as control panels tend to be designed for one system or another.

Features: Control panels are all about features. The more features you get, the greater level of control you will have over your website.

There are numerous control panels on the market and taking the time to choose a good one is extremely important. If you would like to get more hands on, look for a web host that offers a demo version so you can test out the control panel for yourself.

The control panel has become a common fixture in the web hosting arena. Not only does this special software allow the end-user to control their account, but it also lets the web hosting administrator control all of the websites on the server. The number of control panels is increasing rapidly and many are specific to different hosting environments. This article will go over three control panels that are commonly used in VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting: HSPcomplete, Plesk and cPanel.

HSPcomplete

With HSPcomplete, you can manage your entire VPS hosting account from a single login interface. The software is based on a template, making it lightweight and incredibly easy to use. Despite the simplicity, it does come integrated with some pretty nice features. HSPcomplete is very reliable but lacks the functionality required to be successful with reseller accounts.

Plesk

Another template-based control panel, Plesk has won numerous awards for its performance in the shared and VPS hosting environment. Unlike HSPcomplete, it is also makes a viable option for reseller hosting. This control panel is fast, feature-rich and reliable, offering benefits to users on the administrator and domain level. If want to give your customers a powerful control panel, Plesk is the answer.

cPanel/WHM

The award-winning cPanel is the leading control panel software. Many web hosts and end-users prefer this application because of its straightforward, feature-rich interface. The GUI is designed in a manner that allows even inexperienced users to thrive with a VPS account. Because cPanel is primarily based on icons and not templates as the control panels mentioned above, it generally takes up more disk space and resources.

Recommendations

If you are still having a difficult time deciding which control panel to choose for your VPS account, the following details may help. Both Plesk and HSPcomplete are created by software company Swsoft, the same people who developed Virtuozzo, the virtualization technology installed on most VPS hosting accounts. These control panels are sure to give you excellent performance as they only leave a small footprint in the Virtuozzo software. This is because the programs are based on a single template running on the physical node instead on the virtual private server.

The cPanel/WHM (Web Host Manager) package never makes a bad choice for the simple fact that it is so easy to use. However, the size of the software and design that fits a great number of icons on the interface makes it a bit slower than other control panels. You can certainly get by with cPanel on a VPS, but you may not get the performance a control panel like Plesk will provide.

Some customers go to a VPS hosting provider having done their research and know what control they want and others have no clue. Whether its in a virtualized environment or typical hosting arrangement, the right control panel all boils down to personal preference. If you have no familiarity with control panel software, your best bet would to check out a live demo and try to determine which program you feel comfortable with.

cPanel is an award-winning control panel you will find offered in numerous web hosting plans. Its web-based Graphical User Interface is designed to provide users with the ability to handle website administration with ease, a reason why this control panel is preferred by many novice users.

Owned and distributed by cPanel Inc., the software is intended for the use of commercial web hosting companies, meaning it requires the purchase of a license. However, cPanel is available for certain entities at discounted prices. For example, non-profit organizations such as educational institutions can obtain a cPanel license for a reduced cost and sometimes free. Dedicated and managed hosting companies can also purchase licenses at a reduced price when installing the control panel with their operating system. cPanel is platform specific and runs on the Linux operating system. Some of the variations it supports include CentOS, Fedora, Mandiva, Red Hat and SUSE among others.

Brief History of cPanel

The cPanel software was originally designed for Speed Hosting, a web hosting company that is now defunct. Speed Hosting eventually merged with Web King, another web hosting provider that began using the software. From there, the new company moved its servers to VDI, (Virtual Development Inc.), a web hosting company that is no longer around as well. An agreement was made and cPanel was only made available to customers hosting with VDI. It was not until 1999 that cPanel became a significant force on the control panel market.

1999 marked the release of cPanel 3, a version that offered many new improvements, including the addition of WHM (Web Host Manager). Version 3 underwent a few upgrades including bug fixes and a facelift that gave it the default theme we all know today. Because of internal conflict between VDI and original developer Nick Koston, the software was divided into two separate control panels – cPanel and WebPanel, with the latter being used by VDI. Koston went on to work with other web hosts before deciding to focus solely on cPanel. Now on version 11, cPanel is stable, reliable and the most widely used control panel on the market.

cPanel Features

cPanel offers a great level of control to the end-user, allowing you to handle various operations such as managing files and FTP accounts, administering PGP keys, adding domain names and much more. The software also supports a number of third-party applications, the most popular being Fantastico. With Fantastico, you can install a wide variety of programs such as WordPress, phpBB, Drupal, Tiki Wiki, Joomla and more than 50 others.

cPanel sets itself apart from many web hosting control panels with the ability to manage applications independent of the operating system. For example, it can be used to automatically apply upgrades to software packages like PHP, the MySQL database server and Apache web server. This functionality helps web hosting companies make sure that packages are always up to date and remain compatible with cPanel. The power and simplicity of this control panel makes it a number one choice for server administrators and end-users alike.

As a reseller, one of the most important decisions you will have to make is choosing a control panel. When selecting the right software, you can save yourself a lot of time, money and frustration. This article will give you an overview on some of the most popular control panels available for reseller hosting.

cPanel

cPanel makes a great choice for reselling because it is incredibly easy to use and loaded with features. The standard cPanel reseller package comes with two separate applications: WHM and cPanel. WHM (Web Host Manager) is the control panel used to create user accounts and web hosting packages. Other features include the ability to modify plans, add and suspend sites, park domains, view bandwidth statistics and perform other administrative tasks. Clients of the reseller are provided with the end-user version of cPanel to manage their own sites.

A cPanel reseller hosting package also includes an optional application called WHM Autopilot. This program allows you to configure account creation and suspensions, email notifications and other automated functions. WHM Autopilot can be seamlessly integrated with numerous payment gateways and includes a built-in helpdesk, invoice module and several administrative tools.

H-Sphere

H-Sphere is a cross-platform control panel that allows resellers to set up hosting plans on both Windows and Linux systems. It provides the unique ability to manage sites on different servers from a single interface even though the control panel is actually on a separate server. H-Sphere completely automates the management processing, allowing you to easily make configurations, process credit card payments, handle domain name registrations and send out email notifications. This control panel also has a built-in helpdesk, a billing module and supports more than 20 payment gateways.

The advanced features and functionality of H-Sphere results in a steeper learning curve than other control panels. For this reason, beginners may find this software a bit too complex for their needs. On the other hand, more advanced users appreciate the flexibility and control H-Sphere offers. Aside from the features mentioned, H-Sphere also comes with the SiteStudio website builder that allows end-users to create websites from a number of pre-designed themes. This gives domain owners the ability to build professional sites regardless of their experience with FTP or HTML.

Plesk

The Plesk control panel is known as one of the most stable and secure on the market. Resellers and end-users both admire the software’s clean interface, simple navigation and professional appearance. Plesk offers control on four different levels: Server administrator, Client/Reseller, Domain owner and Mail user. Each level gives users control of their particular level along with the level below them. For instance, the server administrator can view information about the reseller, the reseller can view the details on their clients and so forth.

Plesk’s developer Swsoft, also offers Site Builder through the control panel, a program that provides end-users with an easy way to create their sites. Site Builder has more than 300 templates in numerous categories, allowing reseller clients to create sites with no programming or FTP knowledge. When combined with HSPcomplete, another Swsoft creation, Plesk delivers automation that allows you to process credit card payments, send email notifications and much more.

The control panel is very important in the web hosting arena as it can offer benefits to both the end-user and web hosting provider. These programs are generally made to run on certain platforms and one of the best available for the Windows system is DotNetPanel. Created by SMB SAAS Systems Inc., DotNetPanel is a feature-rich control panel made to simplify management tasks in the Windows hosting environment. This control panel is robust, highly scalable and runs seamlessly without the bugs that commonly plague other applications. Ease of use, excellent support and a great price are making DotNetPanal a first choice for many businesses.

Web Host/End-User Features

Advanced File Manager – The DotNetPanel File Browser is both powerful and comprehensive, allowing you to manage your files without the use of FTP. This utility includes a zip/unzip function along with standard file managing options such as copying and moving files, creating files and folders and more. Such advanced functionality gives you the power to deploy applications faster and more efficiently than FTP. The File Browser is a wonderful feature for end-users who are behind a firewall and may not be able to use File Transfer Protocol. It is easy to use and doesn’t require any complex network configurations.

Virtual Directories – DotNetPanel offers the unique ability to manage websites and virtual directories with nearly every one of their essential properties. This includes default documents, security settings, MIME types, custom errors and FrontPage extensions among several others. You can also change the location of the root folder or virtual directory any time after creating it.

Comprehensive Database Backups – DotNetPal has a wide range of features you will not find in other control panels. One of them is the database backup/restore utility. From the user-friendly interface you can easily backup and restore both MS SQL and MySQL databases.

Reseller Features

The DotNetPanel control panel is integrated with an arsenal of features designed to aid in the management of reseller hosting. Some of the most notable features include:

Unlimited Hosting Accounts – With DotNetPanel, there is no limit to the number of standard or sub-reseller accounts you can set up.

Simple Resource Navigation - As an administrator, you can view all the websites, databases and user accounts of all the resellers and customers underneath you. This can be done with ease from a centralized interface.

Account Activation and Suspicion - DotNetPanel gives you the ability to activate reseller, sub-reseller and user accounts in separate packages. Once you suspend an account, all the resources of that particular hosting package are disabled entirely.

Audit Log – The audit log feature allows you to monitor and control every aspect of user accounts. You can track user login credentials and also create, update and delete various activities.

DotNetPanel is a fully integrated control panel that covers nearly every angle of web hosting, a viable option for the shared hosting environment as well as dedicated and virtual private servers. Although its restricted to a specific platform, DotNetPanel is quickly becoming the preferred choice for Windows hosting operations.